heard Brittany laugh, she swore in frustration.
“Tell me about it,” Hawk grumbled, resting his forehead on hers. “Can we send them out to a movie?”
“It’s a school night.”
“I don’t think I can wait until the weekend.”
She smiled. “What’s your schedule like? Got any free time this week?”
“With you as the reward, I’ll find it.”
CHAPTER NINE
NICOLE WALKED into her house to find it filled with teenagers. There were several girls sitting together on the sectional sofa, a group of guys sprawled on the floor. There were books lying open, papers scattered around, chips, soda, a couple of bags of cookies and the sound of conversation.
She came to a stop, not sure what to make of the invasion. Raoul had moved in so it made sense that his friends would stop by to see him…except Jesse had never brought friends around.
Nicole hadn’t thought of it before, but suddenly she remembered how Jesse had always been disappearing, rather than bringing people home. When Nicole had questioned her, Jesse had said it was easier to go to her friends’ houses, but had it been? Was there some reason Jesse hadn’t wanted to spend time here or invite anyone she knew?
“Hi,” a few of the kids called.
“Bring any cupcakes?” one of the guys asked.
She smiled. “I didn’t, but I will tomorrow.”
“Sweet.”
Raoul scrambled to his feet and followed her into the kitchen. “Should I have asked before inviting them over?”
She had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. He looked both excited and nervous. She doubted he’d had company visiting when he’d been in foster care, and abandoned buildings didn’t provide much in the way of teen amenities.
“It’s fine,” she said. “The same rules apply. And no one goes upstairs or in the basement. Not even Brittany.”
He grinned. “What are you worried about?”
“You know exactly what I’m worried about. It’s not going to happen. No one has sex in this house.”
He raised his eyebrows.
She thought about Hawk and how he’d made her feel when they were together. With Brittany in his house and Raoul in her house, getting together was going to be a scheduling nightmare.
“Not even me,” she said with a sigh. “Is that clear?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He was grinning as he spoke. The smile faded. “Thanks for taking me in, Nicole.”
She shrugged. “We’ll work it out.”
She wasn’t sure how. There were still details to consider. Like how long he would be staying. Through the school year? That was a serious commitment. But it was also a problem she would deal with later.
“Go back to your friends,” she said. “Tell them not to leave a mess or I’ll get really annoyed. Trust me, that’s nothing they’ll find pretty.”
He grinned. “You’re the best.”
“Don’t I know it.”
She grabbed a Diet Coke for herself and went up to her room. As she passed Jesse’s room, she stepped inside.
Nothing had changed since her sister had left. Most of her stuff was still there. Jesse had only taken what she could carry.
There were stuffed animals on a shelf, posters, books, clothes piled in a corner.
She sat on the bed and looked around. What had gone wrong? How could everything have fallen apart so quickly and without warning? One minute everything had been fine and the next Drew had been cheating on her with her own sister.
Honestly, Jesse’s betrayal hurt a lot more than his. She’d known Drew was a mistake shortly after they’d gotten married, but she’d been too embarrassed to admit it. She was confident there had been other women before Jesse. But her own sister?
Did Jesse hate her that much? Yes, they’d had some hard times as Jesse had grown up, but they’d been family. Didn’t that count for anything?
Apparently not, Nicole thought, fighting tears. She loved Jesse, but she had a feeling she would never forgive her. Not for what she’d done, but for obviously not caring that she’d done it. Not caring who she’d hurt.
Now Jesse was pregnant. Nicole still had trouble with that one. Her baby sister having a baby. Did the promise of a child change anything? Should Nicole bring her back home?
Everything inside her screamed no. That Jesse had to grow up, learn to be responsible. Maybe a baby was the best way. But was that concern speaking or betrayal?
“Enough,” Nicole said as she stood. She was done mourning the past and worrying about what couldn’t be fixed. Nothing would be solved today. She had time to figure it out.
She walked into the hallway and moved to her room. A burst of laughter floated up the stairs. It was a good sound, she thought, her mood lightening. There should always be laughter in a house.
WHEN THE FRONT DOOR banged shut for the eighth time, Nicole went downstairs. She braced herself for a disaster in the great room, but it was surprisingly clean. The carpet needed vacuuming, but otherwise, all the wrappers, cans and trash were gone.
Talk about impressive, she thought as she walked into the kitchen, prepared to thank Raoul. He was turning out to be a-
She paused as she saw him drop a cooked chicken breast into a sandwich bag and then slip the bag into his jeans pocket.
Her first thought was surprise. There was plenty to eat. He didn’t have to save for later. Especially something that should be kept refrigerated. But maybe it wasn’t about being hungry now. Maybe he had a strong need to hoard. She’d read an article about starving children once. How even when they were rescued, they still worried about having enough to eat. If that was his problem, maybe she should find a psychologist, because this was a problem she didn’t know how to fix.
“Raoul?” She spoke softly, not wanting to startle him.
He spun toward her, the look of guilt so clear, she knew immediately this wasn’t about being hungry later.
“What?” she demanded.
“Nothing.”
“You have chicken in your pocket. That’s not nothing. What is it?” She tried to think of possibilities and then wished she hadn’t. “There’s another kid, isn’t there?”
She swore silently. A practically grown, legally adult teenager was one thing, but another kid? There wasn’t room in the house without cleaning out Jesse’s room and, despite everything, she wasn’t sure she was ready for that.
“No,” he said quickly. “It’s not that.”
“Then what?” Why would he need food?
He shifted uncomfortably. She decided to play the impatient-adult card and put her hands on her hips. “I’m waiting.”
He hung his head. “There’s a dog. A stray. I’ve been feeding her.”
Nicole wasn’t even surprised. A dog. Of course. Because she was a responsibility magnet.
“I couldn’t just leave her to starve,” he went on. “So I’ve been taking her food. I usually buy her dog food, but I ran out and I haven’t been to the store.” He pulled the chicken out of his pocket. “Should I put this back?”
What? Like she was going to tell him yes so some poor dog could go hungry?
“How big?” she asked.
