Powerball

This is the second chapter of this story and I would suggest reading chapter 1 first as this will probably not make much sense otherwise.

------------------------------Mike

The next morning I followed my usual routine, cup of coffee and then jogging. I had come to the conclusion that I had to work at keep our relationship business like. Avoiding becoming attached to another woman had been easy when I kept them at a distance. But, having Beth living in my home was different. There was no way to avoid contact. Finishing my run I found Lisa and her mother in the kitchen just like yesterday.

"Morning, ladies," I said coming through the door.

"Good-morning Mr. Mike," giggled Lisa.

"Uh, morning Mike," mumbled Beth.

I looked over at Beth and saw she looked tired as if she hadn't slept well last night, which she hadn't but I didn't know that. "Just gonna shower and then will be back down," I said trotting through the kitchen.

While I was showering I wondered if something was bothering Beth. Being an obtuse male I didn't realize it was due to my actions last night. I decided I would let her tell me in her own time. I finished my shower and returned to the kitchen where my plate was waiting. I took my seat and began to eat, occasionally glancing at Beth. She appeared to just sit there glumly picking at her food. I was determined not to force her to tell me what was bothering her. Instead I waited until I had finished and sat back.

"Beth? Now that you have accepted my help we need to get Lisa enrolled in school."

Lisa's eyes got big, "School?"

"Yes, young lady, school."

As I had said this I noticed Beth snap her head up to look at me.

Lisa then asked me. "Will I be going to the same school as Jeanie and Missy?"

"Yes, sweetie, you will. But, I can't promise you will be in the same class. We'll have to wait and see."

"Oh okay."

I looked back over at Beth and she was staring at me. "What?" I asked.

"Er, um, nothing it's just," she muttered then broke off.

"It's just what, Beth?"

"No, it's nothing. You're right Mike. Lisa does need to be in school." Having said that Beth got up and started clearing the table.

I stood and started to help. "I can do this Mike."

I decided this was as good a time as any to define our roles in the house as I saw them.

"Lisa, why don't you go outside and play with Suzy and Toby for a little while," I said.

Lisa looked at her mother who just nodded her head.

After Lisa had closed the door behind I asked Beth to please sit down.

"Beth, since we are going to be sharing this house until you feel you want to leave, I think we should discuss a few things. First, I do not expect you to be my maid while you are here. I would appreciate your help, and I may just be a clueless man but I am perfectly capable of doing my share of the chores too. That includes helping to clean up after a meal. Understood?"

"Yes, Mike."

"Second, let's discuss the sleeping arrangements." Beth's eyes flared wide open when I said this. Unperturbed I continued. "I put you and Lisa into the bed room you are in now. I'm sure you have noticed there are three bedrooms downstairs. The other two bedrooms are connected by a bathroom which they share. If you and Lisa would like to have your own room you can choose any room you like. I will leave that up to you."

I heard Beth's sigh of relief as she realized that I wasn't suggesting what she had initially feared.

"My rooms are upstairs and I will attend to them. We will share the downstairs. I expect you and Lisa to keep your room or rooms as you see fit clean. I will not enter your rooms. That is your private space. As for the common area I expect we will all do our part to pick up after ourselves. Are you agreeable with this?"

"Yes, Michael."

Again with the full name, and again I found it strangely nice when she said it. My ex, Jenny only called me that when she was angry at me. So far I was very proud of myself for keeping this on a detached professional level. Maybe, this would work out.

"Now we need to think about getting you employment so you and Lisa can become financially independent. Do you have any ideas about what you would like to do?"

"Well, I have worked in a store running a cash register and I worked as a waitress," she told me.

"Okay, that's a start. Is that all you feel you're are capable of, or do you want more?"

So far I was still feeling proud of my self for remaining detached and professional. I was acting with her like I had with some of my earlier employees when I felt they needed a little nudge. But when I asked Beth that last question, tears began to stream down her cheeks. Aw geez. I never did know how to cope with a woman crying.

