One Day at a Time (Starting Over Series Book 4) (2 page)

She smiled as she walked out of the apartment. Hopping into her beat-up Jeep Wrangler, she cranked up the tunes and pulled out of the parking lot. Tessa loved this time of year. Flowers were blooming everywhere, trees were full of flowers, and the weather was nice enough she could take the cover off her Jeep. Making her way downtown, she sang along to the radio.

Tessa slowed to a stop at a red light, just as “Sing” by Ed Sheeran came on the radio. She had no choice but to turn it up and sing her heart out. It was just getting to the good part when she saw a motorcycle pull up next to her out of the corner of her eye.

She felt eyes on her and turned toward the motorcycle. Her heart rate picked up as she took in the man next to her. He wore a helmet that covered the top of his head, so she couldn’t see his hair color. His aviator sunglasses shielded his eyes from her, but she could feel the force of his gaze. She could tell he was tall and well-muscled. His arms were covered in colorful tattoos. The corners of his mouth kicked up in the semblance of a smile, and she had to smile at him in return.

A horn blared behind her, breaking the spell, and she realized the light had turned green. The man on the motorcycle took off through the intersection, but before he got too far ahead of her, he lifted his hand in what she could interpret as a wave. A warm feeling settled in her belly as she pulled into the parking lot of Java Drama. To have a man like that to belong to would be a fantasy come true.

***

As Cash pulled into his driveway, he couldn’t get the blonde’s smile out of his head. It was big, bright, and beautiful, and had caused something to awaken inside of him that had been dormant for a long time. Since he’d gotten clean he hadn’t been with a woman. His celibacy was something that just sort of happened. Jared, his best friend, had tried to introduce him to women over the last few years, but it was like he was dead below the waist. The therapist he’d been seeing for the last few years said it was probably some subconscious mental block. Cash had done some regrettable things while he was getting high, and maybe his body didn’t know what to do with itself. He’d always loved women, and they always loved him…until drugs became more important. He’d been clean for over four years now, and every day he thanked the heavens for the chance to right all of the wrongs in his life.

He cleared his thoughts of the blonde with the pretty smile. Cash had met his sister, Journey, for breakfast earlier, which they tried to do weekly, if not more. He was grateful she was giving him a chance to be in their lives, especially Abby’s. It was hard watching his sister and her husband raising his daughter, but he and Abby’s mom had messed up so bad they lost custody of her; to prevent Abby from going to Kara’s folks, they signed over all rights to Journey.

His little girl was eight now, and looked just like his sister. When Dylan formally adopted her, she had immediately started to call him Dad. It hurt like hell, but it was Cash’s punishment for everything he had done. To his daughter, he was Uncle Cash. She knew who he was, and Journey had pushed for them to have a relationship, but to avoid confusing her little cousins, whom she thought of as brothers, she started calling him Uncle. He had every intention, when Abby was older, to tell her about her mom and the truth about why Journey was raising her. Derek, his therapist, told Cash he had to forgive himself. It was just easier said than done.

Later that evening Cash was lying in the hammock in his backyard. He’d bought it last year, and it became his favorite spot to relax. The air felt cooler as the sun set on the horizon. Just as he felt himself fall asleep, a voice from across the fence caused his eyes to jerk open and roll.

“Cash Money, how are you, handsome?” Mary, or as everyone called her, Mac, called out from her backyard. He met the crazy old bird the day he moved into his house. She walked around singing whatever tune was stuck in her head, and she said whatever popped into her mind. For all of her quirks, she’d give you the shirt off her back. She was good people and became his unofficial guardian, offering advice whether warranted or not.

“I’m good, Mac.” Cash got up out of the hammock and walked over to the fence, shaking his head as he went. She was wearing a bright purple polo and lime green shorts. If he could see her feet, he was sure she was probably wearing goofy socks and those damn purple Crocs of hers. The woman had no sense of style, but she didn’t care, and he respected her for that.

“How’s that pretty sister of yours? She still married to that dark-haired hunk?” The first time Journey and Dylan came up to see his new place, Mac accosted Dylan before he even got out of the car. Cash had laughed his ass off as he and Journey went into the house, leaving Dylan to fend for himself.

