Page 19 of Jasper
“Copy that. I assume you want ‘em on rotation?”
“Yeah, I sure the fuck do. And tell ‘em if she sees ‘em and tells ‘em to go, they go. But until then? I want eyes on that place.”
“Done.”
I hang up and tuck the phone back into my cut.
Then I let the engine idle and take one more look at the house. It’s in worse shape than I originally thought. The siding’s pulling loose near the roof. Paint’s peeling on the porch as well as the house. The gutter’s hanging by one rusted bracket, and the steps creak even when Tessa is the only one stepping on them. The front door looks water damaged. It’s soft enough for a toddler to kick the damn thing in with no messing around.
The bottom line is it ain’t safe.
Not for her, her grandmother, and not for anyone carrying my baby.
I have an unreasonably strong need to keep the woman risking everything just to keep her grandma breathing and my baby growing in her belly safe. No one is gonna get hurt if I can help it. Not on my fuckin’ watch.
I make a mental list of supplies to buy. I’m gonna need paint, lumber, a new lock for the front door, a proper porch light, something to reinforce that stair rail so she doesn’t go tumbling off the porch.
She doesn’t need to know I’m coming back. I’ll show up when she’s gone to work or sleeping. Do what needs doing the most. I’m good at fixing what’s broken.
She doesn’t need to be aware of all I’m spending to fix up her place, because it’s not about impressing her. It’s about building something safe under her feet before the next asshole tries to knock her down in life. She deserves all the safety and security I can give her, no matter whether she stays after the baby comes or not.
I rev the throttle once and peel off slow, dust kicking up behind me, thoughts already spinning on which of the guys I can borrow tools from and how I’m gonna haul two-by-fours on a cruiser without looking like a damn cartoon.
I’ll have to borrow my old man’s truck. He’ll want to know why, and that’ll open up a whole new can of worms, because he doesn’t keep anything from my mom.
But I’ll figure it out. I always do.
Chapter 7
Tessa
Isit in the quiet of my room, staring at my banking app on my phone. There’s now ten grand sitting in my account. I can’t quite get my head around Jasper just giving me that much money, like it was nothing to him. If I’m being honest, that hot biker doesn’t look like the kind of man with easy access to that kind of money. But I guess appearances can be deceiving.
There’s something about Jasper that slips around all my carefully constructed walls. He gets through to me like no man ever has. Part of me thinks he’s just a fast talker who uses words the way Mr. Whitmore uses money—to get what he wants. I hate to be so jaded, especially about him of all people. I guess time will tell whether he’s being earnest with me or not.
It’s still early evening, so I call my Gran’s room at her assisted living home. Thank God the state picks up the tab for that, because I’d never be able to afford their rates. The phone rings three times before she picks up.
“Tessa is that you?” her trembling voice asks.
I jump to my feet and start pacing as we talk. “Yes. It’s me. Are you okay? Your voice sounds weak.”
“I’m hungry. I couldn’t eat the dinner they sent. It was pork chops.”
“Oh, I know you don’t like pork, Gran. Tell me what you feel like eating and I’ll make it for you.”
“You don’t have to do that, dear. You probably worked hard today.”
“I was off today,” I tell her. That’s a lie, I don’t want to worry my gran, but I’m scared my boss is going to have to let me go. I push that to the back of my mind, “And I’m starving myself. Tell me what you want, and I’ll make it for both of us.”
“You know I enjoy those chicken pot pies that you make. The crust is always so tender and flaky. I know you enjoy making them too.” Her voice even sounds hungry, which I wouldn’t have thought possible.
“That’s a great idea. Give me an hour and a half and I’ll bring it over to you. Maybe we can eat together.”
“Oh, that would be nice. I do miss seeing you.”
“I’ve got some big news for you too.”
“I can’t wait to hear it, dear. Please hurry.”