"Of course I would like to have a better job than what I have had. But I only have a high school education and no one would ever hire me for anything better," she said forcibly through her tears.

Watching her tears flow I was becoming flustered. "Alright Beth, let me do some checking around and see what kind of jobs are available and then we will sit down and talk about it, okay," I said in a much softer tone.

Beth nodded dabbing at her eyes.

"Alrighty then, let's work together to clean up the kitchen," I said.

We both rose from our seats and in silence soon had everything put in its place. Still feeling guilty for having made Beth cry I excused myself with the excuse of needing to do some work in my office. Once ensconced in the sanctuary of my office I pondered what to do next. Having made Beth cry was totally unsettling. In my previous landscape business I was used to dealing primarily with men. The only female I had hired was the gal who was the office manager and she was a tough bird. She had to be to deal with all the men around her. I needed to talk to Mel.

I called the day care center and left a message asking my sister to call me when she had time to talk. I spent the next hour mindlessly playing sudoku games on my computer until my phone rang.

Like a drowning man grasping for a life preserver I grabbed the phone.

"Okay, little brother, what did you do that you need to talk to me while I'm working?"

"What? Can't I just call my big sister to hear her voice because I love her."

"Cut the crap, Michael."

"I made Beth cry and I feel lower than whale shit." I then told her about the conversation Beth and I had that morning and did she have any advice for me. Mel laid it straight on the line telling me that Beth wasn't one of my employees and I needed to be more sensitive. Then her tone softened.

"I will take some time off work tomorrow and meet you guys at the school so we can get Lisa registered. The vice principal is a friend of mine. I'm sure when we explain the situation to her she will do what she can for Lisa."

When our phone conversation was over I leaned back in my chair and thanked God for big sisters. Ever since my divorce she had been my savior several times over. I stayed in my office until lunch time before I ventured back down stairs. I found Beth and Lisa in the game room, Beth reading and Lisa watching TV.

"Are you guys ready for some lunch? How about sandwiches and soup," I blurted out.

"That sounds good," piped in Lisa.

Beth just nodded her head.

Lunch was rather awkward with few words exchanged between Beth and I. I did tell them about Mel meeting us at the school in the morning but had little else to say. I think Lisa noticed the tension because she would look first at me then at her mother. Once lunch was done we cleaned the kitchen and I returned to my office to take care of important business. Okay, I played sudoku games on the computer. Dinner that night was pretty much a repeat of lunch, just different food. Once again after cleaning up the kitchen I returned to my domain upstairs. I went to bed without going back down stairs. I just didn't know what to say.

The next morning I decided not to go jogging. Instead I went down and fixed breakfast for us. I could tell Beth was surprised when she came into the kitchen. Once again we had a fairly quiet meal just answering Lisa's questions about what we thought might happen when we got to her new school. After breakfast we all got into my truck and headed off to meet Mel. My sister had obviously called her friend the vice principal the night before as they were quickly ushered into her office. I opted to remain in the sitting area and count the ceiling tiles. Maybe an hour had passed when the outer door opened and I looked up to see my niece Jeanie come in. She spotted me and ran to give me a hug.

I looked at her with a cocked eyebrow. "And why are you being sent to the vice principals office young lady? Have you been misbehaving?"

Jeanie just giggled slapping me on the arm, "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Then she spun around and went into the inner office.

Another quarter hour passed and finally the door opened and out walked Jeanie and Lisa hand in hand. Lisa pulled Jeanie behind her to where I was sitting.

"Mr. Mike, I'm going to be in Jeanie's class. She's going to show me what to do," gushed Lisa.

"That's wonderful sweetie. I know Jeanie will take good care of you."

"Bye Uncle Mike. C'mon Lisa, it should be almost time for recess. We're gonna have so much fun," said Jeanie pulling Lisa by the hand out the door.

Another ten minutes passed before my sister and Beth came out of the vice principals office. Mel walked over to me and said, "Mike, Beth is coming with me to see where I work. I will drop her off this afternoon on my way home."

