“She’s a bitch, isn’t she?” That was Jasper’s voice. “You don’t have to answer that. I know what you’re thinking. Can’t figure out why you’re here working for her when you could work so many other places. That face—it could get you in many doors.”

I finished wiping up her spilled drink from the floor and stood up to face him. “I hope I never have to use my face to get a job. And this job is just fine. It covers my needs and my feelings aren’t hurt easily.” I hoped that was the right thing to say.

He studied me. That made me nervous as I waited for him to respond. It seemed much longer than the seconds it took. “You want this job then?”

“Yes.”

He shrugged and sighed. “Fine. She’s hard to deal with. If you can handle her, then you’ll do. You handled last night like a fucking champ. I was impressed.”

Portia never complimented me. I wasn’t sure if a thank you was appropriate or not. “I was doing my job.”

Jasper chuckled. “Yeah. I guess you were,” was his response, then he walked out the door heading toward the pool house. I watched as he said something to Winston, who laughed, and I stopped to watch that. Winston laugh. All I had ever seen was his serious face. And the disinterested way he looked down on all around those him. I hadn’t seen him smile. His face that was stunning with a scowl became almost angelic with a smile.

Shaking my head, I stopped admiring him and went to the kitchen. I had my list in there for the things I needed to do today. Staring at Winston wasn’t one of them.

BY THE NEXT MORNING, NO one remained at the pool house but Jasper. The others had left last night. I’d seen their expensive cars drive away. I wasn’t sure if they would return or if Jasper would be moving into his bedroom. I did know that today I had to clean the pool house. He’d told me not to worry about it yesterday but to come back after nine in the morning and give it a heavy cleaning. He would also leave a grocery list for me.

I watched him walk out at eight-thirty this morning, dressed in a suit with his messy blond hair brushed, and I had to admit he was stunning. He didn’t look like a CEO. He looked like a GQ magazine cover model. But he was obviously going to work somewhere. I wasn’t sure if they had offices in Savannah. Apparently, Van Allen Industries had something here.

I heard the sound of heels clicking on the marble floor and knew Portia was walking my direction. I finished cleaning the glass doors just as she entered the room.

“They’re all gone. You need to get out there now and clean that place. Make it spotless. Give him no reason to complain. He’ll look for something. Give him nothing. Now go,” she said with a wave of her hand. It made me feel like a dog she was shooing away.

I went as commanded to the pool house, disregarding Jasper had said to wait until nine o’clock. He had just left so I figured I was safe. Besides, if Portia continued to treat me like an unwanted pet, I was liable to defend myself and make her angry at me. She didn’t want me to be let go. That much was obvious. Again, it made me wonder how she knew my mother, and why she was helping me now. Nineteen years of my life, and not once had I met or even heard of Portia Van Allan.

When I had introduced myself to Portia, I hadn’t been brave enough to press or ask for information. At the time, I was grateful that I’d been given the option to take care of Heidi. It was a mystery why the more she did for Heidi and me, the more she worried about Jasper letting me go. It made me wonder what it was my mother had done for Portia to deserve this kind of payment.

The pool was tranquil with the morning sun glistening on its shimmering, dark blue depths. Without the pool area covered in people it was nice out here. Living and working at this house wasn’t all that bad. It wasn’t home. I didn’t feel welcome exactly. But things could be so much worse.

Momma had always told me, “Someone else has it much worse than you. Never feel sorry for yourself. You’re alive. That’s enough to be thankful for.” I had lived by that rule. I still did. It was what kept me sane. It was where I found joy when it seemed there was no reason to be happy. Was my life ideal? No. Was anyone’s? No. Everyone had bad things happen. Loss was a part of our walk on this earth.

I resisted the urge to bend down and run my fingers over the smooth surface of the water. Portia was no doubt watching to make sure I went to work like she’d demanded. I hurried to the pool house ready to conquer whatever mess was left for me. I could imagine all kinds of nasty after that party.

When I opened the door to see a perfectly neat living area, I paused. This wasn’t nasty at all. Or messy. Sure, the entire place needed some sweeping, mopping, and dusting, but the place wasn’t littered with empty beer bottles, food or condoms—which was what I had mentally prepared myself for. I had even expected to find a naked girl lingering.

I hadn’t expected a tidy pool house. Not even close.

There was no possible way this place had remained neat during that party. Someone had straightened up. taken out the trash, picked up the dirty towels, and apparently loaded the dishwasher—it was full, but the dishes were clean.

A note written in neat handwriting was on the bar. The list was for grocery items, just like Jasper had said there would be. I didn’t expect him to be someone that picked up after himself much less others. This neat freak didn’t fit into what I’d thought him to be. I guess I’d been a little judgmental. Jasper Van Allan was a stranger to me. I had no business assuming the worst about him when I didn’t know him.

I folded up the list and tucked it into my pocket for later. Then I began pulling out the cleaning supplies that Jasper had told me I’d find under the kitchen sink. The mop and broom would be in the back closet by the bathroom. Surprisingly, the supplies were very organized.

“Jasper said you wouldn’t be out here until nine.” Winston’s voice startled me, causing me to squeal as I spun around holding a spray bottle of cleaner.

“Oh!” was all I managed to say. It was one of those moments where you recognize the voice, but you didn’t know they were in the vicinity so you can’t help your startled response.

Winston cocked an eyebrow as if he was observing an idiot. I wished I could cock one eyebrow right back at him. “I thought the place was empty,” I said defensively.

“And I thought you wouldn’t be here until nine,” he repeated.

Not that I had to explain myself to him, but I did anyway. “Portia saw Jasper leave and sent me out earlier than anticipated. She wanted me to have plenty time to clean the place.” I glanced around. “She obviously expected it to be in much worse shape.”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he walked to the door and picked up a set of keys that were on the table there. Without a word, he left. Not that he had to tell me goodbye or talk to me at all, but it was rude. Cold even. As if I were not important enough for parting words. Jerk.

Jasper was the opposite—he was nice. He wasn’t rude. At least not like that. He could be hard at times but I understood he was angry with his mother. To others he seemed fun, polite, kind. Why he was friends with Winston, I had no idea. Nothing about Winston whatever-his-last-name-was remotely resembled Jasper. Except of course, their bank accounts.

I shook him and his behavior from my thoughts. Instead, I focused on my daydreams of going to nursing school one day while I cleaned. I focused on how I would get a job and afford to take care of Heidi on my own. How I would make my mother proud as she watched us from the clouds. All those things kept me humming a tune and enjoying the peace while I worked.