Page 46 of Going All In

Maddox nods encouragingly. “That’s when your mom died, right?”

“Yeah. Right around the holidays. I told you that part, I think. But before the accident, I was dating someone. And…” The feelings start to rush back. My stomach twists, unwilling to share all the embarrassing details. “Anyway, he was a jerk, and he came to Mom’s funeral, and I was humiliated in front of my family. I heard my aunts talking about me in the bathroom. And I haven’t seen most of my extended family since then, but I can’t bring a date to the wedding that they’re going to judge. I can’t go through that again.”

Maddox’s brow creases. “You think they’d judge you if you went with me as your date?”

“I just… yes. And I know it doesn’t make sense, and I don’t want to go into more detail right now. I just felt like I owed you some explanation for why we can’t date.”

Maddox wipes his hand on a napkin and reaches out to hold my hand across the table. “Thank you for telling me.”

How does he always know the right thing to say?

“Maddox, I—”

The waitress chooses that moment to bring our pizza, interrupting me, but I’m not even sure what I was going to say. I pull my hand away from Maddox’s electric touch under the guise of giving her a place to put the pizza that looks way too big for two people.

I thank her, ostensibly for the food, but what I really want to thank her for is for saving me from saying something I can’t take back.

* * *

I didn’t see JJ before I went to bed last night, but this morning she wasn’t home when I left for work, either. It’s not uncommon for her to stay out all night or to go home with a guy, but I have a hunch that she’s with Justin. He swore up and down that nothing happened before we talked, and I believe him. JJ would never do something like that to me. But I’m pretty sure they’re full steam ahead now.

Justin actually called me yesterday, wondering where she was, so there’s already some drama there. All good JJ stories have drama, and I can’t wait to hear about this.

And since we share an office as well as an apartment, I’m going to hear about it sooner or later.

I balance the two cups of coffee, one in each hand as I walk down the hallway. At our office door, I stack one on top of the other and pray to the coffee gods that I don’t drop them when I turn the knob.

She’s not at her desk, but I place one of the to-go cups at her spot. I settle into my desk. It’s eight a.m. That’s a reasonable time to call people at home, right?

I flip open the folder of potential foster families and run my finger down the list. I have less than four weeks to find Julio a new home, or else he goes to a group home.

I call five different numbers before I finish my coffee. None of them are available for a new placement.

My gaze wanders over to the coffee on JJ’s desk. She’s still not here. We wouldn’t want it to go to waste, would we? It’s not a latte, but it’s caffeinated, so if she’s not going to drink it, I’ll gladly fall on that grenade. I shoot her a text while I work up the energy to keep calling families.

JJ

You coming in today? I got you a coffee, but if you’re out of the office today, I’ll drink it and get you one tomorrow.

I’m out doing home visits all day. It’s all yours.

Awesome, thanks! Dinner tonight?

*thumbs up emoji*

I snag the coffee from her desk. It’s cooled off a bit since I brought it in, and it wasn’t exactly piping hot after walking the two blocks from the coffee shop to the office in the freezing cold.

The staff kitchen holds a microwave and a fridge filled with leftovers of questionable vintage. No one is in here this early in the morning, so it’s also pretty quiet. I pour JJ’s Americano into one of the mugs I keep here and pop it in the microwave, leaning against the counter while it counts down.

Four weeks to find Julio a home, so three weeks until the wedding. I know I made that bet with Maddox, and I want to win just because I’m competitive. But the idea of actuallydatinganother guy is losing its appeal.

But thereisfifty grand on the line. Fifty grand would be life-changing. I could put a down payment on a house. I could set something up for the foster kids I take care of. Maybe just for Julio.

If I had my own place, maybe I could take him in.

The microwave lets out a proud beep, and I take the steaming coffee back to my office, rationalizing this idea and bargaining with myself. I’ll call the rest of the families on my list and do my best to find a place for Julio. If I can’t find someone, I’ll have JJ set up another date.

Shady? Maybe. I’ll come clean with Maddox in the end. I will.

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