didn't expect him to stick around any longer. Sure, he still had another week of their little "bargain," but now that he knew he wasn't going to get anywhere, he'd be leaving.
Against her will, she sniffed. Her nose was getting stuffed up, she thought in disgust.
Her eyes were watering, too. Probably just allergies. One of the bushes outside her window was blooming. She'd have to start sleeping with the door closed. It was a shame, really, because she loved the night air.
She snuffled again, and this time her eyes watered more. She crushed her head down into the pillow and gave in to reality. She missed him already. The thought of him leaving was horrid. Sobs tore through her and she whimpered into the darkness of her room. How was she going to live without him?
Chapter Seven
"Good morning, Sarai," Jax said as he walked into the kitchen. He had a bit of a headache, and the bright light made him want to wince. He wasn't going to show it, though.
He already felt stupid about drinking the night before. A lecture was the last thing he needed.
"Good morning, Jax," she replied from her seat at the table, not looking at him. The two children watched them with interest.
"How come you didn't sleep with mommy last night, Jax?" Mali asked brightly. Sarai dropped her spoon with a clatter and Jax coughed.
"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Sarai asked, her voice deceptively soft. Jax could tell the question made her angry.
"We're not stupid, you know," Able said, putting down his own spoon. He looked at them smugly. "Mali and I know all about where Jax has been sleeping. We've been watching you guys. You're caught."
"Well, I won't be sleeping with Sarai any more," Jax said quietly. "Not unless she decides she wants to keep me for good. I love her very much, and I want to marry her."
"Jax—"Sarai tried to say, but Mali cut her off.
"If you marry mommy, will you be our daddy?" she asked, licking her spoon thoughtfully.
"If you'll let me," Jax said, catching Sarai's eyes. She looked livid, but he didn't care.
She'd changed the rules last night. She hadn't been fighting fair, and now he was done fighting fair. He'd do whatever he could to wind his way into her life, whether she liked it or not. He only had a week; there wasn't any time to mess around. If that meant using the children against her, he'd do it.
"I would let you," Mali said with a shy smile.
"Well, I won't," Able said. "You may not be as bad as our father was, but we still don't need you here."
Sarai and Jax both looked at the boy in surprise.
"You think Jax is better than your father was?" Sarai asked quietly. "I didn't realize you were comparing them, Able. They're two very different people, you know. Jax would never do the things your father did."
A wave of warmth swept through Jax. No matter what she said, at least Sarai knew he was better than Calvin.
"I know that," Able said, looking at Jax as if taking his measure. It was the same look he had given him in the garden after he'd attacked him, Jax thought. Clearly, their talk had given the boy something to think about. "But what you need to understand is that you don't need him, Mom. You have me. I'll take care of you and Mali."
"I know that," Sarai said, her face flushing. "You've always done a good job of taking care of me, Able."
"And Mali," Able added.
"And Mali," Sarai repeated softly.
"Mommy, I'm done with my cereal," Mali announced. "I want to go outside now. Did you know that we don't have any lessons today, Jax? We just get to play all day long because our teacher has to go to the spaceport. Are you going to come and play with us?"
"Sure," Jax said lightly. "Why don't we go on a picnic? I'm sure that your mother would like to join us, too."
"I don't think—" Sarai tried to break in, glaring at him, but Mali squealed with delight, cutting her off.
"We're going on a picnic! Can we go swimming? Mommy says we can't go swimming unless we have grownups with us, but Kally's daddy takes us swimming
Against her will, she sniffed. Her nose was getting stuffed up, she thought in disgust.
Her eyes were watering, too. Probably just allergies. One of the bushes outside her window was blooming. She'd have to start sleeping with the door closed. It was a shame, really, because she loved the night air.
She snuffled again, and this time her eyes watered more. She crushed her head down into the pillow and gave in to reality. She missed him already. The thought of him leaving was horrid. Sobs tore through her and she whimpered into the darkness of her room. How was she going to live without him?
Chapter Seven
"Good morning, Sarai," Jax said as he walked into the kitchen. He had a bit of a headache, and the bright light made him want to wince. He wasn't going to show it, though.
He already felt stupid about drinking the night before. A lecture was the last thing he needed.
"Good morning, Jax," she replied from her seat at the table, not looking at him. The two children watched them with interest.
"How come you didn't sleep with mommy last night, Jax?" Mali asked brightly. Sarai dropped her spoon with a clatter and Jax coughed.
"What do you mean, sweetheart?" Sarai asked, her voice deceptively soft. Jax could tell the question made her angry.
"We're not stupid, you know," Able said, putting down his own spoon. He looked at them smugly. "Mali and I know all about where Jax has been sleeping. We've been watching you guys. You're caught."
"Well, I won't be sleeping with Sarai any more," Jax said quietly. "Not unless she decides she wants to keep me for good. I love her very much, and I want to marry her."
"Jax—"Sarai tried to say, but Mali cut her off.
"If you marry mommy, will you be our daddy?" she asked, licking her spoon thoughtfully.
"If you'll let me," Jax said, catching Sarai's eyes. She looked livid, but he didn't care.
She'd changed the rules last night. She hadn't been fighting fair, and now he was done fighting fair. He'd do whatever he could to wind his way into her life, whether she liked it or not. He only had a week; there wasn't any time to mess around. If that meant using the children against her, he'd do it.
"I would let you," Mali said with a shy smile.
"Well, I won't," Able said. "You may not be as bad as our father was, but we still don't need you here."
Sarai and Jax both looked at the boy in surprise.
"You think Jax is better than your father was?" Sarai asked quietly. "I didn't realize you were comparing them, Able. They're two very different people, you know. Jax would never do the things your father did."
A wave of warmth swept through Jax. No matter what she said, at least Sarai knew he was better than Calvin.
"I know that," Able said, looking at Jax as if taking his measure. It was the same look he had given him in the garden after he'd attacked him, Jax thought. Clearly, their talk had given the boy something to think about. "But what you need to understand is that you don't need him, Mom. You have me. I'll take care of you and Mali."
"I know that," Sarai said, her face flushing. "You've always done a good job of taking care of me, Able."
"And Mali," Able added.
"And Mali," Sarai repeated softly.
"Mommy, I'm done with my cereal," Mali announced. "I want to go outside now. Did you know that we don't have any lessons today, Jax? We just get to play all day long because our teacher has to go to the spaceport. Are you going to come and play with us?"
"Sure," Jax said lightly. "Why don't we go on a picnic? I'm sure that your mother would like to join us, too."
"I don't think—" Sarai tried to break in, glaring at him, but Mali squealed with delight, cutting her off.
"We're going on a picnic! Can we go swimming? Mommy says we can't go swimming unless we have grownups with us, but Kally's daddy takes us swimming
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