Page 10 of Echoes of Danger
“Her room is right next to Jessica’s,” Jacob says. “Which is also right across from mine.”
“I’ll just sleep on the floor in her room,” he says.
“Elijah,” I warn. “I’ll be fine. You need your privacy, and Mr. Reynolds was kind enough to make that happen.”
“I won’t be able to hear you if you need me,” he says, coming into the kitchen and reaching out for the baby.
Elijah has always been with me when I babysat in the past and knows how to hold a newborn, so I hand her over without hesitation.
Elijah’s jaw clenches as he holds Jessica, his eyes darting between me and Jacob, lingering a little too long on Jacob with that familiar wariness. It’s the same look he’s had ever since that night. Haunted, distrustful, and far too old for his age.
Jacob keeps his distance, sensing the tension. “Elijah, I know you’re worried about your mom, and you’ve got every right to be. But I promise you, she’s safe here. You both are.”
Elijah’s grip tightens around Jessica, and I can see the flicker of guilt and fear in his eyes. He’s been carrying the weight of that night ever since he made the split-second decision that saved my life but cost him his innocence. He hasn’t been able to let go of the feeling that it’s still his job to protect me, no matter the cost.
“I’m not worried about her being safe,” Elijah says, his voice low but firm, staring straight at Jacob. “I’m worried about what happens when I’m not there. I’m always there.”
I feel the sting of his words, the unspoken blame he places on himself for every moment he’s not watching over me. “Eli,” I say softly, reaching out to brush a hand through his hair. “You don’t have to be on guard all the time. Jacob’s not your dad. He’s not going to hurt me.”
Elijah flinches at the mention of his father, the memory still raw and unforgiving. “You don’t know that. And maybe someone breaks in while neither one of us is here to protect you. I can’t…” he cuts himself off, his voice breaking as he looks away, the pain of that night flashing across his face.
Jacob steps forward, his expression severe but gentle. “Elijah, I can’t change what happened, and I won’t pretend to understand what you went through. But I’m not here to take your place. I just want to stand guard next to you while we keep both our girls safe.”
Elijah glares at Jacob, his eyes burning with the weight of everything he’s too young to carry. “You can’t help. Nobody can.” He looks at me, and there’s a flicker of something, fear, anger, maybe even hope, buried deep beneath it all. “I’ll try the basement. But if I hear anything, anything at all, I’m coming back up.”
I nod, knowing this is the best I can hope for right now. “That’s fine, Eli. You’re always welcome in my room. But give it a chance, okay?”
He hesitates, then finally nods, reluctantly handing Jessica back to me. “Love you, Ma,” he mutters, glancing once more at Jacob before turning toward the basement stairs. “But don’t expect me not to check on you throughout the night.”
As he disappears into the shadows of the stairwell, I look at Jacob, who watches Elijah go with a heavy sigh. “He’s got a lot to work through,” Jacob says quietly.
I nod, holding Jessica close, my heart aching for my son, who’s been through too much too soon. “Yeah,” I say, more to myself than anyone else. “One step at a time.”
“Why don’t we go in the living room and talk for a bit,” Jacob says.
I glance shyly in his direction. Why does he want to talk to me? I mean, I’m not the prettiest woman in the world, but I’m not bad to look at, either. I may be a bit chubby or, rather, more than a bit, but I have a pretty face.
Listen to me, thinking he wants to talk about his attraction to me when he most likely wants to tell me more about the job he’s hired me to do.
I’m so freaking insane sometimes.
“I’d like to get to know more about you and Elijah, and in turn, I’ll tell you more about Jessica and me.”
“You want to know more about me?” I ask.
“Of course,” he smiles. “I mean, I do plan to leave you alone with my daughter and I didn’t use a nanny agency to hire you. So, I’d feel safer if I knew more about you.”
Oh, right. He wants to make sure I don’t hurt or steal his baby, not get to know me because he finds me interesting as a woman.
Job. I’m here for a job so that my son doesn’t have to beg for food while living in a freaking box.
“Why didn’t you use an agency?” I ask.
“I did try,” he admits. “Well, I looked at the website, anyway. Most of the nannies for hire seemed too stiff for me. I didn’t want someone around who made Jessica feel uncomfortable. I wanted someone who was relaxed and had a heart full of love.”
“How do you know I meet that bill?” I ask as I sit on the floor. I grab the small blanket on the couch behind me and spread it out before laying Jessica on her tummy.
“Is that safe?” Jacob asks nervously. “She can’t move her head. What if she suffocates?”