A Barrel of Whiskey - (An Urban Fantasy Whiskey Witches Novel) (18 page)

There was a lot going on with that statement. “Which part?”

“You being worse than ISIS? Where the
hell
did that come from? And what the hell made her believe it was okay for her to say it?”

“At first, I thought it was Rachel.”

“I had a low opinion of the woman anyway, but then that happened. What a fucking cunt.”

“Wow. I never thought I’d ever hear you say that word. Out loud.”

“She earned it. She should wear it like a trophy around her fucking neck.”

Paige wasn’t used to having someone emulate the anger she felt. “Yeah, well, we got to remember that Leah’s a kid. She’s going to repeat what she hears. Especially if it’s from someone she respects and loves.”

“Who would love that woman?”

“Someone who’s raised by her? Nick loves her.”

“Nick’s sick in the head.”

“How often have you talked to him?”

“Enough.”

“Where are we going?”

“Target.”

“What is it with you and Target?”

“Hey. Don’t judge. It’s the only place where I can get a coffee, a toy for my desk, fancy paper plates, and diapers while getting eggs at a fairly decent price.”

“I haven’t really gotten groceries there. They seem a little expensive.”

“Well, you can’t get all your groceries there. But eggs are good. So, yeah. Get your coffee and your eggs.”

“Fine.” Paige shook herself. “It feels weird leaving the house.”

“Pea, no one talks about the hell you’ve been through because no one can do anything about it. But you have two kids. You’re a mother, no matter what anyone says. You’re a mother. Your first instinct is to protect your kids, to keep them safe and cared for. And you, for whatever fucked-up reason, seem to think that you personally ruined your child’s life.”

Paige scratched her arm. “Well, I did summon a demon to kill my mother.”

“Let’s be real. You summoned Balnore because a part of you knew he wouldn’t.”

She’d tried telling herself that a few weeks ago, but even she didn’t believe that.

“You’re not evil, and I don’t care what that cunt says about you. You want to soak in as much kiddie time as you can while you can because there’s a part of you that’s terrified someone’s going to come and take them away from you. Again.”

Paige breathed through the pain, which was easier to deal with just hearing someone else say the truth of her emotions out loud. “It’s almost as if you know me.”

Leslie pulled into a parking spot and put the car in park.

Looking up, Paige frowned. They had stopped in front of a squat brick building with two storefronts. “This isn’t Target.”

“We’re making a stop before we go.”

Paige leaned forward, looking out the windshield. “Where are we?”

“A lawyer who said she’d take your case as soon as Leah came back into the state.”

“How did you know she would?”

Leslie smiled, her head bouncing from side to side as she removed her seatbelt. “Nick. He might be sick in the head with love for that bitch-face, but he pulled through. He wants to help Leah and you. Trust me, you’re going to get Leah back.”

A
n hour later, and Paige had everything she needed to serve Rachel with papers for an emergency hearing for temporary guardianship. The lawyer said all she had to do was to keep Leah in the house until the next day when the hearing was scheduled for.

Paige could hardly contain her nerves. Her gut was so twisted, she could hardly stand up straight.

They were going to court. Again. Only, this time, she couldn’t lose. She couldn’t afford to let Leah down Not again. Leah needed her. Needed
her
.

Leslie couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. “Nick’ll be here tomorrow, too. So, trust me, we’ve got this covered.”

“That’s what everyone said the last time.”

“Yeah, well, we learned a lot and we’re not going to lose this time. Just—” Leslie shook her head and pulled out of the parking lot. “I know it’s going to be hard, but the hearing is tomorrow. Just hold on until then.”

“Did Grandma know about this appointment?”

Leslie gave her a look that read, “Duh.”

Well, Alma’s abrupt manner suddenly made sense. The reason she’d kicked Paige out of the house just when things had been going well between her and her daughter was just. “What if Leah doesn’t want to stay? With me?”

