Lights Out (6 page)

“You’re serious?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m serious,” he said.

“When will I have time to take care of two kids?”

“You have more time than I do. I’m needed in San Francisco tomorrow for at least a week, maybe two.”

“I can’t. Really, Dad, do you know what my schedule looks like? I’d have to hire someone else to fill in for me, and I’m running way lean as it is. When is Christina coming back anyway?” she asked, feeling overwhelmed. “All the kids’ stuff is in San Antonio and school is starting up in what, two months? Don’t they have to be there?” Piper searched her brain frantically for any and all reasons to say no.

“There are perfectly good schools around here. Your house is more than large enough, and weren’t you thinking about renting it out?” he continued, as if it had been decided.

“What about my shops?”

“Speak to my accountant,” he said, reaching into his jacket pocket for a card and handing it over to her, Mr. I-have-an-answer-for-everything. “I’ll have a checking account opened for you. He will transfer funds to help you with the girls plus extra to help you manage at the shop, to hire additional employees if you need to,” he said.

“I just got done paying you back for the first shop,” she said.

“This isn’t a loan, just my way of helping you while you help me look after your sisters,” he said, placing heavy emphasis on the your sisters part. She’d run out of ideas, and he could tell. He could always read her, and knew how to parry and feint, he being the superb boxer and all.

“It will work out. You can handle this, Renee. You can handle anything. We’ll make more long-term plans when I return. I can help you. I can try, at least, but not today,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “You’re my oldest and more like me than you know. You will always do what’s necessary.” He knew how much family meant to her. “Do this for me, Renee,” he said, looking down into her face.

She sighed, her mind still reeling with the thought of what long-term meant.

“It can’t be that hard. Besides, don’t you plan to have your own children one day?”

“Yes, but not today. I’d hoped to find a husband first.”

“Consider it practice for children of your own, which, may I remind you, won’t wait forever. Do you even date anymore?”

“Well, I won’t have time for men now, will I? You can kiss your chances of having grandchildren goodbye,” she said as she placed her arms around him. She gave up the fight, sighing deeply. She began thinking about the changes she’d need to make to her schedule to accommodate her sisters.

“It probably wouldn’t hurt to check out the schools here in town for me in case Christina doesn’t return soon. There is a private school near here. Call my assistant. She’ll give you the name. I’ve given to them in the past,” he added.

She inwardly groaned at the request. “Sure,” she said, hoping it wouldn’t come to that.

She with children? Not sure that was a good pairing, but she was a lot like her father. She didn’t want someone else taking care of family, especially her sisters. Family was, well, family, and priority numero uno.

“The girls’ things are in my car. I’ll help you bring them in,” he said.

“Do you need a moment to talk to them?”

“No, they knew why we were coming here. Christina left detailed instructions, lists for me that I’ll pass on to you,” he said, walking toward the front of the shop with her beside him.

She looked around the shop. Joe was gone. She walked outside, stopping as she looked down at two dog crates parked near the front door, wondering who they belonged to. She shook her head, looking up to see Taylor walk out into the sunshine, followed by Ken.

“So we’re going to stay with you,” Taylor said, pretending indifference. Piper knew better. She knew what having new people take you in was like, and the worry that came from that, even if they were your family.

“Yep,” she said, taking in Taylor’s look of displeasure. “Hey, you’ll like me. It’ll be fun. Now I won’t have to hire more employees. You two will be my new slaves,” she said, and Ken laughed. Taylor didn’t.

“These two yours?” she asked, pointing to the two dogs, whining to be let out of their cages now that they’d recognized family.

“Yes, this is McKenzie,” she said, pointing to the first crate, “and this is Pepper.”

Piper sighed internally. Hopefully they would not be here long. Christina would come back on the next flight once she knew her kids were not with their father. That was Piper’s wish, or her hope, at least.

“Take them in while I get the rest of your bags. Come back here and check after you put them in my office to make sure I’ve gotten all of your goods,” she said.

“Kay,” Taylor said, picking up one cage and heading inside. Ken grabbed the other.

Piper walked over to her dad’s fancy car, hit the button to release the trunk, and looked at enough luggage to last for a year. She picked up the two largest duffle bags, hauling them to her car. So much for a short stay, she thought, heading back to grab the two smaller ones. Taylor had come out and picked up one of the remaining bags. “Video games,” she said. They loaded up Piper’s auto and headed back inside, Taylor leading the way.

Her dad was still hard on the women in his life, she thought, trailing behind Taylor. He had always been a hustler, from a large, loving, but poor family. He’d needed to make his way early, turned to boxing, starting out small, and grew into something big. He knocked out the champion in a fight everyone had expected would be a beat down for him. He had always been about business, always looking for more, never feeling he would ever have enough money. And women. She sighed, hoping he hadn’t done what she thought he might have done. She knew that about him, too, but she’d thought he truly loved Christina. Thought he would settle down, take his vows seriously.

She was the oldest of five girls, her dad’s very own United Colors of Benetton collection. Blair and Samantha were biracial, a mixture of African-American and white; their mother, Margarite, had been her dad’s first wife. He hadn’t married Piper’s mother, who was of Creole descent. He’d managed to ruin marriage number one. Outside forces got in the way, those pretty young things. His second marriage lasted a year and hadn’t produced any children, thank the Lord. Kennedy and Taylor were also biracial, produced from wife number three; Christina, their mother, was of Vietnamese descent. Somehow he’d manage to keep Christina, until now that is. Twelve years down the drain. She hoped not. So if her life was upside down for a few days, maybe a few weeks, she could handle it. Her sisters deserved no less from her.

