Page 83 of Power Play

But there was also something about her that had changed since this morning. Like she was letting just a little bit more of herself shine. She smiled more easily. Laughed more easily. She fucking glowed. She finished her glass of wine, ate a bunch of lettuce tacos, and sat back, smiling.

“Go sit down,” I said to her after dinner. “Tess and I can do the dishes.”

I topped off her glass and sent her out to the screened in porch to relax. Tess and I cleaned up the kitchen. When Tess started yawning I went and turned on the shower for her because the hot water was tricky.

“I’m too tired for a shower,” Tess moaned. As a rule the kid was not whiney, so I knew she must be exhausted.

“Trust me, you’ll be glad you showered when you don’t have any sand in your bed,” I told her. Because she was a logical andsmart kid, she agreed and took a quick shower before brushing her teeth and putting on her pajamas. I was tucking her into bed – the bottom bunk, which she wanted to argue about forever - when her iPad rang.

“Mom!” She said, holding out her hands for the screen.

I answered the call before it dropped and smiled at Janice’s face when she appeared. “Hey there Janice,” I said. “How are you?”

“I’m good!” She said, but her smile was tired. “How are you doing?”

“It’s been a good day,” I said. “Ice cream and the beach. Can’t go wrong.”

“I…I’m so grateful Liam. Honestly, you’ve gone above and beyond.”

“No problem. Tess and I are buddies.”

“And Kit?”

I heard the way she said Kit’s name and I shook my head. “She’s been a Godsend.”

“I can imagine,” Janice said. “She seems as smart and caring as you said. You just never said she was gorgeous.”

“Didn’t I?” I asked with a wink.

“Tess, let me talk to Liam for a second. In private,” Janice said.

I held up a finger to Tess letting her know I’d hand over the iPad in just a second and then I stepped into the hallway for the privacy Janice wanted.

“What’s up?” I reached up and straightened a framed needle point that said.Family is nice, but have you tried peace and quiet?

Dillon’s grandmother had a sense of humor.

Janice shook her head. “I know this isn’t any of my business, but my kid is there, so the rules are different,” she said and took a deep breath. “Do you really want to go there with Kit”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, with a laugh.

“Listen, I know you think you do casual.”

“Think?” I was the king of casual. I did casual better than anybody.

“Casual is breaking up with someone and never seeing them again. You know what isn’t casual? Breaking up with someone and giving them a job.”

“That’s just…” I didn’t know what that was outside of nice. Really.

“It’s behavior from a man who has spent his life trying to make other people feel as little pain as possible. You know why I broke up with you?”

I blinked. “Did you break up with me?” It seemed like she kind of just…left.

She laughed. “I totally broke up with you. Because I wasn’t going to watch you tie yourself into knots trying to do the right thing or be the right person when I didn’t need it.”

That didn’t sound like me. I wasn’t an asshole, but I didn’t think we were that serious. I hadn’t planned on changing for her. Or anyone really. It’s why I was the king of casual and selfishness and short-term flings.

“You’re a good guy who wants to do the right thing, but all you’ve done is create one giant family where you take care of everyone. At tremendous expense to yourself and I’m not just talking financially.”

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