I can clearly drive my car. And I can make two trips if I have to for big orders—you know back and forth to the car.”
I grimaced. “I could help with that, you know. You take the shifts, and I can run and fetch and carry.”
She laughed. “Ian, I wasn’t telling you so you’d have to do the work for me.”
“Eh, wouldn’t hurt my feelings any, and I’d get a chance to spend more time with you. Who knows, maybe I’ll like it and want to do the same thing. Then we can all time our shifts so that someone is always off with you when you need it.”
Frankie rolled her eyes, but I didn’t take it personally. We pulled in behind the music school, and I put the gear in park for her. “So you don’t think it’s a bad idea?”
Studying her, I swallowed back my kneejerk response of ‘of course I didn’t think it was a bad idea.’ She wasn’t asking me to just placate her, she was asking to settle something in her own head. “If you’re doing it because you need the independence yourself, in addition to proving to the court you’re self-sufficient—and let’s be honest the fact you probably have enough in savings to see you through this means you are.” I raised a hand to ask for her patience. She sucked her lip between her teeth and nodded for me to continue. “Then fine. If you want to do it and it’s important to you, then I’m all in.”
I had to take a minute to consider how to phrase the next part. I did not want to come off as an asshole again.
“If you’re doing it because you’re genuinely worried about your financial stability because the four of us eat so fucking much or we need to do more than just budget for food, then I want to confront that and step the hell up before we make you crazy. I’ve got a job lined up for after the holidays, and the savings I put away over the summer will see me through Christmas.”
I’d never needed to work. My parents were far from wealthy, but we were pretty damn comfortable and I had next to nothing in expenses. I could do more.
I could do a lot more.
“But call me a little selfish, I kind of wanted to spend the holidays focused on you and not work.” We had enough to do after the first of the year. I’d have some decisions to make then, too.
Her smile relieved me. “It’s not just about being worried about my financial stability. I think I’ll always be worried about that.” The curve of her lips faded away, and those gorgeous eyes sobered. “I’ve gone hungry before, and I’ve never really told anyone but Coop.”
Anger fisted in my chest. Coop had never said that.
Not once.
“Maddy used to forget to shop. Sometimes, we didn’t have the money. It would be really tight, and sometimes it would just be she forgot to pick things up. When she was dating, especially, kind of how I’d notice.” She chewed her lip. “And I’m not telling you this to feel sorry for me. It was one of the things that came up on Friday. I hadn’t really thought about how self-involved her pattern was when there was a new man in her life.” Then she gave a little shake of her head. “The point is…I save every dime I can because I want to get out of here. I want to get away from Maddy. Now I’m getting away from Maddy, and it’s a little scary, but a part of me thinks I need to do this on my own and not just rely on you guys.”
“Fair.” Even if I hated every part of it. “But you know you can rely on us. Even if you thought you couldn’t rely on me, you can rely on them. They’d never let you starve or lose your place or anything.”
“I know,” she said, touching the side of her head. “In here? I know it. But here?” She touched her heart. “And worse here?” She touched her stomach. “It just makes me sick thinking how easily this could all get screwed up. I have a job that I can’t do, and my boss won’t let me do while I’m injured, and I know she means well but…”
“You’re scared.” I sighed, then reached over to take her hand. “I’m sorry, Angel. I’ll back you on whatever you want