“When do I get to see my new place?” Skylar asks.
“Saturday,” Hunter answers with a chuckle. “Like I just said.”
“What if I don’t like it?”
“It’ll be better than the clubhouse. Trust me.”
“Fine,” she concedes. “As long as I get to pay my own way.”
“Nope.”
She glares at him and then looks to me for help. I simply shrug, letting her know I’m in agreement with Hunter on this one. She’ll never get on her feet if she’s worried about paying her own way. From what I understand, she sunk every damn dime she had into the house. Didn’t have a penny saved.
“It’s not your call,” she argues.
“Damn right it is.”
“Is this another one of your club rules?” she asks. “The women aren’t allowed to do anything for themselves?”
“It’s a big brother rule,” he smarts off. “Get the fuck over it.”
She rolls her eyes and gets up, taking her plate with her. I watch her go sit at the opposite end of the bar, between Dash and Munsey. I fight back my jealousy at the sight of her chatting and smiling with the two of them. Allie joins her only a moment later.
“The auction is tomorrow at ten,” I tell Hunter, turning my attention back to my plate. “I’m going to head down there and see what’s what.”
“I planned on doing the same thing,” he replies. “Figure if I can get the house somehow, I might even get her back home one day. Once I know it’s safe, of course. I’m going through a box of papers Dad had packed, and some stuff Skylar had from the bank, but I don’t see anything about a debt he may have owed. I want to be sure before she goes back there, you know?”
“I don’t blame you,” I say.
“I never wanted Skylar to be around the club,” he admits. “If my old man weren’t dead, I would kill him for putting her in this situation. Every damn month I sent money to him, and fuck only knows what he was doing with it.”
“Maybe he was hoarding it somewhere,” I offer, trying to give the man the benefit of the doubt.
“Yeah? And he was letting Skylar run herself into the ground trying to pay the bills, so even if he was doing that, it was a shit thing to do. She said she was working double shifts all the damn time.”
“Good point. But she didn’t seem to have a clue what the fuck he was up to. Skylar’s a smart girl. Surely, she would’ve noticed if he had bookies coming around.”
“She never did before,” he reminds me.
“She was also a kid before. You only found out because you caught him red-handed. He was good at hiding his problem. Let’s not forget that.”
Hunter nods and finishes off his food while I go for seconds. He gets up, leaving his plate on the bar, and walks over to Dash and Munsey, barely casting a glance at Allie.
“Get this shit cleaned up when everyone is done,” he orders.
“Yes, sir,” they reply simultaneously.
Skylar’s remark to Allie makes me snicker. “I’ll never fucking understand these ridiculous rules.”
I feel you, girl. I fucking feel you.
I know asking to take off work right after starting a job isn’t exactly recommended, but Dr. Henson didn’t seem to mind. I explained to him that I needed the day off so I could go back home and take care of some personal business.
He didn’t pry, and I didn’t disclose to him that I’m losing my childhood home today. I know I don’t have the money to do anything at the auction, but I want to see for myself who makes the purchase. Want to see that it actually gets sold so that I have that closure.
It does cross my mind that I may hate the person who buys it. It may be someone I know and never cared for. Then again, it could be a good family who needs a nice family home. I could be happy for them. They could love the house as much as I do. Either way, I want to know.
I order an Uber, and it’s Bishop who inspects the car and driver this time. Apparently, Jake and Hunter are out on a “run,” whatever that means, and Munsey and Dash are with the construction crew at a job.
“Sorry I keep putting you through that,” I tell the driver. “Uber must think you’re my personal driver now.”
He laughs at that. “Just the luck of the draw.”
“Don, isn’t it?” I ask.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m happy I keep getting you. Feels like we’re friends now,” I tell him.
“Absolutely.”
“How’s your family doing?” I ask, making conversation.
“Tanya is doing great, but she says she’s going to have an empty nest soon and isn’t sure what she’s going to do with all her free time then. My two boys, the twins, are heading off to college, and my daughter won’t be long after them.”
“Maybe she could start driving too,” I joke. “You could become a team.”
He laughs at that, and we settle in for a long ride. The entire ride to Brewton, I’m nostalgic. My mind keeps remembering all the memories that house holds. I first met Jake at that house. Hunter showed up with him one day, and he stayed. His parents wanted nothing to do with him. His dad had beat him so badly he could hardly walk, but Hunter took him in.
I remember him sitting on our toilet while I pretended I knew what the hell I was doing as I tended to his wounds. I’m pretty sure I fell in love with him right then and there. Also, seeing him like that is what made me want to go into nursing. I wanted to help people somehow.
My dad raised a little hell about having another mouth to feed, a big one, but he never turned Jake away, and his dad never bothered him again either. I know my dad wasn’t perfect, but the house always felt like a safe haven to me. I can guarantee it was the same thing for Hunter and Jake. It breaks my heart to know that I’ve lost it.
“Should be right up here on the…” my voice trails at the faint sign of smoke.
“Are you certain this is the correct location?” Don asks me as what used to be my childhood home comes into view.
The place is taped off, the firetrucks long gone. All that’s left is a burned frame, still smoking. I tell him to stop the car, and he does. I bolt out of it and run toward the house, not even realizing that both Hunter and Jake are already here. Jake catches me in his arms before I can reach the house, and a sob escapes my throat.
“What happened? I don’t…I don’t…”
He hugs me, stroking my back. “We aren’t sure.”
“What was Dad doing with the fucking money, Skylar?” Hunter asks angrily.
Jake releases me, and I stand there, confused. Our house is burned down, and Hunter is questioning me about money I never saw.
“I told you! I didn’t receive any money from you, and if you were sending it to Dad, I don’t know what he was doing with it!”
“Think, Skylar!” he yells. “Was he fucking gambling it all away? Were there ever any men around here you didn’t recognize?”
“I don’t know!” I yell back. “I worked nights, Hunter! I worked fucking double shifts trying to make ends meet, and it still wasn’t enough!”