Page 14 of Timelessly Ours
“Oh, is she coming?”
Darn it. I hadn’t thought about that. But Angel does technically still have a room here. What if she stops by before I get a chance to come up with something? “I’m not sure. Maybe.”
I hear the babysitter with the red streaks chuckle. “Rory, I don’t think she’s here for your sister. I think she’s here for your da—”
I straighten and pin her with an icy gaze. “What’d you say your name was?”
She folds her arms defiantly and cocks her head. “Don’t worry, he’s too old for me,” she assures me.
“Her name is Kathy,” Rory responds with added disgust to the name.
I smile brightly. “Kathy, maybe you should spend more time touching up those roots than making inappropriate comments.”
She shrugs. “I never said anything. Rory, take your shoes off.”
“No.”
This is a common word from the defiant little daredevil before me.
“Rory, I said take them off now. You’re tracking dirt everywhere and it’s not like you have a mother to clean up after you.”
Rory’s face falls and my jaw hardens. I’m still not entirely well but I don’t remember blurred vision being a hangover symptom.
Cool it, Nicky, she can’t be more than seventeen.
I bend to my little friend. “Rory, why don’t you go take out all your favorite toys and I’ll come play with you in a minute.”
“All of them?”
“Just go on and lay them all out on the carpet. I’ll grab a juice box for you. Oh, but take your shoes off…wouldn’t want those toys getting dirty.”
The little girl scurries off to the other room and I pin my I don’t give a shit who you are gaze at the only real brat in the house.
“What did you say?” I demand, steady and hushed.
Kathy has the gall to roll her eyes at me. “Look, she can be a little bratty, she needs to be reminded that her dad isn’t going to clean up her mess.”
I push a chair under the counter to eliminate any barricade between us and step forward. “Look around. Does it look like he’s struggling to keep the place in order?”
“It looks like—” She looks over my shoulder and her expression softens as she steps back, defensively. “Alright, I’m sorry, I was just leaving. You don’t need to threaten me.”
I jerk. “What? No one was—”
“Nicole!”
I freeze and twist my head back to glance at Coach. His eyes full of question and warning, but I ignore it. Turning back, I smirk at player number two. “Nice. I suppose you’re going to stumble out of here acting like I’ve scared the living lights out of you?” I make a motion with my hands as if shooing away a stray cat. “Well go on then.”
Kathy holds her hands up and starts backing up. “Fine. I’ve had about enough anyway. I could take the girl but if you’re going to be hanging around here, I quit.”
“Kathy, wait.” Royce goes after her and I clench my teeth that he’s buying into her bullshit. But instead of trying to get her to reconsider, he hands her two large bills.
“But… I didn’t finish off the week.”
“Until you find something else,” he mutters and thanks her.
I ignore the glare he gives me across the hall and turn on my heel. As promised, I go back into the kitchen and grab the juice box for Rory from the pantry.
“Nicole,” Royce starts sternly.