Chapter 5
Fresh Snow
Fur-lined gloves
Face Masks
Mount Macon
Happy Giggles
Comforts from Home
Iwatched through the blinds as the black truck came to a stop along the curb in front of the house.
Butterflies shot off like rockets in my chest, flittering down to my stomach.
I hadn’t been able to stomach a single thing this morning because of how nervous I was.
Like hell was I about to confess this to Liam last night, but I hadn’t ever actually babysat anyone before.
I hadn’t lied about the CPR training, but that was to become a surfing instructor.
We did cover kids, even babies in the coursework…
but entertaining children? I didn’t know the first thing about it.
But I wouldn’t admit it to him though.
Deep down there was a loneliness that clawed at my soul and gnawed at my hope, always taunting that no one loved me.
That no one wanted me. Some days I gave in, and other days I chose to believe that I just hadn’t found the people who needed my love yet.
Obviously, my family didn’t need it, but someone out there might.
Today was one of those days. I was fighting on the inside.
On the outside, I chose to show a lighter side of myself, with a floral halter dress, open-toed heels, and my hair in bouncy ringlets down my back, I attempted to hide the war I was battling within myself.
And who couldn’t be happy wearing the largest sun hat I owned, it screamed happiness.
The girls clomped up the stairs with their heavy snow boots and then knocked on my door. I couldn’t help but smiling as I swung it open and took in their expressions.
Each one gaped as they took in my appearance.
“You look like a princess!” Mila gasped as she was being carried by her father.
I watched, smiling down as the girls took off their coats and boots.
I finally let my eyes drift to Liam’s. Standing tall and outrageously handsome in a black suit, his gaze was unreadable, his brow furrowed.
His lips slightly parted as if he had gasped along with the girls, and that jaw of his was clenched as if he’d just chewed on glass.
I felt like I did the first time he’d inspected me in the diner, like I wanted to squirm right out of my skin.
Finally, Liam walked past me while muttering a curse under his breath.
“Um…” I brought my fingers together, suddenly unsure if he was okay with this arrangement. “If you’d prefer Cole be here, I’m sure he can come over.”
Liam’s face snapped up.
“No. Why?”
I tried to hide my blush. “Never mind.”
His lips tugged down into a frown before turning back to the kids.
“Be good. Listen. No fighting. Eat the lunch she prepares.” He looked at each girl sternly. Each one nodded as if they’d heard this a million times.
“I love you.” His voice cracked the slightest bit as he leaned in to kiss the tops of each of their heads. They all waved to him and then Maddy had the remote for the television in her hand and was navigating Nora’s Netflix account.
Walking back over to the foyer with Liam, I waited for him to give me a few more instructions.
“Okay, you have my cell number?” He patted his pockets as if to make sure he had his phone.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“None of them have allergies. Mila will tell you she can’t eat salad, or peas, but she can.”
That was cute but wouldn’t be a problem today.
“Are you ok with me taking them out, or would you prefer I don’t?” I wasn’t sure I’d take them anywhere, but just in case, I wanted to be sure I had his blessing.
Liam considered it for a second, tugging out his cell to inspect a message or email.
“Yeah, just get the extra booster from Colson. He has one in his truck.”
Shit, that must be for Mila…right?
“Do they all need one, or just Mila?” Seraphina was pretty light and not very tall for her age. What are the weight requirements for children these days?
Liam chuckled at that, giving me a smile. “Just Mila.”
My face flushed the slightest bit, assuming everyone must know that.
“Look, if there’s any issues, just ask Colson…he’s with them almost as much as I am.” Gray eyes looked me up and down as he finished, moving to the porch. Before he was off the first step, he turned toward me once more.
“You smell like some kind of flower. Don’t know which one, but it smells good.”
I followed him to the banister, curling my fingers around it as my brows dipped.
“What?”
He was a little further down the path when he turned again.
“You heard me cursing. Wasn’t mad at you, just really liked how you smelled.”
His strong jaw clenched once before turning again, and heading to his truck.
The smile cresting my lips couldn’t be rivaled. A compliment? I didn’t even think he was capable of—
“Rich people can afford the best shit. Must be nice not to have to worry about real life problems like rent or the cost of gas,” he called as he rounded his rig and tugged on the door.
My mouth parted as shock settled in my core, and he drove away.
Holy shit, that was so… He was so—there was a burning behind my eyes that was common when my brothers would say something like that to me.
