I Pick You Read online

  “You don’t live here,” she reiterated. “I mean, yeah, sort of. I expected a two-bedroom apartment over the top of some shoe store or something. You live here?”

  I smiled and hit the garage door button. “It’s nice, huh?”

  “Nice? Oh my God, Brantley. Wait. Who are you living with?”

  “What? Me, nobody.”

  “This is a trap. You can’t afford this. You’re an Uber driver.”

  “I’m not an Uber driver. I never was. I only did that to help one of my college buddies out once in a while. And furthermore, from what I remember, you like Uber drivers.”

  “Ugh, shut up. Don’t remind me. It was the alcohol. This is crazy, Brantley.”

  “Ah a holaday a field.”

  My neck snapped, turning to the little girl staring at me with bright green eyes, speaking a language that I didn’t understand.

  “Look, baby. Daddy’s here.”

  “Oh, Phil.”

  “Phil’s right here,” Kit replied, with a toss of the ugly green thing to the backseat. That was the first thing getting replaced. It wasn’t like I didn’t send her money every month. She could afford to buy her a stuffed animal that didn’t look like a hundred-year-old toy.

  Kit retrieved the child while I gathered their things from the back and opened the door. Bay and I exchanged a glance as Kit brushed past me, eyes wide with shock that Brantley Jandt could have a house like this. I debated on telling her that it wasn’t mine, but then changed my mind. She didn’t need to know that.

  I fished my phone from my pocket and answered my nosy sister while Kit made herself at home. “Did you get her?”

  “Yes, Bridge, but let me call you back. We just walked in the door.”

  “Let me talk to her.”

  “What? No, she doesn’t even speak English.”

  I took a blow to the chest from the back of Kit’s hand as I followed her into the foyer.

  “I’ll call you back, Bridgett.”

  “No you won’t. You always say that, but you never do.”

  “That’s because you don’t give me time. You always call me back. I swear. I’ll call.”

  “Send me a pic. Oh my God, Brantley. I can’t wait to fly there and meet her.”

  “Bye, Felicia.”

  “I hate you. Love you, bye.”

  “Love you, I’ll call.”

  Kit peered at me through eyes now turned to small slits. “Was that your sister? The one I met in Nashville?”

  “Yes, the one and only.”

  “I’m impressed,” she exclaimed, with raised eyebrows as we stepped into the laundry room, Bay running ahead.

  “How are you paying for this, and don’t lie. I have a right to know.”

  “Not really.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I have a job.”

  “Doing what? This feels shady to me.”

  I laughed at her, letting her mind think the worst.

  “Whose house is this? You didn’t buy a house here knowing you’re only staying for a year. I’m not leaving here until you tell me.”

  “I do have a degree. I just signed a one-year contract at St. Augustine elementary. There, happy nosy-ass?”

  Her eyes narrowed even more. “Doing what? Where’s Lane? Why doesn’t he live here?”

  “Okay, you got me. I’m dealing drugs, but don’t worry. I won’t make any deals in her presence.”

  “This isn’t funny, Brantley. I’m a little freaked out here.”

  I pulled my keycard from my wallet and handed her my school I.D. without a word.

  “But how can you be a teacher? You’re a bum.”

  “That’s what happens when you spread your legs for guys you know nothing about.”

  “Shut the hell up. I didn’t spread them. They fell.”

  “It’s okay, I like it. Maybe you can let them fall again.”

  “This kitchen is crazy, look at this fridge. And it’s empty,” Kit frowned, with a sigh.. “We’re not eating in, are we?”

  “Well, I figured we’d go grocery shopping together. That way you can show me what she likes.”

  Kit continued through the kitchen and to the open living and dining room. “No table? You don’t have much stuff.”

  “We have the stools in the kitchen.”

  “No, no, no. Not a pool. You have a pool? I can’t do this. Why do you have a pool?”

  I shrugged, wondering if it was a trick question. “It came with the house.”

  “I can’t leave her here. You have a pool.”

  “Out,” Bay said, with her little hand reaching high for the handle.

