Chapter Thirty-Four
ate breakfast with Riley and Betty, and we discussed the tutor situation. Riley was grudgingly going along with the plan but, I knew that by the time the day was over, she'd be on board. Betty had assured me that the tutor was one of the best in the city and that Riley would love working with her.
I was surprised when I found Jimmy waiting for me in the driveway after breakfast. He drove me into the office but agreed to drop me off a block from the front door so that I wouldn't have to explain why I was being ferried to work in the boss's car.
"Hey, Leah, where's Riley?" Burt asked as he clocked in and looked over the day's orders. "We were getting used to having the little mite around!"
"She's back in school, boys," I said, giving them a grateful smile. "I appreciate your kindness and patience as we worked out the issues with the suspension."
"Hey, you know, we've all been there," Burt said sympathetically.
"I haven't been," Javier chimed in.
"That's because you're 12, too," Burt shot back. "You haven't lived enough to get suspended."
The guys laughed and slapped Javi on the back as they got to work pulling boxes and loading up the orders that were to be shipped out in the morning pickup. I was grateful that they had no idea about Lincoln’s and Sloan’s plan because I didn't trust that they would keep cool heads about the plotted destruction of the company. I also didn't want them worrying about their job security. I knew that once there was a hint of instability, the workers would go running to look for new jobs. I couldn't afford to lose even one of them.
I worked quietly in my office all morning, only briefly wondering what Jack was doing in the office upstairs before refocusing on the orders I'd received from the sales force the day before. I hummed to myself as I typed and tried not to let my mind wander to the fact that I still needed to get to the hospital to visit Mama and find a realtor to deal with the house.
"One thing at a time," I murmured as my fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard.
"Hey, honey!" Norma called, cutting into my concentration.
"Hey, Norma," I said, turning around to find the feisty southerner standing in my doorway. She was wearing a long purple blouse with a chiffon scarf tied at the neck and a tight pair of leggings that were tucked into a pair of purple suede boots. As usual her hair and makeup were impeccable, and I suddenly felt very dumpy and out of touch with anything resembling fashion. "What's up?"
"I've got a new batch of orders for you, darlin'," she said as she stepped into the office and shut the door behind her. "And I want you to know that Jack told me about the plan this morning."
"Plan?" I asked, trying not to betray the fact that I didn't know the plan myself.
"Yeah, you know, the plan to keep Lincoln and that horse's patootie from ruining Baby Steps," she whispered conspiratorially.
"Oh, yes, that one," I said trying to hide a smile at the image of Sloan as a horse's ass. "Well, good, we're going need a lot of support if we're going to stop them. But Norma . . ."
"I know, I know!" she interrupted. "I can't talk to anyone but you or Jack about this because if word gets out before you're ready to move, we're all going to be screwed."
"All right, so we're good then," I laughed. "Show me what you've got."
Norma spent the next half hour explaining the paperwork that Sloan had filled out and then telling me what Jack had decided to do with it. Once I understood the plan, I knew exactly what my role was. I told Norma I had it under control and sent her on her way as I set to work making sure that Baby Steps would be protected from the two who were trying to destroy it.
*
dinner, I called Patrick and found out nothing had changed with Mama's condition. She was still in the treatment center, and he said they were having a hard time getting her to comply with the rules, but they were hopeful she might talk with a counselor and figure out a compromise.
I sighed as he told me that the realtor thought we'd have to lower the price of the house substantially in order to sell it as is. She felt fairly certain that, once we did, the place would go quickly. Then we'd have money in a couple of months for Mama's treatment and a room in the retirement center. I told him I'd try to come by to see Mama the next week, but he told me that family members were encouraged to stay away until the recovery was fully underway. I sighed and told him to call me when he thought it was a good time to go visit. He assured me he would and then he hung up.
Feeling down after the call, I went upstairs and found Riley sprawled out on the bed doing her homework. Her room was the perfect place for a twelve-year-old girl. It had been painted a light shade of lavender and had a mural of a brightly colored flower garden painted over it. The floor was covered with thick white carpeting that felt like soft grass under my bare feet. The furniture had been painted white and trimmed with the same shade as on the walls and had tiny green vines dotted with flowers running up and down the edges. The whole room was a scene out of a fairy tale. I was surprised that the decorative touches that Betty had added hadn’t made my little tomboy rebel against it. The reality was that it was a room to be envied—and one that Riley didn't want to leave.
