Page 16 of Summer People
Though I expect her to shriek and back away, she surprises the shit out of me by dropping to her knees and giggling as my dog covers her in kisses.
“Aren’t you a good boy.” She squirms, her giggles light and airy, and rubs his back.
“Hi, Libby.” Sutton comes up beside me, her chin tucked into the collar of her coat and her shoulders hunched to fight off the cold.
“Bing, enough.” I snap my fingers, and instantly, he settles.
“Bing?” Libby looks up at me, brows raised.
A lead ball forms in my gut and sinks. Fuck.
“That’s the name of the dog from my show.” She tilts her head and assesses me.
“Oh really? I don’t watch it. He’s Bing, like Chandler Bing fromFriends.”
She snorts, grinning at the dog like they’re already buddies. “That’s the line from the show.”
I affect a completely indifferent shrug. “I wouldn’t know.”
“Fisher, your nose is growing.” Sutton’s whisper is loud enough to be considered a yell.
Shit. I actually forgot Sutton was standing here. This is bad. My niece complains that she can’t make a move without me seeing, but Libby has been here for less than twenty-four hours, and I’m already taking my eye off the only person that matters.
Libby laughs again, the sound lighting up my nerve endings. Damn, why does she have to have such a pretty laugh?
We’re hit by another gust of wind, and both Sutton and Libby shiver, although I’m the one without the fucking coat.
“Can we go in?”
“I need to get my water heater working so I can finally take a warm shower.” She straightens and spins back to the propane tank. “I just need to figure out where the pilot light is.”
Brow creased, Sutton looks up at me. “Isn’t that in the basement?”
“Yup.” I nod.
“Oh.” Libby’s shoulders drop.
For a second, I almost feel bad. That sensation evaporates quickly, though, when Sutton jumps in.
“Fisher will fix it. And while you wait, you can hang out with me. Or take a shower at our house.”
My heart clenches tight at the hope in her tone. My niece loves this woman. Libby spent over a decade playing a girl who was raised by her older brother after their parents died in a car crash. Because of how closely the storyline mirrors Sutton’s life, her obsession with Elizabeth Sweet is more intense than that of most girls her age. And every eight-year-old in the world loves her.
“I don’t know about that,” Libby says softly, her eyes cutting to me. It’s obvious she’s uncomfortable, and it’s because of me.
“Please, Fisher?” Sutton pleads. “You don’t mind, do you? You don’t want her to be cold. It’s only neighborly to offer.”
“Fine.” I have to force the single syllable out because I don’t want Libby hanging out at my place. I don’t want her in my shower. Fuck, just the thought of her naked under the spray does things I didn’t think I was capable of anymore. It excites me. Thrills me. Spikes my blood pressure to a brutal degree.
But Sutton is smiling, and I’ll do anything to make her happy.
“Yay!” She snags the small paper bag from me and holds a hand out to Libby. “You are going to love these donuts. The double chocolate ones are the best.”
I fight a scoff. I don’t believe for a second that the young superstar eats sugar or carbs.
“Ooh,” Libby says, stunning the shit out of me. “I can’t wait.” She takes Sutton’s hand, and when Bing gets into step beside her, she pats his head. “What a good boy.”
Then they’re off, leaving me in the cold. Just fucking great.
