Page 28 of Nanny for the Firefighter

It’s fine. This is Jai’s party. We can talk about it later. So, I just nod for him, a newly growing habit that I really hate to be developing.

Stepping back, I feel Jai leave the room rather than seeing it, and I get the wine ready. In just a minute, I’m out front in the living room, pouring drinks for our friends and putting on the best smile I can.

I’m about to head to the kitchen again to toss the empty bottle, when Jai comes up to me and puts his hand on the small of my back.

“Don’t get sidetracked in there. I need you out here making a good impression.” He puts his other hand on my stomach. “And that definitely includes no more snacks.”

Everything swirls around me. I know people heard that. My pulse screams in my ears as my heart batters against my ribs. My hands shake, and I can feel the burn of tears start behind my eyes.

“I…I need some air. I’ll be right back.”

Rushing off to the kitchen, I fling the bottle in the recycling and push through the backdoor into the yard. I’m only outside a moment, when Jai grabs my arm and yanks me around to face him.

“Jai! What are you?—”

His fingers dig into me hard enough to bruise me. “Don’t you ever walk away from me like that. If youevertry to leave me, Bridget, I will find you. I willalwaysfind you. Understood?!”

The rumble of a semi passing by on the highway not far from my mother’s house cuts through the terror. I wake in the bed I slept in as a teenager, sweat clinging to me as my pulse thunders.

It was far from the first time I dreamed about Jai. Hell, this wasn’t even the first time I dreamed of the night I became truly afraid of him.

But there’s something about this time.

My blood is cold in my veins, and all I want in the entire world is to curl up somewhere safe.

I’m not sure if such a thing exists anymore.

A moment later, my alarm goes off, and I reach over for my phone to silence it. I need to get ready for the day. I have errands to run for Mom since Mason has Mia, and it’ll be my only day off for a while.

Heart still pounding, I stretch, pulling myself out of bed by the bootstraps. I can’t let myself dwell on the memories…the nightmare.

I lived it before, and I can’t let myself live it now. It’s been almost a week since I got here, and Jai hasn’t found me.

That’s what I need to focus on.

Dragging myself across my old room, I reach into my closet, now full of my adult clothes, and retrieve a pair of jeans and a simple white tee for the day.

I need a bra and underwear, too, and I snag a towel so that I can shower.

Once I’m all clean, I pad down the stairs in my bare feet. Temps have been steadily increasing now that it’s the height of summer, and the cool wood floor feels amazing on the soles of my feet.

Soon enough, the kitchen sings with the gentle sounds of the tea kettle boiling and eggs frying on the stove. I pull the kettle off the heat and plop the eggs down onto the two waiting plates—mine and Mom’s.

Above Mom’s plate, I’ve lined up her pills for the morning, and I filled the weekly pill container with her prescriptions so that she won’t miss one anymore.

The timer on my phone goes off, and I pull out the baked chicken from the oven. I’ve made enough, as well as several sides of vegetables and mashed potatoes, to store for the week so that Mom doesn’t have to worry about cooking while I’m over at Mason’s with Mia.

My entire life has become taking care of people, and I don’t really mind.

The cooking gets a bit old, but I’ve got it down to a science now, and those years working in diners are definitely coming in handy.

“Hi, sweetie. What’s all this?”

I turn to see my mother coming down the steps and into the kitchen. With a smile, I pull out her chair, and she takes a seat.

“No more forgetting doses or having to cook after treatments. There’s chicken and potatoes and succotash all in containers ready to go. I can make a thing of spaghetti for you, too.”

“Bridget! I can’t believe you did all this. You’re…well, damn, sweetie, I’m impressed. Thank you.”

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