* * *

Third week in June

Joe entered Lights Out the next day and found Piper behind the counter, handing money to a customer. He walked over and stood, now next in line. She looked up and smiled.

“Joe,” she said.

“Piper,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers.

“You having your usual?” she asked.

What, no sexy banter this morning? he thought, surprised. He wanted to nail down a time and place. He moved in closer to her ear, eyes locked on hers as he did so. He could hear her breathing change and inwardly smiled.

“So,” he said softly in that low voice of his, pulling back to look into her eyes.

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes pointed left. Joe followed her eyes to land on one of the girls from yesterday. He hadn’t noticed her standing there. He was rather focused on Piper and what hadn’t gotten resolved between them yesterday.

“This is my youngest sister, Kennedy,” she said, looking at Joe. He smiled at her sister.

“This is Joe,” she said, continuing with the introductions. “He comes in most mornings and usually wants a large coffee, black,” she said.

Kennedy stood staring at Middleweight, appreciation in her eyes. All ages were vulnerable to the pretty ones, Piper thought.

“Sometimes he’ll add a bagel,” Piper added. “So what do we need to do after we’ve taken his order?” Piper asked of her sister, continuing with her instruction.

“I need to get his coffee,” Kennedy replied, seeking confirmation from her sister’s eyes.

Piper nodded. She and Joe watched her take a cup, set it underneath the dispenser, hit a button, and watch the cup fill. She was dressed in a too-big Lights Out employee shirt that fell over her arms and a too-big apple green apron tied around her waist.

“My sisters are living with me for a while,” Piper said, her eyes on her sister while she talked to Joe. “They’re getting settled in at my home and will be working here with me. Can I bring your bagel out to you this morning?” she asked him, hoping he’d realize that she didn’t want to talk right now.

“Sure,” he said, understanding her message. She wanted to talk away from her sisters. He handed over a five to Piper, who passed it to Ken, who punched in the order into the cash register. Piper moved over to stand behind her to supervise the transaction.

“Great job,” she said, continuing to watch her sister as she made change and handed it to Joe.

“Thank you,” he said, giving Kennedy a soft smile.

Ken smiled back, shy now. “Thank you for coming to Lights Out,” she said. Piper lifted an eyebrow. She gave a bemused grin to Joe.

“Your charm is limitless, it seems,” she said, chuckling.

“And don’t you forget it,” he said to her and winked at Kennedy, whose smile widened. “See you in a few,” he said, walking away.

Her sisters, he thought, walking over to find a seat, running the implications of that through his mind. It was an interesting development, and one he hoped didn’t change anything for him.

A few minutes later Piper placed the bagel on his table, interrupting his perusal of e-mail.

“So,” he said, giving her a smile.

“My sisters are going to be with me for a bit.”

“So you’ve said. The two girls from yesterday, the ones that came in with your father?”

“You know he’s my dad?”

“I do now,” he said, smiling at her. “You didn’t tell me. Why?”

She shrugged.

“Ken’s ten and her older sister, Taylor, is twelve. They’re spending some time with me until their mother returns.”

“Returns from where?” he asked.

Piper looked back over at the counter. Estelle was working with Ken now, the line not long.

“Vietnam. It’s a very long story. Not sure I have all the pieces to it yet,” she said, looking back at her sister. “My dad asked me to take care of them for a while.”

“How long is a while?” he asked, holding her hand.

“Don’t know.”

“We could still hook up. Babysitters work well,”

“I’m sure, and maybe I’ll take advantage of one, but not now. They just got here. I want them to get settled in first.”

“So that’s a ‘no.’ ”

“Yes,” she said, looking into his eyes, disappointment reflected back at her. “Sorry.”

He was quiet. “Let’s just wait and see how it goes. They and you may adjust sooner than you think, or they may leave sooner than you think.”

“Maybe so,” she said.

Fourth week in June

Piper walked into the bedroom located immediately next to hers on the second floor, where all of the bedrooms were situated. This was Ken’s room now, and signs of her sister settling in were evident as she looked around the room—nail polish, clothes, and girl-power-themed DVDs littered the floor.

Her dad had been correct in his assessment of her home. It was large enough for the children and their stuff. But who knew they could use so much stuff?

She felt the buzz of her cell against her butt. It was tucked into her back pant pocket.

“Hello,” she said, cautious, not recognizing the number.

“Hello, Renee. It’s me, Christina.”

“Christina. It is so good to hear from you. How are you? Where are you?” she asked, walking out of Ken’s room and entering the hall leading to her bedroom.

“I’m fine. How are Ken and Taylor?” she asked.

“They are okay, but they miss you.” It was quiet on the phone for a second, and Piper could hear Christina crying.

“I’m sorry that you have to take care of them. That was not my intent. I wanted your father to take care of his kids. They are his kids,” she said, her voice changing from tearful to angry. It was quiet for a few more seconds. Piper could hear her revert back to the crying again.

“I’m sorry. My mother’s been ill, is ill, and I hadn’t known. Plus your dad…” she said, stopping, not finishing her thought. “Between leaving and my mother’s illness, I can’t seem to get it together,” she said.

There was a pause. “Did you get the list of things to do for the girls? I left one at the house for your father,” Christina said, angry again.

“Yes, I have it.”

“How is your mother?” Piper asked, hoping that was a safer topic than her father.

“Oh, Renee, I don’t know if she’s going to make it. She has cancer. Do you know I haven’t seen her in thirteen years? I left her because of your dad. I chose him over my family. She didn’t want me to marry him, said he was too old.”