  “No way. You’re never allowed outside. Is that the ocean? You live close to the ocean.”

  “Yeah, we’ll take a walk later. It’s beautiful.”

  Kit turned to me and I could see the fear in her eyes. She didn’t trust me.

  “Look, Kit. This door has five locks on it. You can barely reach the bottom one. I swear on a stack of Bible’s not to let her near the pool without me.”

  “I don’t want her near it with you. It only takes a second for her to find something to explore that she doesn’t understand is dangerous.”

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

  Kit’s eyes followed Bay, off to climb on the fireplace ledge. “Where’s Bay’s room?”

  I nodded toward the pink room, knowing she was about to bitch me out for that, too. What was the point in buying a bunch of stuff I would have to get rid of in a year?

  “There’s nothing in here.”

  “I mean, my bed is huge.”

  My eyes glanced around her to little Bay, arms in the air singing something I didn’t understand. “Way go, way go, way go.”

  “Is she making fun of me?”

  Kit didn’t laugh. She stared at me with her fists on her hips. “No, she’s singing, Let it go. She can’t sleep with you. She needs her own room.”

  “She has her own room.”

  “She needs her own bed, Brantley. Her own bedtime.”

  “Fine, we’ll go buy bedroom stuff.”

  Kit took a deep breath and brushed by me, her left breast skimming my forearm as she passed. Bay followed, jumping in front of her mom to be the leader, running into my room next.

  “Whoa, this is awesome. I love the glass wall.”

  Bay loved it, too. Her hands and slobbery lips left a nice little streak clear across one window pane. She climbed up to the window seat and scooted close to the edge, feet kicking the hardwood while she sang yet another song. I think.

  “Oh a wall, oh a fall.”

  “Humpty Dumpty,” I called with a straight finger, noticing that I had taken a step closer to her, just in case she fell.

  Kit popped her head out of my bathroom and smiled. “See, you do speak the same language. Brantley, this shower. Holy shit.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  “Shhh, Mommy’s sorry. Don’t say that.”

  “Yes, you’ll get kicked out of daycare. Don’t say that word.”

  Bay slid from the bench with my help. She just dove off. Had I not been there to take her hand she would have face planted right off the plush floor. “I. E.”

  “Okay, come on. Let’s go see if daddy has something to snack on.”

  I did have something to tide her over with. I had her favorite cereal because it was also my favorite cereal. Lucky Charms, only Bay didn’t like the whole box, just the marshmallows, pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, and green clovers. She did chomp on the dry part once she’d picked out every single spongy shape from the box she could find.

  Chapter Eight

  Instead of eating in like we’d planned, we ate at an à la carte with a smorgasbord of food, for another lesson. I held Bay in my arms, feeling like a fish out of water while Kit walked in front of me, filling a plate. No clue how to hold the wiggly little thing. It was weird, and sometimes she’d just freeze and stare at me like, who the hell are you? She’d reach for Kit once in a w
hile, but Kit pretended not to notice. I got it, I mean, I knew she needed to see us bond, and I really did try, but those things don’t just happen like that. Kit hoped I would take one look at her and we’d have this instant bond that nobody could separate. It wasn’t like that. I was terrified.

  “She loves mac-and-cheese, but you have to be careful with too much cheese,” Kit explained, as we made our way through the things Bay would eat.

  I half paid attention, thinking we’d find our own way. I wasn’t about to live on easy-mac and chicken nuggets. I was sure her eating choices were her mother’s hang-up and not Bay’s at all, but whatever. I played, pretending to listen to what she said, eyeing the shrimp up ahead.

  Kit left me with Bay to get a plate of her own once I had mine. Bay sat at the end of the table once again, looking at me like I was a total stranger. I was, and her mother was about to leave her with me. Foolish mistake.

  My eyes stayed locked with hers, bright green, staring up at me until all of a sudden, just out of the blue, she talked to me. I didn’t understand her words, but I understood the language.

  “Bay eeda moon aft to mile.”

  I laughed when her little finger pointed, and then snatched the piece of deep fried shrimp from my plate. “Good, you like seafood. You and I will get along just fine, right?”

