Cady snorted. “How’s that working out for ya?”
“Not great.”
“You’re different from everyone else here. You’re softer, you say please and thank you. You stand out, and being in this place, you don’t wanna stand out.”
“It’s kind of you to worry about me.”
Cady let out a frustrated breath. “There you go again. I’m not worried about you. We’re not friends. We’re not goin’ to go out and get manicures and facials and whatever else you used to do with your friends. I’m here to survive and I’m just tryin’ to give you some advice so you survive too. You need to toughen up.”
Jacey stopped, grabbing Cady’s arm. “I thought I was doing a pretty good job of surviving.” She hadn’t caved, hadn’t fallen into a ball of hopeless despair and just given up.
Cady looked her up and down. “Gotta admit, you’ve done better than I thought. First time I saw you, I felt sure you weren’t gonna last the week. But you got to fight back. People like Ronald, they don’t play by any rules and you can’t either.”
Jacey thought for a long moment. “You’re right. So teach me.”
Cady put her hands on her hips. “What am I? Some social worker?”
“No, but you’re a good person and you like me.”
“We’re not friends,” Cady repeated as she walked into the women’s sleeping area of the shelter.
Jacey let out a small smile. “But you’ll help me?”
“Yeah, all right.”
***
Derrick leaned back on the sofa in his living room, tapping his fingers on the arm. Was it possible to be obsessed with a woman after meeting her just once? Derrick was seriously beginning to think there was something wrong with him. He just couldn’t stop thinking about a tiny pixie with big brown eyes and a riot of curls.
“Derrick? Derrick? Derrick!”
Derrick sat up in his chair, startled to find Holly standing in front of him, hands on her hips.
“I’m sorry, love. Did you say something?”
Her forehead creased into a frown as she stared down at him. “I’ve been calling your name for the last few minutes. What is wrong with you? You’ve been like this for the last two weeks. One minute you’re normal, the next you’re in another world.”
He smiled at her. “Nothing is wrong. I’m just preoccupied. Now what did you ask me?”
Holly continued to frown, but answered him anyway, “Brax will be here in about forty minutes so I thought I would order some takeout, anything in particular that you feel like?”
“Whatever you want is fine with me.”
“You sure you’re okay with Brax and me staying tonight?” she asked with uncustomary shyness.
Shit. He must really have been acting like an idiot if she had to ask him that. Holly had lived with him for years, and he’d worked hard to convince her that she was in no way a burden to him. Yes, he’d helped her through some serious rehabilitation and a sticky divorce with his asshole brother. And, yeah, he’d given her a place to live and a job. But he considered himself to be the lucky one.
“Come here.” He crooked a finger at her, pulling her down on the
sofa beside him. Swinging his arm around her shoulders, he tucked her in close.
“Holly, you know that this is your house just as much as it is mine. You are welcome here anytime and you never, ever have to ask. Got me?” He kept his voice low, bordering on the edge of stern. He wanted her to realize how serious he was.
Holly shifted so she could look up at him. “I know. It’s just, well, things are different now that I’m married to Brax. I figured maybe I shouldn’t just come and go as I please.”
“Holly, you are and always will be my sister. Wherever I live is your home as well. No matter what is going on in either of our lives that will never change, understand?”
A smile crossed her lips and she hugged him tight. “Thanks, Derrick.”