Page 101 of Making the Save
“You didn’t listen to any of my messages?”
I growled, a get-to-the-fucking-point growl.
“So I’m babysitting-”
“What now?” I howled with laughter.
“Just listen asswipe, I’m babysitting an old friend’s daughter.”
“Jesus Christ, only you, Liam.”
“What? She needed a favor and I'm helping her out. It’s what I do.”
“Except the media now thinks she’s your kid. Because of that shit that happened last time?”
“Exactly. But here’s the thing, Kit’s saying all this stuff-”
“Kit?” I asked. I only knew of one Kit in Liam’s life. “Geezus Liam, tell me you’re not talking about Kit Barrington, the daughter of the man who fleeced you.”
“Uh… I may or may not have hired her to be the nanny.”
I wanted to throw the phone, but I needed it to yell at him.
“Liam!” I shouted. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
“I needed help! And she owed me. Plus, you and your famous marriage aren’t helping things. I’ve got paparazzi swarming all over me.”
That wasn’t my fault. The paparazzi were all over him anyway, but I imagine after Sydney and I got hitched and then disappeared, he would get a little more heat.
“I’m sorry,” I said, and rubbed my forehead. “But Kit Barrington? Is this smart?”
My brother never said a bad word about anyone. Even referees. But the way he talked about Kit Barrington and her dad stealing his money, made it clear that hehatedher. He went out of his way to be mean to the woman and Liam wasn’t mean to anyone.
“It’s all right, Wy,” he said. “But just so you know, I’m in Calico Cove until Tess’s mom gets back. Nick hates me by the way, and Kit…” he trailed off.
“Don’t,” I said, because there was something in his silence that saidI’m fucking the con artist’s daughter. “Don’t tell me you’re fucking that con artist’s daughter.”
“Well, technically she’s the nanny.”
“Liam!”
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he cried. “I’m fucking up all over the place and I could use my big brother to come and bail me out.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve got my own problems,” I said, thinking of the tiny fairy in the house, who was clearly freezing me out because I was an idiot last night.
“Is one of your problems Dad? He said he was going up to the cabin to meet Sydney. I tried to stop him.”
“Not hard enough,” I said and Liam laughed. Shit. I left Syd alone in there with Dad. He could be telling her anything. “Hey, I gotta go. Try not to fuck up too bad and I’ll get there when I can.”
“No promises. And hey, you know I was joking around about fucking my girlfriend, right? I like Syd,” he said. “More than that, I like who you are when you’re around her.”
Yeah. That was the problem. I liked who I was around her too. It’s just too bad it wasn’t going to last.
“Thanks,” I said. “Also, don’t make a mess with Nick.”
“I’m trying,” Liam said. “But he’s not making it easy.”
Less than an hourlater I was shutting up the cabin. I didn’t have to turn the water off in the summer, but I made sure everything else was off.