  Bay crunched the breading and then dipped it into my cocktail sauce, baby spit and all.

  “Watch she doesn’t eat the tail,” Kit said as she slid into the booth across from me, salad and fruit as her meal.

  “I’m pretty sure she’d spit it out.”

  Kit shrugged, causing the side of her shirt to slide off her shoulder, revealing a thin pink strap that reminded me of our one-week-end stand. The memory of how her firm little breasts felt in my hands and between my lips came flooding back.

  “Stop, your daughter nursed out of those.”

  “What? No, don’t say stuff like that. Ugh, eat your radish.”

  Kit laughed and then Bay laughed, but I’m not sure why. It was fake like her mommy’s laugh and funny as hell. Bay was a little card and I found her to be a fascinating little creature. We spent our evening meal talking about her habits, what time she went to bed, her favorite movies and TV shows, everything Bay. And we talked to her. I talked to her, and the more she warmed up to me, the more I talked, wanting her to like me. Not only to ease Kit’s mind, but mine as well. Things would go a lot smoother if we liked each other, that was for damn sure.

  Bay started to stand in her chair about halfway through our meal, and she didn’t do well with listening.

  “No, Bay, sit. You have to stay in your seat.”

  Bay whined and her green eyes glossed over with tears, but she didn’t sit. She latched hold of my arm and wiggled her way right out. Of course, I picked her up. I couldn’t stand seeing the tears.

  “That will get you into trouble faster than you can blink. She’ll be the boss.”

  “You’re crazy. She’s not even two. Come on, Bay. Let’s go find something chocolate.”

  “Chocolate makes her hyper.”

  “A Reese’s Cup a day, keeps the doctor away,” I smirked while taking my child, heading to the desert bar in search of cake. Chocolate cake.

  “But not the dentists.”

  I rolled my eyes and walked away with Bay, filling a whole plate full of delicious goodies, all drizzled with hot fudge. If I was the one in control for the next year, I vowed to have a say in what she did. A little bit of chocolate now and then wouldn’t hurt anyone. Besides, she was my kid and I couldn’t check out at a store without a candy bar or two.

  Bay sat on my lap and I swear she ate half the desserts, one bite for me, one bite for her. And not once did Kit tell me to stop. She looked at me with that condescending glare, and not the sexy one either, but I didn’t care. I felt proud, and I loved that Bay was so easy to persuade. I planned to keep that information in the back of my mind for ammunition later on, a secret bribe.

  I spent more time chasing her once we got to the furniture store than anything. I handed the reigns to Kit, on the bed shopping. I would have bought a crib had she left it up to me. I still kind of wanted her to. She was too little to sleep in a big bed. What if she fell out?

  Bay was crazy. Like demon possessed crazy. She screamed in a high pitch shrill and ran from me when I ran after her, she climbed halfway up a bookshelf while I looked at a painting of a giraffe, and she somehow got the lid off of a bottle of hand sanitizer while I looked everywhere for Phil. I didn’t even know where she found the damn stuff. I covered the mess with a rug and scooped her up, kicking the empty bottle underneath a fancy white and gold bed.

  “Phil.”

  “I’m looking, kid. What did you do with him?”

  I finally found him, face down in the bottom of a giant vase. The one Bay had found the umbrella in. Kit was right. This kid was way too busy.

  “You gotta learn to chill out a little. It’s not good for your heart. Relax, okay?”

  My pep talk did absolutely nothing for her energy. I should have taken the job of picking out furniture. Bay was tiresome.

  Kit went from thinking I was a poor dumb boy with a guitar to thinking I had my shit together with money. I didn’t. Not really. I had a few bucks put back from busking in Nashville, and a small inheritance from my Grandma Sarah, thinking I might take a trip sometime in the future. Somewhere like Kit had in mind. Where elephants roamed the land, and the views were spectacular. Africa maybe. Regardless, I spent seventeen-hundred bucks on a bed, dresser, nightstand, and all the bedding with matching curtains. The same blue haired girl I had seen on a backpack was splattered all over everything, even the pink fuzzy pillow. Joy, I think was the name. Bay called her Oil.

