“Since when have women ever been given equal rights?” Willa questioned sarcastically.
“Ouch! I think I’m going to change this subject while I still have a dick.” Drake laughed.
“Don’t worry, Drake; your dick isn’t the one I’d like to neuter.”
Chapter 3
Hearing the commotion from outside, Willa opened her front door hurriedly to find her house in complete disarray. The two older girls were arguing over the laptop needed to do their homework; Charlie was sitting in front of the television, playing a video game; and the two little ones were sitting on the carpet, the contents of her catering bag out onto the floor.
“Leanne and Sissy, I asked you to keep an eye on the children until I could get home.” Willa brushed her fine hair away from her face.
The mutinous look from Sissy reminded Willa so much of her mother Georgia. Willa thrust the unkind thought away, not wanting her feelings toward Georgia to affect her feelings toward Sissy. The seventeen-year-old wasn’t responsible for her mother terrorizing Willa through high school.
“I did. They’re just playing,” Sissy snapped.
Willa went to the younger children and began picking up the decorating tips.
Taking one of the tiny, metal tips in her hand, she showed it to Sissy and Leann. “This is small enough for one of them to choke on. I had this bag on the top shelf of the pantry. How did they reach it?”
Charlie took his attention away from the video game long enough to explain. “I climbed up on the stool to get it. I remembered you had markers. I thought the girls could play with them. I gave them paper to color on.”
Willa sighed. The edible markers were strewn across the floor with the papers that had been neatly stacked on the kitchen counter when she had left.
Willa stared in dismay at the ruined orders that had been arranged by the date they were expected to be prepared, many now unreadable. It was going to take hours to call her clients and retake the orders, which was going to not only take time she didn’t have to spare, but make her look unprofessional right when she was thinking about expanding her business.
Willa turned away, not wanting the children to see her blinking back tears that were not only from frustration but exhaustion.
“Willa?” Leanne’s worried voice had her turning back to the children, pasting a composed expression on her face.
“Charlie, help the girls get cleaned up in the bedroom while I straighten up the living room. Leanne, can you pick up the decorating bag and place the items on the counter? They’ll have to be washed.”
Leanne began picking up the markers. “I’m sorry, Willa. I should have paid more attention to what they were doing.”
Sissy made no attempt to help her sister. Her stubbornness, surely a result of the traumatic adjustment she was going through. It had to be hard on the girl losing her mother, then her uncle, and then being forced to live with the woman who had killed him.
“Are you finished with your homework, Sissy?”
“As much as I can do on my own. I’m not good in chemistry.” She snapped the computer closed, carelessly tossing it onto the couch.
“After I finish dinner, I could help you…”
Sissy snorted. “How could you help me? You’re a stupid, fat cow!”
Willa flinched, but she didn’t let her expression betray her hurt.
“A friend of mine is very good in chemistry. I could call her and ask if she would be willing to help,” Willa offered.
“Who?” Sissy asked suspiciously.
“Rachel Adams.”
“That’s Jace’s cousin.”
Willa saw the first spark of interest in the girl since she had moved in her home. Leave it to a male to accomplish what I can’t, Willa thought.
“Yes. Would you like me to call her?”
Sissy tried to unsuccessfully appear disinterested. “Whatever.”
“I’ll call as soon as I finish picking up.”
Sissy began to put away Charlie’s game controllers then helped Leanne without Willa having to urge her. When the living room was done, and she had settled the little ones in the backyard to play with the cat she had adopted, she placed the call to Rachel.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Rachel, this is Willa. I hate to ask, but I have a favor if you’re not too busy.”
“Not at all. What do you need?”
“I was wondering if you would be able to help Sissy with her chemistry homework tonight. I know it’s an imposition at this late notice.”
“I’m sitting here, bored to death while Cash is working late at the factory. I can be there in thirty minutes.”
“Thanks, Rachel.”
“No problem. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Willa hung up and glanced at a waiting Sissy. “She’ll be here in thirty minutes.”
Sissy nodded then went back inside the house without a thank you, wearing the same expression of dislike that she constantly wore.
Willa played with the children outside for twenty minutes then hustled them inside so she could finish dinner.