Chapter Twenty-Four

The club was only open to VIP guests during the daytime. Everything about the club was meant to attract a wealthier clientele. It didn’t have signs out front that would tell what exactly was happening inside, and it was on a nice side of town. I had called Marley and told her I would like to talk to her today but explained that I had Cullen with me. To my relief, she had been happy about the idea of meeting Cullen.

I parked in the back and went through the staff entrance. Stepping inside first, I made sure none of the girls were walking around in the back offices before allowing Cullen to follow me inside. I took his small hand and went directly to Marley’s office, only knocking once, for fear Cullen might see more than I wanted him to. He didn’t need to know what I did for a job. I hoped he never knew.

Marley looked up from the baby girl in her arms she was nursing. Bay was a regular here. Marley wasn’t ready to stop breastfeeding, and her husband brought Bay to her often when she had to work.

“Hello.” Marley beamed brightly at me, then at Cullen.

Then, she tucked away her breast as Bay turned her head to see what was happening. She made happy noises and wiggled in Marley’s arms to sit up.

I glanced down at Cullen, who was watching Bay as she reached out her little hand in our direction and gave us a toothless smile.

“She rarely sees children. It’s exciting,” Marley said, smiling at her daughter’s reaction to Cullen.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” I said.

Marley waved a hand. “She wasn’t hungry as much as she was just bored. I need to ween her and make our lives easier, but I don’t know if I’ll have another, so I’m holding on to this a little longer.” She stood up and walked around the desk to set Bay on a blanket she had laid out in the middle of the room. “Jim is on his way to pick her up now. He’s just running late. Your timing is perfect.”

Cullen let go of my hand and moved just an inch away from me toward Bay. I watched him as he looked at the baby girl flapping her arms and making noises, as if to call him over to her. He was so shy with adults, so it was surprising to see him move away from me instead of cling to my leg like he usually did.

“She has taken a liking to you, it would seem, Cullen,” Marley said with an amused voice.

Cullen didn’t look away from Bay but moved closer yet again. Marley chuckled at the sight of the two of them. It was rather cute. Bay was so excited, the closer he got. I was afraid she was going to fall over from her wobbly seated position. Marley didn’t seem concerned though.

“Now, say you aren’t here to tell me you are leaving us. I don’t think I could handle that news,” Marley said, drawing my attention back to her.

“Oh, no. That isn’t it. I need this job, even more so now that …” I paused before saying Tory was in jail.

Marley already knew that, as did Cullen, but I didn’t want to talk about it in front of him.

Marley simply nodded. She understood my unspoken words. “Good, because we need you. Also, I am sure my brother wouldn’t fare well with losing you either.” She smirked.

Saint’s interest in me was something I hadn’t known she was aware of, and I felt my cheeks warm at the mention of it.

“I do have an issue with child care,” I said, glancing at Cullen to make sure his attention was still on Bay and not me.

Marley’s eyes widened in understanding. “Of course! I should have thought of that,” she replied. “When you asked to meet me, I was so worried it was the worst. I didn’t think about it being …” She stopped and shifted her eyes to Cullen.

Marley tucked a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear and leaned forward with a grin. “I have the perfect solution,” Marley said with a bright smile. “He can stay at my house with Mrs. Henry. She’s Bay’s sitter. Jim works late most nights, and when he comes home, he is tired and needs to eat and get in bed.”

That would work if it wasn’t for the fact that I didn’t want to wake Cullen up the nights I worked to take him home. That wasn’t a stable way for him to grow up.

“Thank you. I’m just worried about having his sleep disrupted.”

I felt like I was being difficult, but Cullen came first. He deserved that.

Marley nodded, and she looked as if she was thinking something through. “Bay wakes up as soon as I get home, as if it is clockwork. She wants to nurse. What if Mrs. Henry put them both to sleep in the guesthouse? That way, you could just go to bed yourself, no need to wake Cullen and go home until the next morning. That house is never used. Not since Saint moved out three years ago and bought his own place.”

I wanted Cullen to sleep in his own bed every night, but maybe for now, this would be okay. I would be there, and he would get used to the situation. It was clear he enjoyed playing with Bay. She was giggling and throwing down her teething ring for him to fetch, which seemed to entertain him as much as it did her. I trusted any sitter that Marley would allow into her home to watch Bay. There was no other option for me right now. Until I found one, this would have to work.

“Are you sure?” I asked her. “You could take the sitter fee and the rent for the guesthouse from my paycheck.”

Marley rolled her eyes. “I won’t accept rent money. I consider it good use of the place. I need you here, working, and it’s more of a selfish offer than anything. As for Mrs. Henry, I will ask her about the pay. I pay her thirteen dollars an hour. Twenty an hour for every hour she is there past midnight. I also pay her in cash.”

“That is fine with me. If she wants more because he’s older, I understand,” I readily agreed.

Marley smiled down at the two children. “She might require less. He seems as if he will be more helpful than anything.”

I thanked her and told her I would be back tomorrow night for work if they were ready for me to return. I still had time off, but I hated to keep losing money. Cullen said his good-byes to Bay, and I would use tonight to explain to him what would change on the nights I had to work. We would make packing up fun. I could take him to pick out an overnight bag and new pajamas today.

We walked out the back door with my mind on all I needed to do to prepare for our new arrangement. Stepping into the sunlight, I shaded my eyes and almost walked directly into Saint’s chest.

“Oh!” I exclaimed, stopping just before we collided.

Cullen’s hand in mine tightened, and he drew closer to my side.

“You okay?” Saint asked with concern in his voice.

“Uh, yes, I’m fine. The sun was in my eyes,” I explained.

“It’s eleven in the morning. You’re never here now,” he replied.

“Um, I had to talk to Marley about something,” I said, and he continued to stare down at me, waiting for more of an explanation. “I needed to figure out child care, so I could return to work.”

Saint looked down at Cullen and gave him a nod. “I see. Did you find a solution?”

“Thanks to Marley, yes, I did,” I told him.

“You’re coming back to work then?” His steady gaze was so focused.

I nodded. “Tomorrow,” I replied.

His tense stance eased somewhat. He was clearly relieved. “Good,” he said simply, then looked down at Cullen again and held out his hand. “I’m Saint. It’s nice to meet you, Cullen.”

Cullen glanced up at him and then his hand before slowly letting go of me and reaching out his small hand to shake Saint’s. I could see his little shoulders straighten as he did it. How strange the male species was. I looked back up at Saint with a smile on my face. His gaze met mine, and he winked.