She stopped in her driveway, and for a split second, she wanted to escape the responsibilities waiting for her inside. She was so tired of doing everything herself. Just once, she wished she had someone to lean on, to share her problems with instead of constantly worrying about the decisions she was making. Gathering her purse, she locked her car.

 As she was unlocking her front door, she heard a motorcycle roar past. Willa paused, seeing Lucky ride by on the main street. Envying him his freedom, she went inside.

 “All done?” Willa asked Rachel, who was sitting at the table with Sissy.

 “Just finished.” Rachel closed the laptop before rising to her feet.

 “I appreciate you keeping an eye on the children while I went out.”

 “I’m happy to help.” Rachel grinned at her. “Sissy is almost caught up with her work. A couple more sessions and she should be good for the rest of the school year.”

 “Let me know how much I owe you—” Willa began.

 “Don’t be ridiculous.” Rachel shook her head. “I enjoy working with Sissy. Since Cash built me a lab at the factory, I spend too much time buried in my work.”

 “Cash is like a different man since he’s married you.”

 Rachel’s face glowed with happiness. “I never thought that he’d settle down and make such a wonderful husband.”

 Willa reached out without thought, giving Rachel a hug. Rachel gave her a strange look when she released her.

 “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you voluntarily touch someone.”

 Willa blushed.

 “I better be going.” Rachel picked up her laptop. “Sissy, I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

 All Rachel received in response was a curt nod.

 As soon as the door closed behind her, Willa began straightening the living room, expecting Sissy to give her the silent treatment as she went to her room.

 “Why did you wait for Rachel to get here before you left?” Her tone alerted Willa to the fact that Sissy was angry.

 “I didn’t want to leave Chrissy, Charlie, and Caroline unsupervised,” she explained.

 “I could have watched my cousins,” she snapped.

 “I won’t leave them alone with you again until I’m sure you will watch them closer than you did the last time,” Willa explained.

 Sissy stood, her hands clenching into fists. “You fat bitch, they’re my family, not yours. As soon as I turn eighteen, I’ll get custody of them and take care of them myself.”

 Willa wished she could become immune to the insults Sissy was constantly giving her, but the fact was each hurt as much as the first one she had given the night she had brought the children home.

 “Do you seriously believe that Child Services will give you the children? You don’t even have a job to support them.” Willa tried to make the girl see reason.

 “I’ll find one when I graduate.”

 “Really? Because I haven’t seen you lift a hand to so much as load the dishwasher. You think you will be able to find a job that will give you the finances to support the five of you in a town filled with unemployed workers?”

 “If you can do it, I can.” Her arrogance was dooming Sissy to failure.

 “Sissy, I’m working before you get up in the morning and long after you go to sleep. If you have the motivation, then you can accomplish your goal, but you’re going to have to have a bigger motivation than trying to hurt me.”

 “Sorry I’m not going to kill someone so that I won’t be a lonely, old hag. Do you think giving them a home to live in is going to make up for murdering their father?”

 Despite herself, Willa couldn’t hide her wince. “I think you should go to bed.”

 “I’m going.” Sissy stomped to the stairway in a teenage snit that had her believing she was right and everyone else was screwed up. “Willa, the next time you go out, I’ll watch the kids.” Her hands were clenched by her sides when she made her demand.

 “No, Sissy, you won’t. It’s not about proving you’re capable of watching them or that you can make me give in to you; it’s about their safety.”

 “Are you saying they aren’t safe with me?” she spat at her hatefully.

 “I’m saying I won’t take the chance with their safety,” she countered.

 “I’m going to prove you wrong. I’ll make sure we’re here only long enough for me to turn eighteen.”

 “Go for it, Sissy. Prove me wrong. No one will be on your side, cheering you on as much as me.”

 Sissy’s mouth tightened into a sneer. “I hate you!”

 “I love you,” Willa replied, listening to the girl run up the steps and slamming her bedroom door.

 “Lord, give me the strength to deal with her pain. Can my life become any more difficult?” she mumbled the question out loud to herself as she straightened the couch cushions.

 Loud music blared down the steps.

 “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Chapter 6

 A knock sounded at the door as Willa was placing a cake in the oven. Using a dish towel, she wiped the powdered sugar from her fingertips as she went to answer it.

 “I’ve got it.”

 Willa watched as Sissy came down the steps, dressed in a short skirt and cream tank top. Sissy opened the door, revealing a young man Willa wished she didn’t recognize.

 “Hey, Sissy, you ready?” Jace asked, his eyes going over Sissy’s trim body appreciatively.

 Before she could answer, Willa broke in. “Where are you going?”

 Sissy rolled her eyes at Jace before she answered. “We’re going to a movie. I’ll be back later.”

 “I’ll expect you by ten,” Willa stated firmly.

 Sissy brushed past Jace, leaving without either confirming or denying she would keep her curfew.

 “I’ll have her back by ten,” Jace promised before following after the headstrong girl.

 “Thanks,” Willa said, closing the door after them.

 Returning to the kitchen, she continued with her baking. She had several orders to complete tonight so they could be delivered in the morning.

 She worked steadily until she had frosted the last order of two dozen cupcakes for a birthday party. Closing the pretty pink box, she glanced at the clock, frowning when she saw the time—ten forty-five.

 “So much for Jace’s promises.” Biting her lip, she went to her living room window, looking outside at the empty street.

 Taking her cell phone out of her pocket, she called Sissy’s phone. When she didn’t answer, she called Drake, Jace’s father.

 “Hello.”

 “I’m sorry to disturb you, Drake, but are Jace and Sissy there?”

 “No, Jace isn’t here. Why would Sissy be here?” he said sharply.

 “They went out earlier tonight. I asked Sissy to be home by ten, and she’s not home yet.”