Help Wanted (3 page)

Chapter Four

“Tell me how to get rid of him. I don’t want him coming back tomorrow,” she complained. She had thought long and hard before coming over here, but she couldn’t think of any other place to go about her problem.

“I can’t believe I’ve been asking you for weeks to come over and when you do it is to complain about Jim.” Charisma sighed as she placed Dave Jr. back into his bassinet.

Keira felt horrible. Charisma was right. She wasn’t being a good friend at all. Her problems weren’t that big compared to what Charisma had been through these past couple of months worrying about her baby.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t be over here tossing my problems in your lap. You have enough going on in your life. Jim Russell is my headache, not yours.”

“I think Jim is a great guy,” Charisma said brushing a lock of hair off her son’s forehead before joining Keira on the couch.

“You would like him. He’s nice to you. He was a pain in the ass the first time I had the misfortune to meet him and the months that have passed haven’t changed his personality.”

“Jim has been through a lot in the last couple of years. He isn’t as bad as he came off to you at the airport. How about we forget about Jim for a minute and talk about you?”

“What about me?” Keira looked warily at her friend.

“Have you started going to those counseling sessions yet? I know you mentioned those months ago and I never heard another word about them from you. Are you still having all those horrible nightmares?”

Jumping up from her seat, Keira paced in front of Charisma. It was too painful to think about, let alone talk about, to anyone.

“I can’t get into this with you,” she said shaking her head. “It’s too much for me to handle. Don’t you remember all that news coverage? I was the only person who survived that damn crash.  There were 147 people who died when that plane broke apart.”

Tears filled Keira’s eyes, but she quickly blinked them away before they started to fall. She wasn’t going to start crying in front of Charisma. “It isn’t fair to all of those other people that I’m alive and they aren’t. Maybe if I hadn’t been knocked out and moved a little faster I could have at least saved someone.”

“Honey, you have to stop blaming yourself. It’s not your fault that the crash happened. You tried to save that man, but you couldn’t. You were lucky enough to have survived. God blessed you that day. Please don’t take it for granted. I want my son to get to know his godmother and tell him stories about his amazing mother.”

“It wasn’t right that he died.” Keira continued as if Charisma hadn’t spoken. “He was married with three kids and another one on the way.  I was frozen with fear.  If I’d moved faster I could have saved him.  It was my job to help the passengers and when I was supposed to protect them the most…I failed them.”

“Keira, I hate that you are shouldering so much of the responsibility when nothing, and I mean nothing, about the accident was your fault. I want you to get some help because I miss the fun-loving woman that I went to Jamaica with. I love you so much and it’s killing me to see you like this.” Charisma got up from her seat and wrapped her arms around her best friend’s shoulders pulling her closer to her body. “Why don’t you pack a bag and stay with me and Dave for a couple of days. You know that there’s plenty of room in this huge house.  Sometimes, I think I might get lost in here.”

Keira understood what Charisma was trying to do and she loved her so much for it, but she needed this time alone. “No, that’s okay. It’s very sweet of you to offer, but I’m going to head back home.” She pulled free of Charisma’s embrace, picked up her purse and rushed out of the house before Charisma could talk her into staying.

Chapter Five

Tossing his helmet on the couch, Jim sauntered into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator. After twisting off the lid, he took a long sip and thought about everything that had occurred today.

He couldn’t believe the motorcycle shop that he dreamt about owning for the past couple of years brought the ultra sexy, yet overly bossy Keira Winters back into his life. He didn’t know how Hayward and the rest of them put up with her for so long. Sure, she had a rocking body, but he wasn’t going to let that sidetrack him.

He was going to be back at the shop first thing in the morning to get the keys from her. God, she knew nothing about being the owner of a custom made motorcycle business. Keira couldn’t even answer his question today. Any true motorcycle owner wouldn’t have to even think about the answer.

I’m going to be able to deal with her. Maybe I’ll get lucky and she will get sent on an overseas trip for a while leaving me alone with the shop. I would be able to make it into everything I have wanted and more,
Jim thought.

