my merlot. “No, everything is either way over my budget or way under. And by way under, I mean it’s a room in a basement with flooding issues.”
“Oh.” Jackson sounded like he’d just taken a bite of rotten fruit. “Why don’t you take me up on my offer, sis? You’re not leaving that island anytime soon, potentially ever, so why not buy?”
Over the past two weeks, Jackson had been trying to convince me to let him cover the down payment for a house on the island. I’d steadfastly refused. I made good money in my line of work and I was working my way toward being able to buy my own home. Sure, it was still a few years away, possibly longer with the setback of having to pay rent, but that was fine by me. I’d rather it take a little longer and be something hard earned than a handout—not that I didn’t appreciate Jackson’s offer.
“You know I’m not going to change my mind, Jack. I appreciate you wanting to help me out but I can make this work. I just need the right place to come up.”
“Time isn’t on your side.”
“What do you mean? I have time.”
“You have two months,” Jackson said. “Halloween is just around the corner. Next thing you know, Christmas will be here. And that isn’t the time to be looking for places.”
“I’m hoping to find one before the end of November at the latest.”
“Your life is stressing me out, Katie.”
“It’s stressing you out?” I asked incredulously as I waited for the next page to load. “How do you think I feel?”
“Stressed. Obviously.”
“Obviously,” I reiterated. “And you know what makes me feel less stressed? Not accepting handouts and hustling like I always do to open my own doors and pay for my own shit.”
Jackson laughed into the line and I wanted to reach through it and punch him in his stupid nose. “Relax, Katie. I wasn’t trying to provoke you. Fuck. Do you realize how often I’ve been getting my head bitten off around here with Hailey?”
“I have a bit of an idea,” I said. Knowing that Hailey was giving him a run for his money made me feel a tad bit better about the whole thing. He deserved it. “She kept you on your toes at the hotel and during the wedding.”
“That was her on her best behavior, sis. She’s miserable. Well, not miserable, but she’s terribly uncomfortable and we’re at the point where there’s nothing I can do to make her more comfortable besides run her a bath or run out and get her food. Or offer a massage. But when she thinks she wants something she actually doesn’t, it’s frustrating.”
“Imagine how frustrating it is for her.”
“We both just want this baby out of her and in the world. At least that way, I’ll be able to help out more.”
I smiled as I pictured Jackson holding his newborn baby. “You’re going to be a great dad, Jackson. And Hailey is lucky to have you. You won’t be out of the races for a while. Her hormones are going to give her a hard time. But she knows you love her, and if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, she’ll see and appreciate all your efforts.”
Jackson sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. Any day now, I hope.”
“Any day,” I agreed.
Jackson changed the subject. Usually when babies came up, we only stayed on topic for a brief amount of time because he was always afraid of saying the wrong thing and making me sad. However, after my talk with Peter about kids, that heaviness I’d been carrying around since that fateful doctor’s visit in LA had vanished. One minute, it was there, and the next, poof, it was gone.
“How are things going with you and Mr. Dreamboat?” Jackson asked.
“Sometimes, it feels too good to be true.”
“You really like him, huh?”
“I more than like him.”
Jackson made a gleeful childish sound. “Really? Well, I’d say I’m surprised, but based on the way you two were looking at each other at the wedding, I kind of had a hunch this was in the cards for you. Do you think he might be the one?”
Yes. “I’m afraid of putting that out into the universe in case it doesn’t happen,” I said.
“So yes.”
“I’m not saying anything more about it.”
Jackson laughed. “That’s fair, sis. That’s fair. But I have to let you go. Hailey just got home from her last haircut before the baby comes and she has food with her. I’m