“Who cares? She’s a kid. She won’t know what she wants until she’s, like, forty. Trust me. There’s no way for a twelve-year-old to even comprehend what’s best for her. So, no. We don’t care.”

“
You
don’t care.” Because Paige
did
. A lot.

“You don’t either.”

“Yeah, actually. I do. I want her to be happy.”

“Oh, for crying out loud, Pea!” Leslie thumped the steering wheel. “She’s a
kid
. She’s not a doll. She’s not your friend. She’s not a toy or a pretty trinket. She’s a child and your responsibility.”

Paige blinked.

“Yeah. That. She might be someone you want to be buddy-buddy with, but at the end of the day, it’s your
responsibility
to make sure she doesn’t suck as a human being. It’s your
responsibility
to show her how to fucking be an adult. What are you teaching her by ‘only wanting to give her what will make her happy?’”

It seemed like Leslie already had the answer to that question.

She did. “You raise her to
think
she should
only
have what makes her happy. Every single second. Entitled, lazy princess.”

Paige cleared her throat and ran her tongue along her teeth, shifting uncomfortably. She couldn’t deny that every instinct in her body told her to give Leah what she wanted, but Leslie brought up some
very
good points.

“Just trust me. Now, shut up. We need a stroller and a car seat and a bunch of other shit.”

“I can’t afford it. No job, remember?”

“Oh, I remember. We’re going to dip into ‘the fund’ a little on this one.”

“The fund” was a mysterious bucket of money that Alma had inherited when her mother had died. The Whiskey family was old money, but as far as Paige knew, that money was drying up. “No. We’ll find another way. Maybe we can go to Goodwill.”

“For a car seat? Pea, haven’t you heard the news? Car seats are the one thing you never buy used.”

“But what if it’s donated? You know, someone grows out of one and just gives it to you?”

“Nice, but not great. They have a shelf life.”

“On a car seat.” Somehow, she doubted that.

“Do you want to chance the life of your new baby?”

“They’re pretty sturdy.”

“If you really want to know, google it.”

Paige didn’t want to pull out her phone and google anything. First of all, she was on roaming data because she hadn’t moved her cellular plan to Texas. Second, if Leslie really was that adamant, she probably
had
done her research. Third, who cared? She watched the buildings go by. The town had changed a lot since she’d been there last. “This—none of this feels real.”

“It’s a lot of big changes in a very shorty period of time, Pea. One day. You’ve been able to sleep in your own bed one night and already you have a new job you’re not going to accept, a new baby, and you’re getting your daughter back. Yeah, Pea. Lots goin’ on. Take a breath. It’s okay. You’re gonna be adjusting for a bit. You’re human. Be human.”

“Shut up, jerk.”

“Whatever, bitch.”

They smiled at each other as Leslie pulled into Target.

Leslie wasn’t kidding when she said she went to Target to get out and “have fun.” That woman went up and down every isle at least once. There were several isles, over half of them, that Paige tried to tell her there was no good reason for going down because they didn’t need anything. She’d never been one who saw shopping as something to do for fun. It was something that
had
to be done, like pooping. She went, got what she needed, and was out. She didn’t mess around.

“Okay. Dexx.” Leslie leaned on the handle of the shopping cart and sipped her skinny vanilla latte. “What are you doing about him? And stop telling me you’re busy. That’s a lame excuse.”

“Well, we are. Come on, Les. We haven’t even started our relationship and now I have a baby and my daughter is back.”

“Yup. Sex typically happens at night when the kids are in bed. Or when they’re off with the sitter. Or when they’re having a sleep over.”

“I just got them. Today.”

Leslie rolled her eyes. “I’m looking for a new Lalaloopsy doll. I saw there were horses at Christmas, but I could never snag one. It’s my turn now.”

Paige shook her head and sipped her black iced coffee. She was still high from the lawyer’s office. Energy thrummed through her. She couldn’t believe what was happening. It was all going so fast. “I have no idea what that is.”

“When you do, you’ll flip your shit.”