Keira’s father had kept Choppers
in pretty good shape, but there were a couple of more up-to-date things he wanted to do with it. It would draw in more customers and expand the business making it more accessible to everyone.

For some reason, he got a sneaky feeling that wasn’t about to happen anytime soon. Keira came off like she didn’t give up anything without a fight. He loved a woman with some spunk and Keira had a truck load of it and then some. However, he didn’t want to go through the hassle of fighting with her.

Maybe he could talk to Charisma and she could get Keira to give him what he wanted. They were best friends and would do anything for each other. Keira might actually listen to Charisma.

Jim finished off the last of the beer and then tossed the empty bottle into the trashcan. He couldn’t let Keira ruin the rest of his day because he had to deal with Kathy in less than an hour.

His ex-wife was bringing Trevor over for his weekly visit and he prayed that Kathy wouldn’t go into her rant about needing more money for their son. Hell, she wasn’t even using the money she was getting now for him. Just last week Trevor called him wanting a new video game. He sent Kathy more than enough money to buy little gifts like that for Trevor and then have more than enough money left over for her expensive tastes.

He was trying his best not to take Kathy back to court for full custody of Trevor. But if she kept spending all the money he sent on herself instead of their son something was going to change. Kathy wasn’t going to mistreat Trevor and give the young lovers in her life anything they wanted. She was the poster image of a woman being a cougar. The last time he’d gone to pick up Trevor from his ex-wife’s house, he’d found a guy there who, if he had to guess, wasn’t older than twenty.

What was Kathy thinking? She couldn’t let guys come in and out of Trevor’s life like that. His son loved the both of them so much and he knew that his son had a spark of hope his parents would get back together.

Jim had tried numerous times to make Trevor understand that there was no way he was going to get back with his mother. However, Trevor still held out for that prospect.

I might really have to talk him to again. I should take him on another camping trip. It’s been too long.

Trevor was the carbon copy of him and he loved his son dearly. It pained him that it wasn’t able to see Trevor more than he did.

Leaving the kitchen, Jim strolled back into the living room to wait for Kathy and Trevor. Sitting down on the couch, he picked up the remote control and turned on the television to ESPN.  He had been watching a NASCAR race for about twenty minutes before the front door swung open and a bundle of energy raced through it.

“Dad, I was thinking about you all day at school. I was so excited to be spending the entire week with you instead of the weekend like I usually do!” Trevor shouted as he jumped on the couch next to him.

“Son, I’m glad you’re going to be spending extra time with me too. Do you want to order a pizza tonight and watch some movies? We can rent something off the television,” Jim said, hugging his son.

“Dad, I’m too old to be getting hugs. I’m not a baby.” Trevor moved back from him and got off the couch.  “I’m going to start on my homework, so I’ll be finished before dinner.” Trevor raced back to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

“You know that he really isn’t going to start on his homework, don’t you?” A snippy voice complained behind him. “You let him get away with too much.  That’s why he’s so unruly when I get him back from you. He has no rules at your house at all. He’s horrible the way he can do anything he wants over here. I’m the only one who punishes him for doing something wrong.”

Jim got up from his seat and glared at his ex-wife. There wasn’t a time that Kathy hadn’t dropped off their son and complained about something. She was such a negative person.  She hadn’t been this way when they first got married. She wasn’t the most positive person back then; however, she never constantly saw the bad in everything and everyone.

“Nice to see you, Kathy,” Jim said trying his best to be civil for Trevor’s sake. “How are you and Donnie doing?”

“Stop trying to be nice to me.  We both know that we can’t stand each other and you know that I’m not dating Donnie anymore. I haven’t been dating him for months. He went back to his ex-girlfriend and they are expecting a baby next month.”

“Kathy, I was just trying to be cordial because of Trevor. He doesn’t have to hear us fighting every time one of us drops him off at the other person’s house,” Jim said, trying to keep the peace because he wanted to enjoy this time with his son.

