Chapter 3 #2
I stopped mid step, my eyes narrowing.
“Why would it be a better fit?”
Liam crumpled the application into a ball and tossed it into the garbage and grabbed the headgear he’d been wiping down before I walked up. It was a blatant display of being done with me. There wasn’t even anything written on the paper. He could have saved it.
“You don’t seem like the type that would be able to handle the instruction. You seem like you’re used to being catered to and waited on. Rich.”
He added that last part with a bit of a sneer.
My heart swiveled and turned in my chest, as yet another male in my life decided my worth without a second thought.
I shouldn’t care what he thinks. It didn’t matter what his opinion was of me—most guys underestimated me. Even more assumed I wasn’t worth their effort. I was always shuffled out of the way, or moved around like a chess piece––always a pawn, never a queen.
Clenching my jaw, I bit down on the retort I had on my tongue and the defense I had of myself and how I wasn’t that girl. Not the spoiled, rich girl who thought hard work was for the working class.
He judged me, knowing nothing at all about me.
Instead, I laughed and shrugged my shoulder.
“I may be rich, but as a businessman, shouldn’t that, I don’t know, be your ideal clientele?
” I made a point of looking around and lifting my lip in disgust. “Looks to me like you might need to revamp your business plan if you want to keep your doors open.”
Asshole.
I spun on my heel and pushed through the door until the cool air calmed my heated face.
The obnoxious beeping from the oven reverberated through the empty house, making me jump from the couch.
My feet, covered in warm wool socks, had me slipping a little as I crossed the hardwood floor.
I stopped myself in front of the oven, jamming my thumb into the timer button to make it stop.
Once the sound quieted, I inhaled and smiled.
The smell of butter, sage, and onion permeated the air, which meant there was a good chance my casserole hadn’t burned.
“Please, please, please…” I chanted, popping the oven door open.
I had practically scorched the last four casseroles I had made, but Colson ate them anyway.
Tonight, I was hoping for less cringe and more smiles from him as we met for dinner.
I stared into the heated oven and smiled.
The tips of biscuit showing were perfectly browned and matched the recipe I had found on Pinterest.
Finally, one of my creations had gone right.
Shoving my hands into two large oven mitts that had images of plants all over them, I bent over and tugged the glass baking dish out. Gently setting it on the burner, I shut the oven door and tilted my hands until the potholders slid off.
Nora’s house was cute. A little outdated, but cute just the same. But it was big for one person and freaking cold.
A chill running down my arms set me in motion.
Pushing my feet into a pair of snow boots, I pulled on my coat then shoved my hands back into the oven mitts before leaving Nora’s and walking next door with the casserole.
Crossing the yard and walking up Colson’s steps, I rang the doorbell by pushing my glove against the small button. The snow had finally stopped falling, making it seem almost warm, assuming I could ignore how my breath clouded in front of my face.
The door swung open, and my older brother greeted me with a smile.
“Haley, hey!”
I shoved past him and kicked my boots free all while holding the casserole. I’d gotten really good at using my snow boots like flip flops. It was easy if you never tied them.
“Cole, I didn’t burn it this time, you’re gonna lo—”
My words fell flat, dying on my tongue as I took in the person lounging at Cole’s table with his leg kicked out, lifting a beer to his lips.
Colson walked up behind me, guiding me forward so I could set the casserole dish down.
“Sorry, I should have texted you…Liam and the girls are going to be here for dinner tonight.”
My eyes narrowed on the long legs that stretched out as if he owned this place.
His jeans were messily shoved into a pair of brown boots that were untied.
He had on a plain black T-shirt that revealed a full sleeve of tattoos down one arm.
He had a few days’ worth of growth covering a firm, wide jaw…
and a professional glare. Narrowed eyes of mercury focused on me while he sipped from the neck of his bottle.
The anger from earlier fizzled and crystalized in my veins, popping like tiny sparks.
The corner of his lip quirked as he lifted the neck of his glass bottle in a silent hello.
Turning on my heel, I faced Cole. “You know what? I totally forgot that I have a zoom call.”
“Right now? It’s like six at night, who are you talking to?”
My hands were still shoved into the oven mitts as I tried to think up a lie.
“London.”
My brother’s lips quirked. “It’s two in the morning in London.”
I settled my hands at my hips, oven mitts still in place. Liam chuckled behind his drink, and it made me want to scream.
“I’ll just leave this here for you guys. I will see you tomorrow.”
“Makeup lady!” a tiny voice squealed, interrupting my exit.
Mila ran into the kitchen and wrapped her little arms around my waist like she’d known me her entire life.
I settled my hand on her back, hugging her to me as I battled a smile.
“I’m so glad you’re here. Can you come play with us?” She took my wrist and led me out of the kitchen, but Liam stirred behind us.
“Mila, Haley has to leave.”
I turned my head so quick, my hair lifted off my back. “No, I’m fine. You guys eat, we’ll be in the room.”
Liam narrowed his eyes but nodded, giving me his silent permission.
The girls all stopped what they were doing and watched as I closed in on their little group.
“I found makeup lady!” Mila yelled excitedly.
She had dark brown hair that matched her father’s and about a thousand different tangles in each strand. It didn’t look like she’d brushed it in months.
Pushing my knees into the soft carpet, I smiled at Mila and then looked over at the other two. “Haley, remember?”
Mila waved me off, settling back near her toys. “We just like calling you Makeup Lady.”
