Free Boyfriend for Hire by Gail Chianese

doors.”
    Oh, crap .
    Alex stood, scooped up the baby, and grabbed Tomas’s hand. “Boys, let’s go inside and clean up. It’s time for you to settle down for the night.”
    “Well, see the thing is—”
    “You lied,” her father said.
    “I di—”
    “Tawny Maria-Isabella, you sat there and told me work was keeping you busy. Work is not keeping you busy. You haven’t worked at the bank in three weeks. Your friend Emma told me.”
    Thanks, Emma. Not that it was her fault. She hadn’t known Tawny would keep important information from her family.
    “I didn’t lie, I said it was keeping me busy and it is, job hunting.” Damn it, now she was on the defensive, and there was no reason for it. She wasn’t a sixteen year-old kid or even fresh out of college anymore. At twenty-eight, she lived her life her way and should not have to answer to her parents.
    Maybe that was how it worked for other people and for her in her dreams, but it wasn’t how it worked in this family. They meant well, she knew it in her heart, but they didn’t question her brothers’ decisions. Why must they question hers? If only she’d been offered the job at NE Event Solutions today.
    “Tawny, why didn’t you tell us? You could work at the restaurant,” George offered.
    If she answered truthfully, that she’d rather live on Top Ramen than depend on her big brother to save her, she’d be banned for life from his restaurant. She might not want to work there, but eating was a whole other story.
    “Thanks, George.” She shot him a quick smile. “But waitressing won’t pay my rent.”
    “You should move home.” Her mother finally spoke, voice soft yet firm.
    She kissed her mother’s cheek. “Thanks, Mama, but I’ll find another job. I’ll be fine. I didn’t get fired for any wrongdoing. The economy hit the bank, that’s all. They had to let someone go and, well, while I had seniority, Mark has a family to support.” The looks on her family’s faces said they thought she was full of it. “Trust me, with my degree and experience, I’ll be back to work in no time.”
    “It’s been three weeks, how are you going to pay your bills?” her father asked, his voice as gruff as a papa bear’s.
    “Come work at the restaurant,” George said.
    “I can probably hook you up with a job in Boston.” Mateo gave her a supporting grin. “You can bunk with me, I’ve got room.”
    “She is not moving to Boston. She will move here, home,” Mama said. “If you concentrated on finding a husband, you wouldn’t have to worry about finding a job.”
    And there it was, the lack of faith her family had in her to know what she was doing and that she could take care of herself.
    Looking skyward, she prayed for tempered words . . . and patience. “Dad, I have a finance degree. I know to put money away for this type of situation. George, I am never working for you. That would be as bad as moving home.” Oops. The words were no sooner out of her mouth than her brain clicked on and she realized what she’d said.
    “What’s wrong with our house? It was good enough to raise you kids in, but it’s not good enough for you now?”
    Her father’s words cut deep. She didn’t mean it the way it sounded, snide and unappreciative of the sacrifices they made for their children. Her father’s face flushed with anger. His eyes darkened with sorrow.
    “Dad, I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. You and Mama gave us a wonderful, beautiful home filled with love.” Tawny’s heart clenched at the disappointment written on her father’s face. “If I move home, I failed as the person you raised me to be. You both taught all of us kids to be strong and independent and to go after our dreams. Moving home means I gave up on my dreams. You don’t expect Mateo or Dante to ever move home, why me?”
    Her mother stood, gathered up the dirty dishes, and looked at her. “It’s different, they are men.”
    Her mother stalked off, letting the screen door slam