“They’re good. She’s pregnant again. They just found out it’s a girl.” He was so happy for his baby sister, but he was a little jealous too.

“That’s great, but why do you look sad? I thought you and Dylan got along now.”

“We do get along. It’s just hard to see my baby sister so happy when I feel so alone. Today was the first time I’ve felt an attraction to a woman in a very long time. It felt so weird and foreign to me.” Mac never had to pull information out of him. For some reason Cash felt compelled to tell her everything about his life. She never said anything. She’d just listen while he poured his heart out, and then she would simply kiss his cheek or forehead and they’d go back to talking about whatever she had originally come over to discuss.

“Well, did you introduce yourself to the girl?”

“Uh, no. I was on my bike and she was in her Jeep.” Shaking his head, he looked toward the ground. “I guess I’m just glad I’m not completely dead inside.”

She grabbed his arm. “You are not dead inside. So you made mistakes. Haven’t we all? Look at you now, Cash. You’ve been clean for four years, you’ve got your own business, and you’ve repaired your relationship with your sister. What you need to do is go out, find you a woman, and get laid.”

Cash felt his cheeks heat up. Mac didn’t mince words. It grossed him out a little since she was like a bat-shit crazy mother to him. An ache started in his chest thinking about his mom. All those years he was too wasted to care about her or his dad, and then they were gone before he got clean for good. The burning behind his eyes caused him to blink rapidly. He wasn’t going to let the tears come. After years of not feeling anything, it was hard to feel everything now. It wasn’t like he turned into a big pussy, but he felt every emotion—fully.

“Honey, quit it! I see the look on your face. Don’t go there. Go lie down in your hammock, relax, and be thankful you’ve had an awakening, so to speak.” She leaned across the fence and kissed his cheek. “You’re a good man, Cash. Don’t forget that.”

He watched her walk away and sing all the way to her back door and disappear inside. He did as she said and spent the rest of his evening rocking back and forth in his hammock.

***

The next morning, Cash was drinking his coffee and having a cigarette out back when his phone rang. He picked it up off of the railing of his deck and saw the name on the caller ID. “Hey, JoJo. What’s up?”

The last couple of years his relationship with his baby sister had grown a lot stronger than when he first reconnected with her. She started going to therapy with him when he asked, and he knew she went to Al-Anon meetings that first year. It had been painful for Cash to hear Journey tell Derek how difficult it was to take Abby on when her own life was falling apart. She’d felt like she lost Cash forever after that. Journey had wept the first time she told him what it felt like to not have her brother to lean on when their parents died. Even after she told him she forgave him, he still beat himself up about it. Someday he hoped he would finally forgive himself for everything.

“Cash?” Journey’s voice came through his phone.

“Sorry, JoJo, I’m just tired and spaced out for a second. What’s up?”

“I got you two tickets for Abby’s dance recital next month. I didn’t know if you wanted to invite Mac to come with you or…someone else.”

Journey couldn’t see him shake his head. “Very subtle, squirt! If I bring anyone, it will be Mac. Just warn Dylan so he knows to stay away from her.” He chuckled at the thought of Mac accosting Dylan again. “So, how are you feeling?”

This pregnancy had been harder on her than the other two. She’d almost been put in the hospital, she was so sick. Dylan had enlisted Cash’s help to keep an eye on her and the kids while he worked. He’d almost cried the first time Dylan called him and asked him to do that. Cash had worked very hard to gain their trust.

“I feel tons better now that I’m not throwing up constantly.” He could hear a commotion on the other end of the line. “Parker, quit taking Joey’s cup. Joey, quit teasing him.”

His nephews were adorable and, for the most part, well-behaved kids. He loved watching Abby herd them like a momma bear. Both boys listened to whatever she said, especially Parker, who thought the sun rose and set on Abby. “Go take care of your boys, and thanks for grabbing me tickets. I love you, JoJo. Kiss the kids for me.”

“I love you too. Bye, honey.”

