Page 6 of Night of the Living Manny
“Come on, Moose. Potty.” Thankfully the Whitehouse home had a small fenced yard where he could let Moose out to do his thing in private.
Moose trundled out, moving slow, big head swaying back and forth. Yeah, he’d had a long night last night. More excitement than he’d had since the Carters had left.
They headed downstairs to the kitchen, where he let Moose out, then hunted a coffee cup.
“They’re in that cabinet.”
Brenden damn near jumped out of his skin, spinning around to see Liam sitting there with coffee, fully dressed, laptop in front of him.
“Sorry. I was still half-asleep. This one?”
“Uh-huh. I told the lab I’d be in late so you could see the morning routine.”
That was really decent. “Thank you. That helps a lot.”
“I couldn’t see just throwing you off the boat to see if you could swim.”
“I’m a pretty good swimmer, but it is easier if you ease the kids into it.”
“Yeah. Susanna will appear five seconds before the bus, announce she’s getting a ride with her best friend, Shelly, and disappear. Peter will eat three bowls of cereal. Britt will try to eat so slowly that she’ll miss the bus and then cry when she doesn’t get to finish breakfast.”
Brenden laughed, impressed. “This is going to sound awful, but you really know them. So many people I’m called in for don’t.”
“I do. I love the little beasts.”
“Good.” Brenden poured a coffee. “It’s hard, huh? To have to be away from them.”
“Yeah. Once this project is over, I’m going to take a monthlong vacation. Maybe more.”
“That sounds great.” That was whathewas supposed to have done. “So, cereal?”
“Cheerios. Lucky Charms. Froot Loops. Raisin Bran. Cabinet above the coffee maker.”
Brenden grabbed out the boxes, then bowls. The milk could stay in the fridge until the kids got up.
“They get up at six forty-five. The bus runs at ten to eight. They get home at three, three thirty, and whenever you start screaming at Susanna.”
“So she stays out a lot, huh? Can you give me some guidelines there?” She had to have a curfew, he imagined.
“She has to be home by four thirty unless it’s choir night. That’s Wednesday. Wednesday Nicki’s mom brings both girls home at eight.”
“Got it.” He would need to make a bunch of notes. He’d forgotten his notebook upstairs.
“I sent everything to your email that was on your resume. Peter has guitar lessons. Britt has ballet. They all three take karate.”
“Oh, good deal. Thank you.” Moose nosed back in the door, which he’d left open a crack. The big guy went right to Liam and put that boofy head on his knee.
“Hey, Moose. Good morning.” Liam reached down to stroke Moose’s ears.
Oh, okay. That was nice. He had to like a guy who was good to his dog. Not that he had to like Liam. Or think he was attractive, even though he was, with his almost-black hair and blue eyes and his neatly trimmed beard.
He was probably better off not liking everything so much, but he did.
“Did you want me to make you something?” He was an egg and/or pancake machine.
“Hmm? No. No, I’m not a breakfast guy. Thank you.”
“Do you pack a lunch?” Something about Liam made Brenden want to do for him too. To help in some small way.
