Page 47 of First Surrender

This might be harder than I originally anticipated.

After they get their bags out of her car and get settled, Dec gets comfortable on the couch watching an old Spider-Man movie while Natalie and I work out the kinks of our living arrangement.

“You don’t want me to pay rent?” She asks skeptically.

“It’s not necessary.”

She eyes me questionably as I sit on one of the bar stools. She’s opposite me, standing on the other side of the island.

“Groceries?”

“Not necessary.”

“Jackson, this is ridiculous. Seriously?”

“I want you to save all of your money for a lawyer. I’ll ask around for a good one, the best one. That should be your only focus.”

“I still need to pay you back for the hotel.” Her head is tilted and her arms are crossed, preparing to battle. I should be worried, but if anything it eases me.

“Consider it settled. Okay? Stop worrying about money.”

“That is an insane thing to ask me to do. All I’ve been doing my entire life is worrying about money. Especially this past-” She lowers her voice out of earshot of Dec. “Especially this past year,” she whispers.

“I know. Let me help you now. Only until you get full legal custody of Dec. Then you can ride off into the sunset flipping me the middle finger.”

“Two middle fingers,” she corrects under her breath.

“Fine, whatever. You need to quit your job, too.”

“What? I thought you were joking about that!”

“No. The last thing we need is for Declan’s lawyer to bring up your occupation in court. It wouldn’t be the first time they’ve tried to smear a woman for her profession.”

“I make coffee! I’m not a stri-” She pauses again to collect herself. “I’m not a stripper,” she whispers.

“I know that but one photo of you in your underwear at work and they could use it against you. I’m not saying that it’s right. I’m telling you the reality.”

“This can’t be real.” I see the lack of color in her face. She understands what I’m saying but it doesn’t mean it’s fair. “It’s the only place I could find around here that would let me work between 8 and 3. I only know food and bev. I don’t even know where to begin looking for something else.” She hides her face in her hands and all I want to do is comfort her. I don’t though, it would only unleash her fury.

“I can cancel my housekeeper. Pay you instead?”

She blinks rapidly at me but doesn’t say anything at first. I can’t tell if she’s considering it or if she’s about to bite my head off for suggesting it.

“No. No, we’ll clean up after ourselves but I don’t want to be your housekeeper,” she replies quietly. Her eyes wander around the kitchen, stopping on the fridge. “I can cook.”

“What?”

“You don’t have to order your meals. I can cook.”

“That would be a lot of work. I eat a lot.”

She shrugs. “I love to cook. I went to culinary school in New York.”

It’s my turn to be stunned. I had no idea that’s why she was in New York but I guess I don’t know much about her at all.

“You’re a chef?”

She laughs sadly. “No. I was two weeks from graduation when-” She glances at Dec and I read it loud and clear. She had to come home for Dec.

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