Read Online Not a Second Chance by Laura Jardine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laura Jardine
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went to the door and pulled it open.
“Hey, Allison.” Jo pushed a stroller inside, nearly running over Allison’s foot. She wore tight jeans, a loose cream shirt, and several long, colorful necklaces. “How’s life? Say hi to your favorite nephew! Actually, don’t. He’s asleep. He always does that as soon as I’m about to leave him. No separation anxiety, that’s for sure.”
“Hi.” Allison sneaked a peek at Dexter, her sleeping one-year-old nephew. Jo had named him after the main character in her favorite TV show. “Did I agree to babysit?”
But Allison knew she hadn’t. The thing was, she’d be happy to look after Dexter once a week if she was asked ahead of time. Jo never called, though. Not one for planning, Allison’s older sister assumed everyone would cater to her whims.
It hadn’t been such a big deal before. However, that changed after Jo got married and Dexter was born. Jo would show up with her son and expect Allison to look after him for a few hours while she went shopping or got her hair done or had a manicure. No matter what Allison told her about having advance notice, it didn’t matter.
“Sorry,” Jo said carelessly. “Last-minute shopping trip with the girls. You know how it is. I really need the break.”
And Allison understood that. But it took Jo half an hour to get down here. Couldn’t she at least have called before she left the house? And asked, rather than just assuming Allison was free?
Maybe she should say no. Her plan for the day hadn’t included babysitting Dexter, whom she’d looked after on Monday evening. It was hard to say no when her nephew was involved, but maybe if she did that, her sister would finally understand.
Jo wasn’t a bad person. She really wasn’t. She was just thoughtless and a little self-centered. And showed up at super-inconvenient times.
“Look,” Allison said. “I have plans and…”
Jo glanced over Allison’s shoulder and smiled. “You have company?”
“Yeah.” Allison looked at the couch; Sidney merely lifted a hand.
“Well…” Jo pushed the stroller a little farther inside. “I’m so sorry to do this to you. But I’m going crazy. You’re not really busy, right?”
Allison gripped the bottom of her shirt—which should have been on the floor right now. She had a life, dammit. Just because she was childless didn’t mean she did nothing .
But maybe today was not the time to start standing up to her sister. Her plan for the day hadn’t involved babysitting, but spending the day with her annoying ex-boyfriend wasn’t all that fun. Why did Jo have to come over when they were doing the only thing that was fun? Dexter might be a good distraction from Sidney and would prevent them from fighting too much. And it would only be for a few hours.
Except if Jo still wanted Allison to babysit when she had company, maybe Jo would never understand that her younger sister wasn’t a drop-in daycare.
“How did you get in the front door?” Allison asked.
“An old couple held it open for me. They were so sweet!”
“Right. How sweet of them.”
“Oh, come on.” Jo slapped Allison’s shoulder playfully. “You’re happy to see me, aren’t you? And of course you’re happy to see Dexter.”
“I can look after him today. But next time you show up unannounced, don’t expect me to say yes, okay?”
“But you always do!”
Yeah. Time to break that habit.
Allison looked at Sidney again, half hoping that he would come to her aid, that he’d stick up for her, and Jo would listen. That was the sort of thing he would have done when they were dating. Now he was just staring out the window. Staying out of the way.
It was silly to hope for anything more. She knew that.
Allison’s phone rang, and she answered immediately. Anything to get away from this situation.
“Hello?”
“Hey. It’s Maya. Can you buzz me up?”
“Why are you here?”
“Are you having sex? I can come back later if I’m interrupting.”
“No,
“Hey, Allison.” Jo pushed a stroller inside, nearly running over Allison’s foot. She wore tight jeans, a loose cream shirt, and several long, colorful necklaces. “How’s life? Say hi to your favorite nephew! Actually, don’t. He’s asleep. He always does that as soon as I’m about to leave him. No separation anxiety, that’s for sure.”
“Hi.” Allison sneaked a peek at Dexter, her sleeping one-year-old nephew. Jo had named him after the main character in her favorite TV show. “Did I agree to babysit?”
But Allison knew she hadn’t. The thing was, she’d be happy to look after Dexter once a week if she was asked ahead of time. Jo never called, though. Not one for planning, Allison’s older sister assumed everyone would cater to her whims.
It hadn’t been such a big deal before. However, that changed after Jo got married and Dexter was born. Jo would show up with her son and expect Allison to look after him for a few hours while she went shopping or got her hair done or had a manicure. No matter what Allison told her about having advance notice, it didn’t matter.
“Sorry,” Jo said carelessly. “Last-minute shopping trip with the girls. You know how it is. I really need the break.”
And Allison understood that. But it took Jo half an hour to get down here. Couldn’t she at least have called before she left the house? And asked, rather than just assuming Allison was free?
Maybe she should say no. Her plan for the day hadn’t included babysitting Dexter, whom she’d looked after on Monday evening. It was hard to say no when her nephew was involved, but maybe if she did that, her sister would finally understand.
Jo wasn’t a bad person. She really wasn’t. She was just thoughtless and a little self-centered. And showed up at super-inconvenient times.
“Look,” Allison said. “I have plans and…”
Jo glanced over Allison’s shoulder and smiled. “You have company?”
“Yeah.” Allison looked at the couch; Sidney merely lifted a hand.
“Well…” Jo pushed the stroller a little farther inside. “I’m so sorry to do this to you. But I’m going crazy. You’re not really busy, right?”
Allison gripped the bottom of her shirt—which should have been on the floor right now. She had a life, dammit. Just because she was childless didn’t mean she did nothing .
But maybe today was not the time to start standing up to her sister. Her plan for the day hadn’t involved babysitting, but spending the day with her annoying ex-boyfriend wasn’t all that fun. Why did Jo have to come over when they were doing the only thing that was fun? Dexter might be a good distraction from Sidney and would prevent them from fighting too much. And it would only be for a few hours.
Except if Jo still wanted Allison to babysit when she had company, maybe Jo would never understand that her younger sister wasn’t a drop-in daycare.
“How did you get in the front door?” Allison asked.
“An old couple held it open for me. They were so sweet!”
“Right. How sweet of them.”
“Oh, come on.” Jo slapped Allison’s shoulder playfully. “You’re happy to see me, aren’t you? And of course you’re happy to see Dexter.”
“I can look after him today. But next time you show up unannounced, don’t expect me to say yes, okay?”
“But you always do!”
Yeah. Time to break that habit.
Allison looked at Sidney again, half hoping that he would come to her aid, that he’d stick up for her, and Jo would listen. That was the sort of thing he would have done when they were dating. Now he was just staring out the window. Staying out of the way.
It was silly to hope for anything more. She knew that.
Allison’s phone rang, and she answered immediately. Anything to get away from this situation.
“Hello?”
“Hey. It’s Maya. Can you buzz me up?”
“Why are you here?”
“Are you having sex? I can come back later if I’m interrupting.”
“No,
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