The way my sister had put it, this was a statement of fact. And I for one was not going to argue with her. With that both women left the office leaving me to stare at their departing backs. I then made my way out of the school to my pickup to drive back to the house. On the drive back I considered the situation I found myself in wondered what I could do to resolve the issues. One thing I did know is that things were uncomfortable between Beth and me. If this situation continued I would end up a recluse in the upstairs of my own home. I made up my mind then and there, that wasn't going to happen. It was my home. Dammit. I was not going to let anyone push me to that extreme.

------------------------------------Beth

Beth followed Mel to her car, relieved. She had been very apprehensive at the thought of having to ride back to the house alone with Mike. Even when she and Mike had been alone in the same room, Lisa had been nearby. She didn't really think Mike would do anything to her but she still didn't completely trust him. So far the men in her life had either abandoned or abused her, this left her wondering if she would ever be able to trust any man again.

During the ride to the daycare center the two women talked about the school. Mel filling Beth in on it's academics, extra curricular activities and the P.T.A. Beth was glad to learn this was one of the higher rated schools in the state. She really wanted Lisa to have a good education and dreamed of her attending college, something Beth had no chance to do.

Beth was impressed with the daycare center. It was housed in a nice sized building, with several rooms so children of the same age group could be cared for together. All the rooms were bright clean and cheerfully decorated. Each had an assortment of toys and educational games geared towards the appropriate age group in that room. Mel gave Beth a tour of the center, introducing her to the one or two ladies in each room. These were Mel's employees.

Beth noticed one room was empty of children and asked Mel about it. Mel told her that was for older children up to the age of eight who would come here after school until their parents got off work and picked them up. Beth noticed that the lady in the room with the infants was looking a little harried and volunteered to help change diapers and administer bottles. Mel smiled watching Beth. She could see she had a love of children with the care she gave each child. Offering her a position here could be good for both of them.

At lunch time Mel informed her employees that she was taking Beth to lunch. They went to a nice little cafe about a block away sitting across from each other in a booth. After placing their order Mel decided to broach the subject of Beth working for her.

"Well, Beth, what did you think about the daycare center?"

"Oh, I really liked it. You have done a wonderful job making it a great place for children. I can only imagine you get a lot of satisfaction taking care of all those kids."

Honestly, there are times when it can get very hectic, it's not the ideal job for everyone

but I do love it. And yes I do get a lot of satisfaction from it. I was watching you with the infants today, and was impressed at how well you handled it." Mel paused to let that sink in. "I was wondering if you would come to work for me?"

Beth's eyes flared. "Mike told you to do this, didn't he. To give me a job because he doesn't think I can get one on my own."

Mel smiled at Beth reached across the table and patted her hand. "No, Beth. Mike did not ask me to give me to give you a job. In fact he knows nothing about it. And before you ask, I am not being charitable either. The mother of one of my full time employees had a stroke and she has had to leave town to take care of her. The lady you met with the three to four years old agreed to help out for a couple days but she is not interested in a full time job. She does help me out by filling in sometimes when I'm short handed. I have watched you with Lisa, and again this morning jumping in and helping out with the infants. If you're interested I think you would be a natural at the job and I really do need the help."

Beth's eyes softened. "Mel, I don't know what to say."

"Beth, there is one more possible benefit that might interest you. After school my girls catch the bus which drops them off at the center which lets me keep an eye on them and spend more time with them too. Something I wouldn't normally be able to do if I worked almost any other job. If you came to work for me the Lisa could ride with my girls and stay at the center until your shift was over. And being an employee it wouldn't cost you anything. I know this is rather sudden and I can give you a day or two to consider it."

"No, no. I'll take the job. Oh thank you Mel. You don't know how much this means to me."

"Even though he had nothing to do with it, I think Mike will be pleased that you have found employment so quick," said Mel.

At the mention of Mikes name, Beth's face became somber again. "Yeah Mike. Well I just hope I'm around long enough to let me get back on my feet."

"Okay, spit it out. What's wrong?" Mel asked concerned.

