They spent a few hours making a list and talking. Mack brought in sandwiches and chips for them for lunch, so they had a picnic on the floor. After they ate, Lacey’s daddy came to get the three. Kaylin hugged the girls, and they promised to come back in the next few days. She stared at the door.
“Baby, let’s talk,” Jace said.
She turned to look at him and nodded. This was one of the things she dreaded the most, and she just wanted to get it over with. There was a bit of hope that if the girls could look past her impairment, maybe the guys could, too.
Jace held a hand out to her, and she reached for it. He pulled her into Mack’s office, sat in one of the chairs in front of Mack’s desk, and pulled her onto his lap. Mack came over and turned the other chair to face them.
“Mack told me you can’t read or write. Is that true?”
She nodded and looked down at her lap.
Mack set a hand on her thigh. “Tell us.”
“I was diagnosed with dyslexia in kindergarten.”
“Did anyone do anything to help you?” Jace asked.
She nodded. “The teachers did over the years. Because of them, I was able to finish school and graduate.”
Jace stroked her back. “I’m so glad you had them.”
“Me, too.” She’d often thought about what she would have done if she hadn’t had good teachers.
“What did you do after graduation?” Mack asked.
“I got a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant. It’s the only place I didn’t have to read or write anything.”
“What happened?” Jace asked.
“I got fired.”
“Why?” Mack asked.
“He gave my job to his nephew,” she said.
Mack scowled. “Is that what caused your parents to kick you out?”
Kaylin could tell that Mack was angry at the thought because of the muscle twitch in his jaw.
“Yes. I was giving them most of my check each time for rent, and when I couldn’t find another job, they got angry.”
She felt the waves of anger that built in the room and patted Jace’s arm. “They’re not nice people, but I’ve survived so far.”
She saw the men glance at each other and wondered at their expressions.
“Are you ready to go home, sweetheart?” Jace asked.
She nodded. Would this be the reason the men turned her away? She rubbed her eyes wearily. She never felt like she got enough sleep. When she was on the streets, she never really slept because she was always fearful. With these guys, she felt safer than she ever had, so she was hoping she’d get the rest she needed.
Now, she wondered how long it would last.
Chapter Eight
Jace pulled up to the house, and the three walked into the kitchen and started making dinner. Even though they were running into each other, Jace never had so much fun cooking. It was also very nice to be able to put his hands on Kaylin.
He and Mack had discussed getting her used to them and decided to take every chance they got to touch her. They didn’t want to overwhelm her because there were two of them, but they wanted her to get used to their caresses.
Jace watched Kaylin as she ate. He could tell she was tired and thought they should put off the conversation they wanted with her until she was rested. It would give them more time to gather information on dyslexia. So far, they’d found some ideas that might work with her, but they had to consult with a few people first and get her tested to see how bad hers was. There was still a lot to learn, but they’d do whatever they could to help her.