After he hung up, he grabbed his laptop, checking his calendar. Two years ago he got licensed and bonded to work independently as a handyman. He did all sorts of jobs, from plumbing, to some carpentry, and everything in between. He was good at what he did and was usually booked weeks in advance. He loved being busy, and he loved working with his hands. When he first moved to Charleston, he did anything to keep himself busy. His first year was a struggle. His emotions were all over the place, and he was filled with so much self-loathing he was drowning in it.

The day Jared started Cash’s ink to cover the track marks on his arms, he cried like a bitch, but at every session the emotional and mental pain was less and less. He wanted to move on from that dark time in his life. He had his good days and bad days, but there were certainly more good than bad, especially now. His life wasn’t controlled by heroin anymore, and he was trying not to let anyone down.

Cash loaded his truck with everything he needed to do the day’s jobs. He loved being his own boss and the flexibility his job allowed. He made good money, which was great because for a while he couldn’t find steady employment. Having a record had made him undesirable to most employers. That was what pushed him to start his own business.

***

Cash had just finished up his first job of the day and decided to grab a bite to eat. He had been downtown painting the inside of a new law office. He stepped outside wondering what he was going to eat when he saw there was a little store called Java Drama. He crossed the street and read the chalkboard in front. They had sandwiches, soups, and salads, so he decided to step inside. One half of the building was a bookstore, and the other half was a café. Making his way toward the café side, he pulled out his wallet and stepped in line.

As he waited, he pulled out his phone and checked his email. Most of them were signed contracts for work that was lined up to start over the next few weeks. Two young guys in front of him started laughing, and Cash lifted his head. The woman ahead of them was ordering, and they were talking crudely to her as she ordered. The two assholes were making fun of her when she wouldn’t turn around. The girl behind the counter looked at the assholes with her brow furrowed, but Blondie didn’t turn around. Her hair was in a thick braid, and her ears were beet red. She grabbed her tray and turned to walk toward a table. Her eyes lifted to his, and it felt like he’d been hit right in his solar plexus. It was the girl from the day before.

Her eyes widened when she looked at him. It was obvious she recognized him too. She ducked her head quickly and went to sit at a two-top table in the corner. He turned his attention back to the guys in front of him. He really wanted to punch them, but the chick behind the counter took care of the situation.

“Boys, you’re going to have to find somewhere else to go. I have the right to refuse service, and I’ll be damned if I wait on your sorry asses.”

“Fuck you!” one of them muttered, and they turned and left. Cash watched them walk by the window. One of them stopped right in front of the window where the blonde was sitting, flipping her off while the other made crude gestures with his hips.

He wanted to go after them so badly and beat their asses, but it wouldn’t look good if he had to cancel his next job because he was in jail. He looked back to the blonde and saw her staring down at her plate, her lunch untouched. Stepping up to the counter, he placed his order.

“Thanks for refusing to serve those guys.”

The woman at the counter gave him a friendly smile. “Tessa’s a sweetheart and doesn’t deserve their shit. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the first time something like that has happened.” Her eyes lifted to his and then over to Tessa. He could see the other woman cared for her.

A few minutes later his soup and sandwich were placed in front of him. He thanked her and picked up his tray. Tessa was staring out the window, her lunch still untouched. He took a deep breath and walked toward her table. She didn’t notice him until he cleared his throat. She looked up at him with surprise.

“Mind if I join you?” She didn’t say anything, she just made a swiping motion with her hand. He pulled out the seat across from her and caught a whiff of the fruity scent she was wearing, causing his heart rate to speed up. “So are you a regular here? Do you work nearby?”

Her eyes darted to his; she was beautiful. She had full pink lips, with the little split down the middle of the bottom one. Her skin was peaches and cream—it was flawless. Her nose was slightly turned up at the end. But it was her eyes that held his gaze. They were a deep brown with flecks of amber. They were almost too big for her face, but they were striking. When they were standing up earlier he could tell she was tall and willowy. He hadn’t been with a woman in so long he didn’t even know what his type was anymore, but he felt a stirring in his body that he’d never felt before.