I felt happy that she was able to have such a wonderful little space for herself while we were homeless but, it also made me very aware of the fact that I'd never be able to provide her with something like it. I wondered how we'd go back to living in a small apartment once our welcome had been worn out. I pushed the thoughts to the side.
"Hey there, kiddo," I said as I walked over and sat down on the bed next to her.
"Hey, what's up?" she asked as she rolled over and sat up, leaving her books spread across the duvet.
"Nothing, I just wanted to check in and see how your first day with the tutor went," I smiled as I reached out and smoothed her wild hair. She reached up and playfully ruffled it up again.
"It was really awesome, Leah!" she said excitedly. "She taught me all kinds of things that we haven't learned in school, and she gave me a bunch of homework to get done for tomorrow."
"So, you like it?" I asked.
"It's so much better than just sitting around waiting to go back to school," she nodded. "I wish I didn't have to, though."
"You'd rather study with a tutor than go to school with all of your friends?" I asked surprised.
"I don't have any friends, Leah," she said dropping her head and biting her lip. "No one likes me, and I don't like anyone at school. Well, except for Becky, but she's not in my grade."
"I'm sorry about that, Riley," I said reaching out and rubbing her arm. "We'll see if we can't do something about that once we get our own place. Maybe you need to go to a different school."
"Can't I stay here and study with the tutor?" she asked.
"I'm not sure that's possible, sweetie," I said, trying to think of a way to break it to her that I couldn't afford the services of a tutor like the one Betty had employed. "I don't know if your tutor will travel to our new place."
"Oh, nonsense," Betty said as she stepped into the room smiling. "We'll find a way to get her to you when you move to your new home. Either that or you can come here once a week and study with her, if need be."
"Seriously?" Riley asked as she jumped off the bed and ran over to hug Betty.
"Seriously," Betty said as she hugged the girl tightly. "Leah and I will figure it out. Don't you worry. Now, don't you have homework to complete for tomorrow, young lady?"
"I do! I'm working on it," Riley said as she ran back to the bed and threw herself across it. I stood up and turned to go but, before I could, Riley pushed herself up and threw her arms around my waist saying, "Thank you, Leah. I'm glad you let us stay here."
"You're welcome, kiddo," I smiled as I hugged her back. "We'll figure something out. Don't worry."
Betty and I exited the room and quietly closed the door behind us before heading down to the sitting room where she had had the kitchen staff lay out tea and dessert.
"I hope you don't think I'm interfering," she said as she poured us both a cup of tea. "I don't mean to, but Riley is such a smart girl. She loved working with Bree."
"I don't mind at all," I admitted. "But I worry that I'm setting her up for disappointment once we return to our regular lives."
"I know we live a rather extravagant lifestyle," Betty said as she sipped from her cup. "But having you and Riley around makes me realize how much I miss having people in the house. Since Bernard died, it's been so quiet around here and I've felt lonely. The two of you, and Jack of course, make the house much livelier."
"Well, it's been wonderful for us, too," I said. "I can't thank you enough for inviting us to stay with you."
"What are your plans for your next move?" Betty asked.
"I've been looking for an apartment near Riley's school, but she just told me she doesn't want to go back to it. So now I'm not sure where to look," I said, feeling overwhelmed by everything I needed to do. "I guess I'll have to scout out schools."
"I know some excellent ones," Betty offered. "I can give you a list of them, if you like."
"That would be great," I nodded, knowing that the schools she'd recommend were likely to be in neighborhoods where my salary wouldn't make it possible to rent.
"Meanwhile, we'll figure out a way to keep Bree coming to visit Riley once you two are settled again," she said.
"Thank you, Betty. I know Riley would love that," I said. I stood up and excused myself, saying that I was exhausted and needed a hot bath before bed. Betty wished me a good night, and I climbed the stairs, feeling more tired than I had in a very long time.