Page 7 of Broken Chains

“I agree. If he wants the responsibility, give him the kid. I told you, she shouldn’t be our problem and you shouldn’t have accepted guardianship of her. Don’t get me wrong, Oliver, she’s our granddaughter and I’m happy to help out, but this shouldn’t be our burden. We’ve raised our kids.”

“Great, then we’re in agreement. I’ll take my daughter, now,” I said.

Her mother hesitated but finally passed the baby to me. I relaxed for the first time in hours the second Evie was in my arms. I breathed in her sweet baby scent and kissed the curls on top of her head.

“How’s daddy’s girl?”

She cooed in my arms and instantly fell asleep.

Melina’s parents shared another look.

“How’d you do that? She’s barely slept a wink in days, up crying all hours, day and night,” Terry confessed.

I shrugged. “Melina said she wanted to work nights because Eve always slept better for me. So that’s been our pattern. She keeps her during the day, and I watch her at night. I hated her working at that strip club.”

“She was what?” her mother cried.

“Sorry, I thought you knew.”

“She told us she worked at the twenty-four-hour truck stop out on the highway,” her father said, clearly struggling with the news.

I shook my head. “No. She said she liked working at the club because it paid well and made her feel like she was still acting in some way.”

“Oh dear Lord, you don’t think any of our friends knew, do you?” she asked her husband.

“No, Becky, I think your gossip ladies would have rubbed it in our faces before now if they had.”

Things were getting awkward and I really wanted to just get Eve’s things and get the hell out of there. Then it dawned on me. I couldn’t take her with me. I only had a motorcycle and there was no way I was strapping my kid to my chest and riding off in the sunset. Shit! I was going to have to get a car and fast.

“Look, there’s something I have to do real quick. Can I leave Eve here for just an hour more?” I asked.

“Of course, Oliver. She is our granddaughter and if you’re ever in a true bind or it becomes too much to handle, you can call us,” she said.

“Really?” I asked.

“Really,” Terry confirmed. “We’d like to stay in Eve’s life. We just don’t want to raise her.”

I nodded. “Thank you. You’re welcome to see her anytime. I can work with that.”

“What are you going to do about childcare?”

“I’m not sure yet, but between my brothers and I, we’ll manage. Tim and Kenneth only have a few more weeks left of school and then they’ll be home for the summer to help out more. We’ll make it work. Did Melina leave her car seat? The Pack 'n Play? Anything?”

“Yeah, she did. We’ll get it all packed up for you.”

“Thanks,” I said feeling a little relieved knowing I wasn’t going to have to re-buy everything.

“Okay then.” I handed Eve back to her grandmother. “I’ll be back as quick as I can.”

I bolted out of the house, jumped on my bike and drove straight to the dealership. There was a sick feeling in my stomach. That motorcycle was the only truly nice thing I owned, but Eve was more important to me than anything, even my bike. I knew Jimmy Lee had been coveting it since the moment I bought it and I only hoped he wouldn’t screw me over with my offer.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in. What are you doing here, Smith?” he asked when I pulled up to the garage.

“I’m only gonna make this offer once and I need to act fast,” I told him.

“I’m listening.”

“I need a car. Something reliable that’s not going to fall to pieces on me in a month and isn’t too bad on gas mileage. Title for title.”

---