Page 52 of Shortcake
“Good,” Liam jumped in, responding before Addy could. “That’s settled, then. We’ll take you home to rest. Keith will run the joint and close up for you.”
I looked around. Not that there were even many customers left to close up for. The fight had run off everyone except for the construction workers who were getting ready to jump in themselves.
“This is so stupid,” Addy muttered. But she seemed to have learned her lesson and stood up slower than she had before.
“I can take her home,” I offered. All heads swung to look at me again, like they’d forgotten for a minute that I even existed.
Neil’s gaze narrowed on me. “Nah. We got her.”
Liam went behind the bar and started gathering what I recognized as Addy’s purse and sweater. “Yeah, no offense, but we’re not about to let a stranger take care of our sister.”
Snatching her purse from Liam’s hands, she crossed toward me. “You idiots. This is Conrad Meyer, the new sheriff in Maple Grove.”
“Sheriff?” Neil repeated.
“Andhe’s my new landlord,” Addy clarified.
“Don’t you mean roommate?” Haylee said under her breath.
“Roommate?” Finn snapped. “What’s she talking about?”
If looks could kill, Haylee would have dropped dead right then and there from the glare Addy sent her. “It’s nothing. Just temporary because of some issues with my apartment. And Conrad has a basement guest room that’s practically a separate apartment itself.”
“So you two are living together,” Neil said, folding his arms.
“The three of us are,” I said, putting my arm around my daughter. I wasn’t backing down from them, but I also didn't want to start a fight.Anotherfight. I kept my voice calm and even, as I said, “This is my daughter, Harper.”
The three brothers exchanged glances like they were communicating with some silent, unspoken language.
“Great!” Addy said, walking briskly past her brothers, then linking her arm with Harper’s. “Glad you’ve all met and that’s settled. Let’sgo.”
“Sorry,” Haylee whispered as Addy walked past her.
Addy tossed Haylee her car keys. “Make it up to me by dropping my car off at home, ok?”
With Addy tugging Harper and me out the front door, I was barely able to see the moment that Haylee caught the keys in one hand and said, “You got it.”
“Maybe you should stay with your brothers tonight,” I offered.
“You,shush. I’m in this mess because of you in the first place.” She urged us faster and faster toward my car, even though to my knowledge, her brothers weren’t following us.
They didn’t scare me, anyway. I completely understood where they were coming from. If I’d had a sister, I would have reacted the same way if I’d learned she was living with a man my age.
Early evening had cooled the air and the breeze caught a section of Addy’s hair, sending it billowing across her shoulders. Tearing my eyes away from the sight of her, I unlocked the car. Harper climbed into the backseat as Addy and I got into the front. “Seatbelts,” I called out, mostly to Harper, but just in case Addy was the type to not buckle in, too.
I didn’t even have to say it because both girls were already snapping their seatbelts into place.
“You know, your brothers might feel better if they came over and saw the place,” I offered. “If they saw you have your own wing of the house, maybe they’d back off?”
She snorted and shook her head. “You don’t know my brothers. They’ll scrutinize everything, including but not limited to your hot tub. And then they’ll burn every single bikini I have so that…” her words faded and her eyes cut to the rearview mirror where Harper was listening.
After clearing her throat, she finished with, “Just, trust me. They should not come over. Ever. I barely ever let them intomyapartment when I lived alone.”
“Maybe that’s why they’re so overprotective of you. Maybe they’d relax a bit if you let them in more… figuratively and literally.”
I stole a quick glance at her while we idled at a red light. Her liquid, green eyes slid down my face and the corner of her mouth twisted into a frown. From this angle, I couldn’t see the bruise quickly forming on the right side of her jaw. “Maybe,” she said. “But I doubt it. Even when Higgins lived in the main house, they made a point to threaten his life. And he was a seventy-year-old man who wasn’t even living under the same roof as me. They’re crazy.”
We sat in silence for a moment, the engine humming. From the corners of my eyes, I saw the light turned green. Was that all I’d ever get with Addy? Stolen moments at red lights when I could stare at her beautiful face.