“You guys are playing Barbies? I used to love playing with these as a kid. Can I play with you?”
Mila moved forward, handing me a big pink RV. It clumsily dropped into my arms, opening one of the side hatches.
“You can be in charge of our camping trip. Maddy is the mom but she’s too busy for us, so it’s just me and my cousin Sally, the tattoo artist, who are going.”
I gently held the RV like it was made of gold and set it to the side.
“How come the mom is too busy?” I flicked my gaze to Maddy and then Seraphina.
Mila didn’t look up as she brushed out her little dog’s hair, “She just owns all the places in the whole world.”
Maddy rolled her eyes and set the doll down. “No, she doesn’t. This is stupid…I don’t even want to play.”
Mila looked up then, her blue eyes suddenly watering out of nowhere.
“You promised you would play!”
Seraphina moved next, tossing her doll to the ground. “It’s lame, Mila. Let’s just watch TV or go sneak into Uncle Cole’s garage again.”
Mila was full-on crying now, and my heart ached for her. I knew what it felt like to be the rejected one in the family, the sibling no one wanted to be around.
“Hey, what if we build a fort?”
All three girls paused and slowly turned toward me.
“A fort?”
I nodded, standing up and walking toward the bed.
“We could use some chairs, and toss blankets over them…put pillows inside…then maybe I can do your hair or your nails?”
Why was I volunteering to brush out Mila’s hair? That was going to take a lot of arm strength and the girl was going to cry for sure. I didn’t want to make her cry.
“Sorry, girls.” Liam suddenly stepped inside the room, and it seemed like all the air left it.
He had ink on his chest, too, from the sneak peek he was offering at his throat.
I swallowed and looked down. Unsure why, but I felt like an intruder in here as he knelt down to get at eye level with his kids.
“It’s time to go. Uncle Cole isn’t feeling well and wants to go to bed early.”
That meant Colson was thinking about Nora and likely going to drink.
“Here, let’s clean up,” Liam said, reaching for the dolls.
“But Dad, Haley was going to build a fort with us,” Mila whined, swiping at her eyes again. Was it weird that I counted it a victory that she finally stopped calling me Makeup Lady?
“Yeah and do our hair…” Seraphina added, while putting the doll she had played with away.
“And nails,” Maddy tagged on at the end as they shuffled the basket of dolls back into the closet.
“Well maybe some other time.” Liam glanced up at me briefly before looking back down at his girls.
What was that look? Did he want me to bail him out of this somehow? I wasn’t really used to being around kids, and I wasn’t sure what parental looks were or how to decode them.
“But when?” Mila pressed, and Liam glanced up at me again. This time his eyes seemed to narrow. Shit, he wanted me to do something…but what?
Fuck it.
“Tomorrow! You guys can come see me if you want… if your dad is okay with it. Nora has a beautiful tea set I’m sure she’ll let us use and maybe we can wear some of my fun sun hats and pretend we’re in London.”
“Yes!” all three girls screamed in unison.
Liam hung his head as if I had done something wrong.
“You guys have school tomorrow, did you forget?”
“It’s still school break, we have until after this weekend…” Maddy argued, crossing her arms.
Liam’s face grew tight, but he ducked it to hide any emotion.
“Let’s go. Shoes, coats…come on.”
The girls listened, filing out of the room.
“Can we please go see Haley tomorrow? I’ve never had a tea party before, and she looks fancy, like she knows how to have them,” Mila whined, tugging on a coat that looked like it was too small for her. Something probably from last winter.
I eyed the other girls and sure enough each of them seemed to have older coats, worn, faded—even torn and ripped in a few places.
My gaze traveled to their boots next. They were in even worse shape.
The rubber around one sole was split on Maddy’s shoe.
Seraphina had colored flowers and hearts all over hers, but the laces had been removed.
Liam glanced up and noticed me looking, which made his jawline clench tight. Fuck I didn’t want to embarrass him. The comment I had delivered in his gym burned like acid in my stomach. But he shouldn’t feel ashamed; he had three kids— girls at that—who needed all sorts of things.
“No, I’ll see if Millie can watch you at the diner for a bit. You guys’ love helping her with the sugar shakers.”
All the girls whined in unison, all complaining about different aspects of the small-town diner.
“Look, I know you don’t know me well, but Cole will be right next doo—”
“Let’s go,” Liam interrupted, cutting a sharp look my way, then walked outside.
He was being ridiculous. Grabbing my coat and sliding my feet back into my boots, I ran after Liam.
I noted the black truck he drove so I would know to look for it next time I traipsed over to my brother’s house. As quick as I could, I plucked one of my business cards I kept inside my cell phone case and once Liam shut the back passenger door, I shoved it at him.
“Here.”
It seemed to catch him off guard, although he didn’t miss a step or even move backward. Probably because he was nothing but muscle. Still, his brows jumped, and his mouth gaped.
The tiny cardstock ridges indented his shirt under his unzipped jacket. It was dark enough now that the streetlights had come on and the shadows of his face were highlighted.
“If for some reason the diner lady can’t watch them, call me. I’m happy to help.”
Before he could respond, I started toward Nora’s porch.
In Malibu, the sway of my hips in my six-inch stilettos would have kept a man’s eye on me and likely had him pulling out his phone to call me before I even got inside my house.
Here, in Macon? My snow boots were too loose.
There was no swaying of hips…just awkwardly navigating chunks of ice and bits of snow while trying not to face plant.