If I Didn't Know Better (The Callaways #9)(7)

"You know," he said, thinking he'd just found a way to connect to her. "I lost my mom when I was eleven, just a few years older than you. I didn't like it when people tried to make me feel better. I really hated when they said things like she's in a better place, or she's watching down on you from heaven. I didn't think any place without me could be better, and I didn't want her watching me; I wanted her to be there with me." He realized that he'd never expressed those thoughts out loud until now.

"You're never going to forget your mother, and you'll always miss her," he continued. "But I do know that your mom would want you to be happy again, and I'm certain that she'd want me to make sure you had a good life."

Actually, he didn't know that at all.

If Justine had wanted him to be part of Ashlyn's life, wouldn't she have included him in it while she was alive? Maybe he was the last person she would want raising her daughter.

He looked over at Ashlyn again. She'd turned her head, but not in his direction. Now, she was looking out the side window. Was the fact that she'd moved at all a good sign or a bad one? Or was he just going to drive himself crazy by analyzing every tiny movement?

Probably the latter, he decided.

With a sigh, he turned on the radio and hoped the music would take some of the tension away.



*



Thirty minutes later, after a stop at Rocco's to pick up pizza, salad and garlic chips, Jeremy drove home, thinking that he had another silent, uneventful Friday night in front of him.

His life had certainly turned completely upside down, he thought, wondering if it would ever go back to right-side up.

As he parked in front of his house, he was surprised to see a car in the driveway next door. The house had been empty since he'd moved in, and the neighbor on the other side had told him that the owner had passed away a few months earlier.

He was even more surprised when he realized that a woman was standing on the roof of that house, outside a second-story window, and was waving her arms to get his attention.

He quickly got out of the car.

"I need help," she yelled.

He could see that. The trellis next to the house was in pieces in the yard. She'd obviously climbed up to the second floor before the fragile frame of wood had given way.

"I thought the window would open all the way, but it's stuck," she explained, motioning her hand to the window behind her that was open about three inches. "Can you help me? I can't get in, and I can't get down. Do you have a ladder?"

He glanced back at Ashlyn, who had gotten out of the car and was watching their interaction. She actually seemed somewhat interested in the blonde woman trapped on the roof next door.

He looked back at the woman. "I might. Who are you?" He moved closer to her house, noting that the woman was prettier than he'd first realized. She had wavy blonde hair that fell past her shoulders and a really great body displayed in a pair of shorts and a knit shirt that clung to her breasts.

"I'm Mia Callaway. This is my Aunt Carly's house. She died last month, and I've come to clean out her house."

"Why don't you have a key?"

"I do have a key, but it didn't work."

"So you decided to climb onto the roof?"

She made a face. "It wasn't the best idea I've ever had. I saw the window ajar and thought I could pop it open and save myself a trip to the locksmith. It was a long drive down here, and I was tired."

"Where did you come from?"

"San Francisco. Look, we can chat, but I'd rather do it down there or in the house. So what do you say, can you help me out?"

"I'll see if there's a ladder in my garage."

"You don't know?"

"I rented the house two weeks ago. I haven't looked all that closely at the garage." He turned back to Ashlyn, who'd also moved closer but was still about ten feet away from him. "I need to help Mia get off the roof. I'm going to get a ladder out of the garage. Do you want to wait in the house? I'll let you in and then come back."

He was expecting her to nod and run toward their house, because so far she hadn't shown much interest in anyone, which had made him feel marginally better, since her dislike didn't seem to be only focused on him.

Instead, she shook her head and sat down on the grass right where she was standing.

"Okay, I'll grab the ladder. You stay right there," he said.

"I'll keep an eye on her," Mia offered. "What's your name, sweetie?"

He saw Ashlyn look in Mia's direction, but she didn't answer.

"Her name is Ashlyn," he said, then walked down the short driveway to the garage.

"You have a very pretty name," Mia said. "I like your long dark hair, too."

He appreciated Mia's effort to engage Ashlyn, even though she was getting absolutely nothing back.

As he pulled the ladder off the wall, he winced, his left shoulder protesting the movement and the weight, a reminder of how far he was from his normal state of health. He shifted the ladder to his right side and walked next door. He managed to get the ladder up against the house with a minimal amount of effort and pain.

"All right, there you go," he said.

"Thanks." She moved forward and then paused, as she peered over the side. "It looks a lot higher when you get closer to the edge."