Page 24 of His for the Taking

Interacting with people waiting, check.

If this were any other person, I’d be saying fuck this, especially with the pile of shit starting next week. A project we’re all fucking dreading, every last one of us. I made a proposal to get the job done faster. Of course, it means being away from Kody and Josephine for a week straight. Mom and Dad are going to pick up where Kody can’t, though she’s made it clear there’s nowhere else she’d rather be than with JoJo. After today, her schedule might change, and her business might pick up substantially.

“You did good, bud. Glad you finally saw what everyone else did.” Matthew knocks shoulders with me. There was a shit ton of other shit I did, too. Our families congregated, took shifts, and helped where we could. Though Josephine stole the damn show with Kody taking pictures of her first. My little girl is a ham who loves the attention, and she got it in spades. Then she proceeded to stay glued to Kody, who gave her small little tasks, moving this or that, with the patience of a damn saint.

“She’s the fucking best, man. It’s gonna suck next week.” Matthew and Lacey probably aren’t liking this too much either. Shaun and a couple of the other guys will. They’re single, plus it’s money. I’m offering unlimited overtime in order to get this job done as long as we remain safe. We’ll get hotels to eat, sleep, and shower; otherwise, we’re working.

“It will. Lacey isn’t big on the idea. The money will help, and that eases the burden a bit. We’re going to start trying soon, and we both want some extra padding in the savings account.” A long time coming for those two. They were married before Josephine was born. Now that they’re actually taking the plunge, it looks like JoJo will have a cousin, and just maybe a little brother or sister, too.

“Glad to hear it. It’ll be nice to have another one running around, keeping us on our toes.” My eyes take in Kody. She’s got Josephine on her hip, camera in her hand, holding it up for JoJo to look at and snap pictures. I can hear the two of them giggling. It’s damn music to my ears.

“Don’t tell Mom or a soul. Lacey will have my balls. She doesn’t want the pressure of anyone knowing in case something happens.” My eyebrows furrow, thinking there’s a problem. “No, no. Nothing like that. She’s erring on the side of caution, and I’ll be in her corner no matter what.”

“I’m not saying a word, brother. You need me, no matter the day or the time, whatever you all need.” They’ve saved my ass on more than one occasion. Hell, they still do.

“Appreciate it. We’re outta here. See you at the job site.” We turn into each other, doing a half-hug, and then he’s on his way to his wife. The crowd is thinning out. No one else is standing in line, and I’m hoping we can wrap this up. It won’t be too much longer until Josephine’s sugar high comes down, then we’ll all be screwed, and no way am I leaving Kody, her parents, and her brother to put all this away. They’ve done enough with setting things up today. The only thing we did yesterday was a dry fit and built a few crates, sanded them, and stained the wood a natural color for clients to sit on.

“Jameson! Get over here with Kody and Josephine!” Mom gets my attention. I’m so wrapped up in watching my two girls together, everything else fades away into nothingness. My world is consumed by them. Never in my life did I think I’d bring Kody, or anyone for that matter, into JoJo’s life after she lost Emma so suddenly, yet here we are. Kody is like a beacon of light. The sun shines wherever she is, and there was no resisting the magnetic pull we feel toward each other.

I meander toward her even as she’s walking away from the spot she was in, the damn busybody. My mother never stops moving. The woman can run circles around Josephine most days. A short nap for her and her granddaughter, then they’re back on the run.

“Come on, get over here. I want to take a picture of the three of you,” she says, her phone at the ready once I get close enough to be in earshot.

“Mariam, I’m not really dressed for pictures. Maybe another time?” Kody asks once she realizes what my mom is after.

“Not on your life. You look great. You always do. Now, Jameson, don’t give me any lip. A few pictures, and we can be done. I’ll take Josephine back to your house until everything is squared away, and then everyone can relax.” I salute my mom knowing there’s no getting out of this.

“Quit it. You act like I’m a drill sergeant.”

“That’s because she is.” My dad comes up behind me, hands going to my shoulders like he did to Matthew and me as a kid. “I’ll take your camera, Kody,” he offers as I move away. Josephine’s arms stretch toward me when I’m within reaching distance.

“Daddy, Kody come wif us?”

“Yeah sweetheart, she’s coming home with us. You wanna take a few more pictures for Nan?” Josephine's hand goes to my chest, playing with the buttons on my shirt.

“Otay!”

“You good?” I ask Kody once she comes up beside me, JoJo sandwiched between us.

“Yeah, I am. Are you okay with this?” She’s always thinking about other people.

“Nowhere else I’d rather be, babe.” I pull her in close. Mom starts moving around, clicking the button on her phone rapid fire like. It’s clear she’s been watching Kody at work.

30

KODY

It’s been four days since Jameson kissed me stupid before heading out of town to work on a job. Josephine is feeling the loss of her dad coming home each night. Ditto, kiddo, ditto. That being said, I’ve kept her as busy as possible. The swing set was delivered, but the guys haven’t had time to put it together yet. So, that meant signing Josephine up for a little gym class twice a week. Going back and forth to my mom’s or her Nan’s on days we didn’t have anything planned. And the ladies at the craft store will know us by name seeing as we’re there just about every day lately. The park was out since I promised Jameson I wouldn’t take her there after the last scare. Overkill, absolutely, but if it’s the one thing that gives him a bit of peace, then it is what it is. When Josephine is napping or sleeping, I get to work on my photography stuff. The orders from Saturday are just about edited, and after tonight, everything will be sent out. Then I can work on the appointments a few clients from the weekend are asking for. The one I’m really excited for is a newborn shoot. The mom-to-be is even open to me doing shots while she’s in the hospital. If the stars align and it doesn’t happen in the middle of the night. I’m more than excited about the idea. It’d be my first one, so the need to look up inspiration is thrilling yet nerve wracking.

“Kody, me sweep wif you?” The pitter-patter of Josephine’s feet told me she was out of bed. It’s a rarity that she leaves the bed unless it’s to go potty. Once I knew she was asleep, I grabbed a quick shower and parked my butt on the couch to work. There’s a lingering sadness in JoJo’s eyes that Jameson isn’t home. It doesn’t matter that he FaceTimes her morning and night. She misses her dad. I should have voiced my opinion on this matter more. I started to, but Jameson said there was nothing he could do. The contract was already signed, and well, it’s a fine line, not wanting to interfere too much. But if Josephine isn’t feeling better after tonight, I’m saying something. This is her first time away from Jameson for more than a night at a time since Emma passed away.

“Of course, you can. Want to watch some toons for a few minutes? I’m wrapping this up, and then I was going to climb in bed, too.” The three of us had a conversation about me staying here with her while her daddy was away. It also opened the door for Jameson to tell her we were together, not that it wasn’t already out in the open. The man can’t keep his hands or mouth to himself, no matter where we are. That being said, I’m not exactly sure she understood what all our relationship entrails since her response was, “Kody my friend, not yours.”

“Pwease,” Josephine murmurs around her thumb in her mouth, bear hanging by its ear with the rest of her fingers. I move so she can walk in front of me and climb onto the couch. JoJo prefers footed pajamas, and it works well with the cooler temperatures rapidly dipping.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” I ask once she’s on the couch, grabbing the blanket for her to snuggle up with. Leather couches are nice for maintenance, but not in the evening; it’s cold to the touch and makes you shiver.

“Miss daddy.” She finds the remote next to me, hitting the button for her toons. Jameson has them recorded and saved. Clearly, she either watched her father many times or taught herself because she knows how to operate the whole system better than I do.

---