Love Rents A Room
Chapter 66: An Unfamiliar Task

Chapter 66: An Unfamiliar Task

"Who? JD?"

The moment she said his name, her face lit up—so naturally, so effortlessly, that Liam nearly lost his grip on the glass.

"He’s good," she said with certainty. "I want to keep him here for a long time, possibly to manage my company. He’s good at managing and I want to spend more time in the farm."

Liam nearly choked on his drink.

"Manage your company?" he repeated slowly.

Joanne nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Yeah. I think he’d be perfect for it."

Liam stared at her.

That wasn’t just business talk.

There was something else in her voice, in the way she said it. She wanted to keep him close—not just as an employee.

Liam exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "I don’t know what it is about that guy, but..." He trailed off, deciding against finishing that sentence.

Joanne sighed, her mood shifting as she leaned against the counter. "I just feel bad for these kids," she admitted. "I want to but can’t keep them here for longer. Not when that psychopath is still out there... It’s... Ian’s sister has more than enough to raise three more kids, but she doesn’t want to. How much does it really take to feed and clothe three more kids?"

Liam watched her silently.

He had heard about her struggles with the foster system. He knew she had been turned away, deemed ’unsuitable’ simply because she wasn’t married. It was a cruel irony—someone with the means and the heart to care for children being denied because of a technicality.

And now, she was being forced to let go of them.

Before he could say anything, the toddler stirred, a soft cry escaping her tiny lips.

Joanne gently attended to the child, soothing her by rocking and singing a lullaby.

Liam took one last sip of lemonade before walking outside, just in time to see the Chevelle roll back into the driveway.

JD stepped out, stretching, his expression content.

Around him, the farmhands had gathered, admiring the vehicle with awe.

Liam, however, wasn’t looking at the car.

His eyes were on JD.

Something gnawed at the back of his mind, a flicker of a memory that refused to fade.

Jeffrey Winchester.

That redheaded, green-eyed boy.

The one Joanne had been willing to marry without so much as a second glance.

He had dismissed it before. But now...

Liam’s mind whirled as he stared at JD.

His hair—dark auburn with hints of red in the sunlight. His eyes—green that sometimes appeared brown.

He recalled seeing kids’ hair and eye colors shift as they grew. It was a natural process, science confirmed. Hair could darken with age due to increased melanin, while childhood blue eyes often shifted to green or hazel as melanin developed.

Not to mention his appearance; he was young then, and puberty often changed boys into unrecognizable men.

A hint of doubt crept into his heart.

Could it be... him?

His jaw clenched. He took a slow step forward.

"Tomorrow, our Junior Softball League starts," he said casually, watching JD’s reaction. "The whole town will be there. You ever play any sports?"

JD turned to him, brow slightly raised. He seemed to hesitate before answering. "Lacrosse and sailing... Played a little tennis too."

Liam scoffed, forcing out a laugh.

"Oh, Mr. Pompous," he chuckled.

But inside, his grip tightened.

Of course... Lacrosse, sailing, tennis...

Sports of the uber-wealthy.

Sports of the Winchesters.

Liam exhaled sharply, his jaw ticking.

If this was really him... then what the hell was he doing here? Was Joanne totally unaware of this?

But nothing was sure and he left in deep thoughts.

JD stared at Liam, waiting for a reaction, for some kind of explanation. But before he could say a word, Liam turned on his heel and left abruptly.

JD frowned. What was that about? And why had Liam suddenly cared about what sports he played? It wasn’t like he didn’t know what softball was. It was such a weird conversation...

Shaking off the unease, JD stepped into the house, only to be immediately ambushed by Joanne, who was feeding the toddler. "Here, talk to her softly," she said, and before JD could so much as process what was happening, she was handing him the tiny human in her arms.

JD had never held a baby before. Never been this close to one.

And yet, here he was—arms stiff, heart pounding, holding the tiniest human being he had ever seen.

Her wide blue eyes blinked up at him, her tiny fingers stuffed in her mouth, her delicate body weightless in his hands. He barely dared to breathe.

What if he dropped her? What if she started crying? What if she just... exploded or something? Babies were unpredictable, weren’t they?

"Joanne..." His voice came out strangled as he tried to pass the baby back. "I... I really don’t think I should—"

"Just talk to her softly," Joanne said, completely ignoring his distress as she checked her phone. "I need to take the kids to the doctor after lunch."

Talk? To a baby? About what? The stock market? The weather? How utterly unqualified I am for this?

JD hesitated before awkwardly lowering his voice. "Uh... hi?"

The baby kept staring. Unblinking.

JD gulped. His arms were starting to ache from holding her at arm’s length, so he reluctantly pulled her closer to his chest. The warmth of her tiny body seeped through his shirt, unfamiliar yet... oddly grounding.

He tried again. "So... what’s up?"

The baby blinked. Slowly.

He sighed. He had no idea what he was doing. He paced into the kitchen, hoping—praying—Joanne would take her back, but she was moving about, busying herself with this and that, deliberately ignoring him.

He frowned. Did she do this on purpose?

His arms ached more. Giving up, JD sat on the couch, adjusting the baby on his lap. She didn’t fuss or cry. Just kept watching him, studying him, as if he was the strange one here.

JD found himself staring back.

Her little features were delicate, her hair soft and wispy. She was so small, yet she carried an odd weight—a presence. She had already been through more than she should have at her age, yet here she was, just existing.

And then, without warning, she leaned her head against his chest.

JD froze.

His heart gave an unexpected jolt, a foreign warmth creeping into his ribs. She just... trusted him. Just like that. No questions asked.

Carefully, almost hesitantly, he patted her head. Her hair was impossibly soft beneath his fingers.

She sighed, a tiny, sleepy sound. And then, just like that, she drifted off to sleep, her tiny body curling against him.