When they’d say I didn’t do anything all day but spend Daddy’s money, even though I was out there working my ass off, doubling his money because I was smart and good with hustling the shit out of wealthy businessmen.
Returning inside, I saw the girls and realized that Liam never explained Mila’s appearance or why she looked like she’d just rolled out of bed.
Her hair was a rat’s nest, the worst I had ever seen.
Seraphina’s wasn’t much better. Maddy had hers brushed but pulled back into a low ponytail with a lot of fluff and frizz.
“When are we going to do our tea party?” Mila asked, yawning.
Checking my watch, I realized what had to be done first.
“Ladies!” I popped my hip and placed my hand there as all eyes went to me. “Have you ever been to a salon?”
“A what?” Seraphina asked, her blue eyes narrowing in the cutest freaking way.
Maddy’s face flushed. “Our dad can’t really afford that stuff for us.”
Waving her off, I grabbed their coats. “Don’t worry about that, this all comes with the babysitter package.”
“It does?” Mila lit up and looked over at her sisters. “Just like with Uncle Cole.”
“No…he buys us stuff because he’s friends with dad,” Maddy corrected, then swung her gaze to me, “Haley is just babysitting us because…”
I tugged on Mila’s hand and pulled her up while responding to the moody ten-year-old. “Because I like you guys. Also, going to the salon is a fun thing you can do with your friends, and I want to be your friend, so we should go.”
“I don’t know if we can get our hair cut,” Maddy whispered, tugging at her sleeve.
I tugged on my pea coat. “I’m not cutting your hair or anything, I just thought it would be fun to get our hair washed and blow dried and then styled fancy for our tea party.”
Mila squealed in joy, Seraphina smiled brightly at me, and Maddy gave me a tiny, baby smile of appreciation.
“So, it’s settled. First, we find Mila’s shoes then we go get beautified!”
The girls were all relaxing in their white robes with towels twisted on top of their heads and cucumbers over their eyes.
Soft music played overhead while each of us lounged back in our chairs, being completely pampered.
It felt so good to have the comforts of home here in Macon—although technically we weren’t in Macon.
We were about twenty minutes outside of it at some fancy resort that has a five-star spa.
I asked my brother Colson what he thought of me taking them here, and he thought the girls would love it. And they did.
The squeals and gasps from the girls as they got their hair washed and their faces done up in clay masks was too cute.
The stylist was so sweet, helping with Mila’s hair.
She’d lathered extra detangling product and gently combed it while letting her watch cartoons, so it was a tearless event.
I decided to do our tea date here at the lavish restaurant and see what the girls thought of the large fountain inside.
I had spotted it on the way in and knew we had to eat lunch there.
“Haley, is this how you lived in Cawifornia?” Mila asked with her darling lisp.
I smirked and took off the towel that had been warming my hair.
“Sometimes, yes.”
Maddy let out a sigh and plucked off the cucumbers. “This is nice…probably nicer than anything we’ll ever get to do with our dad.”
“Hey, don’t think like that. We should always believe the best about our people.”
Maddy crinkled her brows together. “Our people?”
“You know…the ones in our corner. The ones who are happy when we succeed and sad when we’re hurt…the ones who would do anything for us. You three have your dad and you’re a unit…you’d do anything for each other, right?”
Mila grabbed her cucumbers next and tossed them on the floor. “Yes. Also Uncle Cole, too… he’s our people.”
“Yeah, he’s definitely our people,” Seraphina added in, keeping her cucumbers over her eyes.
“Anyone else in there? It’s good to have a picture of them, that way when they do something big in your life, or their life, you can be happy for them.”
All three girls seemed to think it over then Maddy added, “Nora…I think she’s going to be in there…”
“And you, if you want to be nice to us some more,” Mila added.
I smiled. If they only knew what I would do for them if they wanted me in that circle.
“I think Nora and Cole are going to be together for a very long time, so I like the idea of having her there, and I’d be honored to be there too.”
My next question came out hesitant and slow, nervous that I might be stepping on a landmine.
“And what about your mother…should she be in this circle?”
Mila and Seraphina turned to Maddy as if she would answer for them. Maddy’s eyes watered, and it was like a record scratch. Oh my Gosh.
Inside I was begging for a time machine.
The sniffling came next, and I felt like the shittiest human alive. Fuck. Fuck. Fuckkkkk.