The Whole Package

“Bailey, how are you?” she asks as she gives me an awkward hug.

“Donna,” I respond. She never liked us calling her Mom. Especially in front of men.

“I heard you’ve got a man. I wanted to come and see for myself.” Her eyes roam over Shawn.

I want to reach out and smack her, but instead I clench my fist at my side. Keep it together for Hazel, I remind myself.

“Who told you that?” Shawn asks. His voice is so cold.

“A little birdy.” She winks at him and his jaw clenches.

“Really? Who’s talking about me to you?” I ask, wanting to know.

“Mason,” she says flippantly. I hear Shawn let out a noise that sounds like a growl. “I ran into him over at Moxie’s when I was getting a drink last night. He had a lot of things to say. I thought I should come home and check on Hazel.”

“Now you come check on her?” I fight to control my anger, not wanting to yell and wake Hazel up. “Now, really?”

My mom goes to responds, but Shawn cuts her off. “Cut the crap, Donna. What is it you really want?” I glance over at him.

Her face turns sour and she raises her chin. “You know I could kick you both out of here.”

“You could try. We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” he says as he steps forward. “Trust me, you don’t want to do this the hard way. I have a lot of friends in high places. They can make things as difficult as I need them to be.”

My mother darts her eyes between Shawn and me. “I want half a million dollars and you’ll never see me again.”

My jaw drops. Did she just actually say that?

“I know why you skipped town, Donna, and I know why you lost your job.” My mom’s face pales. “I can make that all go away.” Shawn walks over to the counter and opens his briefcase. He pulls out a file and holds it open. “Sign over custody of Hazel, along with this house, and I’ll make it all go away.”

“I need money,” she blurts out.

“Then I suggest you get a job,” he tells her. “Though if you don’t sign these papers, you won’t need a job where you’ll be going.”

She could go to jail? What the hell did she do?

“It all goes away?” she asks. She’s wringing her hands together in front of her and doesn’t look so sure of herself anymore.

“Yes, and you never come back here.” Shawn picks up a pen. “All you have to do is sign.” He sets both documents down on the counter.

She hesitates for a moment before going over and signing the papers. I’m shocked as I watch the whole thing play out. When she turns and looks at me, I’m still so angry with what a shitty mother she’s been, but I can’t help but be grateful.

“Thank you.” It’s the first good thing she’s ever done for us.

She nods and picks up her purse then walks out the door without another word. I turn to look over at Shawn in complete shock. “What just happened?” It’s too good to be true, but everything’s been that way since he walked into my life.

He holds up the papers. “No more worrying. That’s what just happened.”

He closes the distance between us. “I’ve been looking into your mother and trying to find out what it would take for you to get custody of Hazel. I found out she’s been stealing pills from the retirement place she’s working at.”

“Jesus.” I shake my head.

“So while my lawyer has been working on things, he gave me these papers. Just in case your mother stopped by.”

He hands me everything and I look down at them. I’m unable to read them because my eyes are filled with unshed tears. I throw myself at him and wrap my body around his.

“I love you so much,” I tell him, burying my face in his neck.

“I love him, too.”

I turn my head to see Hazel standing in the doorway to the living room. She’s rubbing the sleep from her eyes with one hand and the other hand is holding one of the stuffed animals she won last night.

“I love you, too, Hazel,” Shawn says.

The tears I was trying so hard to hold back slip free. I had no idea I could be this happy.

Chapter 13

Bailey

It’s been a long day at work, but I have to say, things are going much smoother than I thought possible. Of course, having Kyle as my assistant manager has been a life saver. Hazel has been ecstatic scheduling all the baggers, and she’s taking her job as the bagger manager seriously. Shawn even made her a name tag and she wears it with pride.

I didn’t realize how much stress I was carrying around over my mom possibly coming back into our lives until Shawn took it away. It’s like a weight has been lifted and I feel free for the first time in my life. Now I have no fear of her trying to derail our progress or upset Hazel. There’s no looking back, and I’ve got my man to thank for that.