  The ride home was no better. Her feet kicked the middle console, she sang some incoherent song, and then clapped for herself when she was done.

  “What’s wrong with her?” I finally asked, almost sure my baby was on crack.

  “You let her eat a gallon of sugar.”

  “For real? All this for a couple brownies and a few gummy bears?”

  “Yup, remember that.”

  “No shit. I will.”

  “Shit.”

  Kit ignored the clear language from the backseat, choosing to lecture me instead. “She gets very excited over raisins. She doesn’t really need the sugar and all the junk. You get what I’m saying?”

  “Yeah, totally.” I did get it. Bay was never eating chocolate again. Not with me anyway.

  “Your daddy’s just like you, Bay Berry Jandt, he has to learn things the hard way.”

  I sent a quick frown her way, hoping I didn’t hear what I thought I just heard. “You didn’t really give her that name, did you?”

  “I most certainly did. Don’t you love it? Tell me Bay Berry Jandt doesn’t sound like a famous country music singer.”

  Well, I couldn’t argue with that. I sounded it out in my head first and then out loud to Bay through the mirror, letting the words roll off my tongue, loving the sound of it. “Bay Berry Jandt.”

  “Bajorydent,” she mimicked, while both her little hands patted her head, assuring me that was her.

  A few hours with Bay and I was hooked for life. I internally debated on signing Kit’s affidavit promising to give her back, but I did. We talked more with mixed drinks by the pool while Bay played on the first two steps, up and down, in and out, naked. She wouldn’t leave her undies on for anything. Every time Kit tried, Bay squealed like a dying cat and ran.

  “Uhaveabat”

  “It’s not a bathtub, Bay. You have to wear panties.”

  “No.”

  “Well, that was plain,” I chuckled.

  “It’s not funny. You can’t let her run around naked,” Kit complained as she gave up, and joined me back to the edge of the pool, close enough to grab Bay if needed.

  “She’s a baby, nobody is out here, and she’s not hurting anything. I promise not to let her run around naked when it matters. Here
, Bay, want a cup?” I asked while tossing the red-solo-cup her way. She took it and sat on the second step, dumping water from the cup to the pool, over and over. At least it didn’t take much to keep her amused. I bumped Kit’s shoulder and handed her drink back, a smile meant for reassurance.

  “I can’t do it, Brantley. I can’t leave her here. A whole year? She learns new stuff daily. I won’t even know her by then.”

  “Yes, you will because we’re going to see you on my laptop every day. You can put her to bed every night.”

  “It’ll be like noon for me.”

  “She doesn’t know that. She’ll be fine, Kit.”

  “I’m not so sure it’s her I’m worried about.”

  “I’ll text you pics every day.”

  “You better, and record every milestone.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like the first time she says, fuck,” she whispered close to my ear.

  “I won’t say it in front of her anymore, but you can say it again.”

  “You’re such a kid.”

  “No, I’m a man and I have needs, and I haven’t met those needs since my life got flipped upside down, trying to find a house, a job, daycare. You could help me out.”

  “You’re really serious?”

  “Dead serious.”

  “No, we’re not doing that.”

  “Why? What’s the big deal?” I questioned, my hand sliding up the back of her shirt to her soft skin.

  Kit pushed my hand away and wiggled her body, and then told Bay not to drink the water. “We’re not having sex, Brantley.”

  “Tell me why. You didn’t have a problem spreading your legs for me when you didn’t even know me. We have a kid together and suddenly you’re too good for that?”

  Quiet fell upon us as Kit turned a somber expression to me. “I thought you would call me.”

  “Call you for what?” She blew out a puff of air and turned back to Bay, head shaking back and forth. “Never mind. It was silly.”

  “You thought there was more to it than that weekend?”

  She shrugged one shoulder, giving me my answer. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Kit, I thought you were just some horny girl from North Carolina, there to have a good time. I don’t date one girl. I’ll probably never do that.”