A Daddy for Jacoby(15)

“Don’t look like nothing.”

Jacoby moved to stand in front of her, the dog still at his side. He planted his little feet and crossed his arms over his chest, his bear caught in between. Gina’s heart softened as she looked down at her pint-size protector.

She raised her gaze to Justin, praying he understood. The blank look on his face told her he didn’t.

“Jacoby, I didn’t hear any water running while you were in the bathroom,” she asked. “Did you forget to wash your hands?”

He looked at her over his shoulder. “Huh?”

“It’s important to wash your hands every time you go to the bathroom.”

“It is?”

Gina nodded. “Why don’t you go— Or better yet, how about a bath before you head to bed?”

Jacoby shook his head. “He doesn’t have a bathtub.”

She looked back at Justin. “You don’t?”

“It’s a stand-up shower.”

“But it does have two places where the water comes out,” Jacoby added. “And one is just my size.”

“I put in a regular shower head and a handheld,” Justin leveled one hand at his waist. “You know, at hip level?”

She locked down the image of Justin standing naked in his shower, water hitting his skin from both angles, before it even had a chance to spring to life.

Gina turned her attention back to the boy. “Ah, okay. A shower, then?”

“I guess so, if I hafta.”

“Yes, you have to,” Justin said, reaching for the battered pillowcase near the chair. “You got clean clothes in here?”

Jacoby got to it first and grabbed the bag, holding it close to his chest. “I got pajamas.”

Justin backed away, hands held high in surrender. He looked at her and she nodded for him to continue, hoping he saw it as encouragement.

“Why don’t you head into the bathroom and get undressed and I’ll get the water set for you?”

“Okay.” Jacoby headed back toward the doorway.

Jack started for the boy, but Gina grabbed his collar. “You stay here. I think that room is going to be crowded enough.”

“You gonna be here when I’m done?” Jacoby turned back to ask.

She didn’t dare look at Justin or her watch. “If you’d like me to be.”

The boy nodded vigorously.

“Then I’ll—” she patted Jack’s head “—we’ll be here.”

Jacoby headed for the bathroom again.

Justin followed, then stopped and faced her. “What was all that? Him standing between us?”

Gina moved closer and looked around Justin to make sure the boy wasn’t listening. “I think he was protecting me. Maybe something he’s done in the past? For his mom?”

Justin nodded, but remained silent for a long moment. “You don’t have to stay.”

“I told him I would.”

A sharp pain pierced her chest when Justin didn’t reply but walked away. She ignored it, refusing to decide if it was a result of Justin’s or Jacoby’s actions. She turned away, heard a door open, then close, and a few minutes later the rush of running water.

A low whimper from Jack had her reaching out to scratch his head. “Don’t worry, pal. We’ll stick around, at least for a little while.”

She looked around the room. Not the best layout for a little boy who obviously needed a good night’s sleep. Hanging her jean jacket carefully on a hook by the door, she pushed up her sleeves and went to work.

Any bedrooms the cabin had must be down the same hallway that led to the bathroom, but she figured they had to be uninhabitable if Justin was sleeping out here. It took only a few minutes for her to shake out the sleeping bags, thick quilts and pillows on the floor and with the stuff she’d brought, make up twin sleeping pallets in front of the fire.

She moved the power tools to the far wall and stacked leftover pieces of cut wood into an empty box. A broom she found helped clean up the scarred wood floors. The night-light was plugged in and the kitchen lights and floor lamp turned off. Jack circled three times before curling up at the end of one of the pallets, putting his head on his paws.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” she huffed, pointing a finger at the mutt. “I need to get you back to your mama soon.”

He just closed his eyes and started snoring.

“What have you done?”