Page 1 of RiffRaff's Reward

PROLOGUE

Jillian, five years ago

I watchedas the funeral home took the gurney with my deceased husband out to the hearse, my heart breaking at having to tell our daughter her daddy was gone. From the day Kimber was born, she had her daddy wrapped around her tiny finger, and at eight, this was going to devastate her. Me, on the other hand? Well, Duncan and I were in a weird place in our marriage. He had been cheating on me, so we were actually talking about separating while we sought out marriage counseling.

While I wasn’t sure if talking things out would do any good, because something was obviously broken between the two of us if he had chosen to stray and seek out the comfort of another female, for my daughter,ourdaughter, I would’ve given it everything I had to give.

“Suck it up, Jillian,” I muttered to myself as I gathered his personal belongings from the hospital room before heading home. “You still have to tell Kimber, then you have to go to the funeral home to get all of that tedious stuff started.”

My head was pounding by the time I finished sorting everything and got into the school pickup line. Grabbing my acetaminophen from my purse, I shook out three capsules and swallowed them down with my drink. As my SUV filled up with the aroma of pizza, I heard my stomach growl and grinned despite my pain. By the time the back door opened, and Kimber climbed in, I felt nauseated and prayed I could get us home before I was physically sick.

“Hey, Mama!” Kimber exclaimed, her voice about a thousand decibels louder than my brain could handle.

“Hey, sweet pea. Can you use your indoor voice please?” I asked as I pulled up to the stop sign and turned in the direction that would lead us toward home.

“Sorry, Mama, I was outside playing, and I was still in that mood,” she replied, giggling.

“It’s okay, Kimber. Do you have any homework?”

“No, ma’am, we had free time today to get it done in class. Mama, Mrs. Hatcher said I wouldn’t be in school for a few days, so she put some papers in an envelope for me to do. How come?”

I sighed, wishing her teacher hadn’t said anything. “How about we get home and I’ll tell you then, okay?”

“Okay,” she chirped before she started singing along to the radio.

Thank God,I thought to myself. I wanted to be there to hold and comfort her, not sitting behind the wheel driving my car. I was anticipating a lot of tears and wondered if I had any wine at the house or not because I suspected I was going to need some before the night was over.

After Kimber cried herself to sleep, I sat in my bedroom with my laptop open in front of me. While Duncan made good money and we had a healthy savings account, I knew I was going to have to do something to provide for us once those funds ran out. I knew he had a hefty life insurance policy coming our way as well, which would take care of what was left of the mortgage, and we already had an education fund set up for Kimber that was in a separate account, I couldn’t just sit around doing nothing all day long. Not with the other bills that would be piling up once the life insurance and our savings ran out.

“Maybe it’s time to see what it would take to become a vet tech,” I mused as the television played in the background. I’ve always had a passion for animals. “Surely it wouldn’t take long, and maybe some of the classes I took years ago would transfer over toward that degree.”

Within a few minutes, I had pulled up the local college’s website and was reading over the requirements. “I can do this in two years,” I cried out. “I wonder if I can reach out to the local animal clinic and see about something part-time while I'm working toward my certification. I have to make sure I can be home by the time school’s done for the day, though.” I don’t want Kimber alone if I can prevent it.

By the time my eyes grow heavy, I’ve printed off what I needed, filled out the financial aid forms to find out what I qualified for, shut down my laptop, took care of my nightly hygienic duties, then double-checked to make sure the house was locked up for the night. That was always Duncan’s job before he came to bed but it’s mine now, I guess.

Jillian, two years ago

“Jillian, you’ve done so well since you came to work here,” Dr. Webber said as I cleaned up the exam room. “The best thing I ever did was hire you.”

I smiled and said, “I definitely appreciate you working with me these last couple of years. I know it’s not always easy when I have to leave to get Kimber, but with no immediate family left, I don’t want her to be away from me for too long.”

It’s been a rough few years, between working part-time, going to school, and navigating Kimber’s grief, but I finally feel like we’re in a good place. Both mentally and emotionally. Thanks to therapy that we both attend, we’re able to communicate effectively, although with the teen years almost upon us, I worry about my wine consumption. I hope my liver can survive it!

Most days, after I pick her up, we come back to the clinic and she helps me give out the medications, walk any dogs we have staying over, and then we feed and water everyone. Dr. Webber has been a saint, however, because she pays me a full-time wage and I get health insurance as well.

“Hard to believe she’s turning eleven in a few weeks,” Dr. Webber added. “Seems like only yesterday, a blonde-haired pigtailed little girl with freckles and a few missing teeth walked in and immediately made friends with all the animals here.”

Laughing hard, I nod. “We’d have a houseful if I let her bring home every single stray.”

Shaking her head in amusement, she asked me, “Are you available to work at the low-cost spay and neuter clinic next weekend?”

I ran through Kimber’s schedule in my head and replied, “She’s got a sleepover next Friday because it’s her friend’s birthday and it’s a whole weekend deal. They’re taking five little girls to Busch Gardens, which Kimber has chattered about non-stop since we got the invitation. So, I’ll be there with bells on.”

She snickered and touched my shoulder. “Go get your girl. We’ll see you back shortly.”

Jillian, one year ago

“Can I get some help, please?” a frenzied male voice called.

---