"I don't think your brother is pleased with me. I think he is mad about how much money we spent,' replied Beth.

"Beth, trust me, Mike is not upset that we spent that money. Why would you think that?"

"Well, after you left last night he just came in the house and all he said was he was going to bed and left. And this morning he was polite enough I suppose but he just seemed very business like. I think he's regretting his offer to help me and Lisa."

"I know that money is not an issue. If he's acting strange it has to be something else, and I have an idea what it may be. Let tell you a bit about my brother. If you are going to be staying at his home you should know something about him. You see, you and my brother have more in common than you think," said Mel.

"What could we have in common?" asked Beth. "He's rich, lives in a beautiful home, and has the love of you and your family. I'm homeless, penniless, and all I have is Lisa. But, I do thank God every day for giving her to me."

"What you have in common is you have both been betrayed by people you loved. When Mike was a senior in high school he started dating a girl in his class. He was really taken with her and had hopes they could have a future together. Until the day he found her in bed with his supposed best friend. Mike was so upset that as soon as he graduated he joined the Marines. He told me later that he just had to get away for a while and the military seemed like an easy way out. Mike served for four years then returned home. He used the G.I. bill to help pay his way through college.

"Mike studied horticulture in school and to pay some of his expenses bought some lawn equipment and started doing landscape maintenance in his spare time. All his life he has been honest and dedicated in everything he has done. Word of mouth of how well he did his job brought him more requests for service than he had time for, so being resourceful, he invested more of his money and hired a helper. After a while he had hired another, and by the time he was a junior he had eight people working for him and a thriving small business. It was near the end of his junior year he met Jenny."

Beth's eyes raised in surprise at the venom in Mel's voice as she said the name Jenny.

She listened as Mel went on to tell how Mike and Jenny dated until he graduated and they married. Then she went on relating how Mike had won the lottery and came home only to find his wife walking out on him.

Mel continued, "So for the first year he was here he was tied up in building his home. I figured he needed time to get over Jenny. I didn't push him then but after he was living in his new house I started trying to get him to go out. He flatly refused. Only occasionally would he go anywhere with George and I, and when he did he made it known to any female that showed him attention that he was not interested. Believe me there are a lot of interested women. Mike is a handsome man and well off too. Like I said, you do have something in common. You both have been betrayed and you both feel like you can't trust the opposite sex. I know that doesn't explain the problem you think Mike might have with you but it should give you some insight about him. I do know my brother and I will promise you this. He would never knowingly do anything to hurt either you or Lisa."

Beth nodded her head and sat back to think over the things that Mel had told her. Mel was right, it didn't seem to explain the vibes she thought she felt from Mike but it did make her appraise him in new light. If his motives were truly unconditional and he expected nothing in turn, then he must be truly noble to help out a woman and her child, when he himself did not trust women. And although she had tried to avoid thinking it, Mel was right. Her brother was a handsome man.

After lunch the two women returned to the center where Beth filled out her new hire paper work and then joined in taking care of the children.

Lisa was thrilled to ride the bus with Jeanie and Missy to the daycare center and then ecstatic when her mother told her she was working there Lisa and would be riding the bus everyday with her new friends.

It was just after five that afternoon when Mel called her brother.

-------------------------------Mike

Instead of going straight home after Mel had left the school with Beth, I went to the cafe for a coffee and ran into Jim Henley. I sat with him talking about the property I had bought from him. He was interested to hear about all the improvements I had made. I invited him to come by and see for himself, and he accepted. We paid for our coffee and he followed me over. I gave him a tour of the house and then we went down to the cove to look at the boat dock. He was truly impressed by all I had had done. He left shortly before noon saying his wife was expecting him home for lunch.

I went back to the house and fixed myself a sandwich and grabbed a bag of chips and a soda and went up to my office. After eating I turned on my computer and took care of important business. Yeah right, okay, I played sudoku. Couple hours of that was all I could take so I went for a long walk with the dogs. I returned to the house a little after four and decided to start prepping for dinner. I wanted to have dinner ready for Lisa after her first day of school.