“Fine,” Kathy snapped. “I won’t go into what a dead beat father you are. I heard about the huge amount of money you spent on that damn bike shop. How could you waste money like that when Trevor needs new clothes for school?”

Jim knew Kathy was standing there lying to him.  He bought his son new clothes two weeks ago and took them over to her house, so she wasn’t about to get any more money from him to spend on her young boyfriend.

“I just got him some things. Where are those clothes?”

“Trevor is a growing boy and he constantly needs a new pair of shoes or a new shirt,” Kathy told him. “You have money and should want him to have nice things.”

“Don’t you mean that you want nice things?”  Jim retorted as he slowly began to lose his temper. It was past time for Kathy to leave and she knew it. Why was she still here anyway?

“I’m not getting into this with you. If I stay any longer I’m going to be late for my flight. Cameron is waiting for me at the airport and I don’t want to be late.” Kathy spun around and headed for the door. “Don’t forget that Trevor has an allergy to peanuts. Make sure that he doesn’t get into anything with nuts in it. Also remember that he needs a refill on his medicine. He only has a little left in his bag.”

He hated when Kathy talked to him like he was stupid. Of course, he knew to keep Trevor away from peanuts. He was the one who figured out about the damn allergy in the first place. This wasn’t the time or place for him to lose his temper. That was what Kathy wanted him to do, so he would look bad in Trevor’s eyes and it wasn’t going to work. He was done doing this same song and dance with her.

Walking past his ex-wife Jim stood in front of the open front door. “I think it’s time for you to leave. I would hate for you to miss your flight with your new boy toy.”

“Have fun with Trevor, but don’t let him get away with murder,” Kathy snapped as she stormed out the door and down the driveway to her car.

Standing in the open doorway, Jim made sure that Kathy got into her car and drove off.  He didn’t want her coming back to stir up any trouble. She had a bad habit of leaving and then coming back five minutes later to start up a new fight him.

God, I’m glad she’s gone. I have to find a way to get full custody of Trevor. Kathy doesn’t know how to be a good mother. She’s too busy trying to relive her youth with guys who don’t want her and never will
. Closing the door, Jim turned back around and found Trevor standing behind him.

“Trevor, how long have you been standing there?” Jim asked.

“I was in the hallway listening to you and Mom fight and then I came in here when I heard her leave. Why are you two always upset with each other? The two of you aren’t ever going to get back together. 

“Trevor, what have I told you about me getting back together with your mom? She has a boyfriend and they’re going away on a trip. I’m not ever going to get back with your mom. I really want you to understand that.”

“Daddy, I know you’re mad at Mom now, but I know the two of you will get back together. You have done it before, why not this time?” Trevor asked, staring at him.

An oval face with perfect dark mahogany skin and huge brown eyes flashed before his eyes and Jim shook his head to get rid of the image. Shit! Why in the hell was he thinking about Keira Winters? There wasn’t any reason she should even be a thought in his mind as late as it was. She had rubbed him the wrong way from their first meeting and his opinion hadn’t changed about her since their second meeting.

Unlike Hayward, Clinton and Dave he wasn’t looking for the love of his life. He had already been through a hellish marriage and he wasn’t able to go through that again. He only wanted to spend more time with his son. However, he was having a battle getting more quality time with him because his ex-wife was being such a bitch. She always found a way to make sure Trevor never got to spend more than a couple of hours with him.

There were always programs on television about deadbeat fathers and how their absence influenced   their children’s lives. Yet here he was trying to be a part of his son’s life and Kathy stopped him at every turn. He was getting so tired of this shit. He needed to go back to court and fight for full custody.

It wasn’t like Kathy was the best parent in the world. Half the time, she was at her boyfriend’s house and dropped Trevor off to spend with her parents. His son needed him in his life because these were the best times of his little boy’s life. It was when his personality was starting to form and he was getting more independent. He didn’t want to miss any more of these years than he already was.

“Daddy, are you listening to me?” Trevor demanded, hitting him on the arm.