“I can’t get over your language.”

“Okay, so here’s what you’re going to do.” Leslie stopped at a section of dolls with buttons for eyes and started picking through them. “Bobby sleeps with Kamden. They can share the same crib for a while. There’s zero need for them to get separate cribs for now. At least until you’re ready to go to Portland, anyway. That you can pick up at Goodwill when you get there.”

“Thanks, Mom.” She’d have to check to see what the standard was for buying used cribs and car seats. Just because Leslie said it in that authoritative tone didn’t mean she was right. It just meant she said it with authority.

The shopping cart was already loaded with enough stuff to make Paige cringe. There was no way she could afford this.

“Leah will sleep with Mandy since we can’t trust her not to slip out the window at night.”

“Why don’t we just nail her window shut?” She couldn’t mask the resentment behind her words.

“We could, but I thought you’d think that was too harsh. Oh, see? This. This is Lallaoopsy. With the little button eyes and it looks like they’re all sewn. And the horses are so cute.”

It was cute. “I didn’t know you had a desk.”

“I carved out some space. Which reminds me, at the new place, I’m going to need a desk. I’m trying to get a website design business started, and I can’t do that if I don’t have space to work.”

“I didn’t know you were into that.”

“I’ve taken a few classes.”

“On-line?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a degree and everything.”

“Well, look at you.”

“I know, right? And I want to start up a soap business. Whiskey Witches Soap and Stuff.”

“I like it,” Paige said with a chuckle.

“Which, by the way, if you decide to become a PI in Portland, let me know. I’ll do your site.”

“Site?”

“Yeah. You’re gonna need it. Geez, Pea. It’s like I’m talking to a man or something.”

“Shut up.” Oh, man, Paige had missed this banter. “So, you think I should jump Dexx’s bones tonight?”

“You’re damned straight you should.”

“But we have the hearing tomorrow. Tomorrow, Leslie. I can’t concentrate, much less have sex.”

“I’m not telling you to write a book report on the act of sex, Pea. I’m saying fuck the guy.”

“Oh my god.” Paige covered her face in embarrassment. “There are people around.”

The woman standing next to them shrugged. “Do you like him?”

A stranger? Really? “Yeah.”

“Are you holding out for a promise ring?”

“Um. No.” Why was she having this conversation with a stranger?

“Well, just do what you want. Life is short.” A boy about six or seven ran up to her, a Transformer in hand. She growl-smiled at Leslie. “Take what you can get when you can get it.” She took the toy from the boy. “What did I say? I believe I said, ‘don’t ask me for anything.’” She walked away.

“See?” Leslie pushed the cart forward. “I’m not the only one. After tomorrow, you’re going to have even more excuses on why you can’t have sex. So, just do it.”

It took them two hours to leave Target. There was a reason Leslie started with coffee from Starbucks. They needed it.

By the time they made it back to the house, the school buses were running. Leslie got the garage door closed just as the bus stopped down their street and several kids spilled out like locusts.

Dexx met them at the door to the kitchen. “Need help bringing anything in?”

Leslie gave her sister a knowing smile and popped the trunk.

Paige smiled at him. “Yeah. If you don’t mind.”

Leslie grabbed two big armfuls of bags and disappeared into the house.

Dexx stopped at the trunk, his eyes huge. “When you two go shopping, you don’t leave much in the store, do you?”

“This was as much as we could cram in the trunk at one time. We told the manager we’d be back for the rest later.”

“You’re kidding me, right?”

Paige chuckled. “Good grief, yes.” She reached in and grabbed a few of the bags. “I had forgotten how expensive babies are.”

“You couldn’t get anything at Goodwill?” He lifted the car seat and stroller.

“Apparently,” Paige said, heading for the door, “the only thing you get from Goodwill is a crib.”

“Hmm. Interesting.” His tone said he didn’t quite believe it either.

“Everything okay here?”

“Oh, yeah. Bobby’s a quiet baby and Leah just drew all day.”