Page 53 of This Heart
“Thanks for stopping by. We’ll see you later for storytime.”
Turning, I quickly made my way out of the house and to my car. This afternoon, I would ask Lou to watch Winnie for a bit so I could talk to Liam. The sooner I told him about my thoughts on Kim, the better.
Brystol stared at me with a look of utter shock. “She wasn’t letting you see Winnie?”
“Nope,” I said as I popped my P while sitting on the sofa. “She’s been giving me excuses. Like Winnie is napping, or they’re about to leave, and she doesn’t want to upset their routine.”
“And you told Liam?”
“I did.”
She shook her head slightly. “What did he say?”
I gave a one-shoulder shrug. “I don’t think he was pleased about it. But that’s not the worst of it.”
“There is more?” Brystol asked.
“So much more!” Harper and Cadie said simultaneously.
Brystol sighed. “Just because I had a baby doesn’t mean I don’t want in on everything happening!”
I looked at Lily sleeping peacefully in Harper’s arms and smiled. “She is so precious.”
Beaming, Brystol nodded her head. “She is. Now, get back to the gossip! What is the worst of it?”
Cadie chuckled.
I leaned forward. “She put Hope’s picture in Winnie’s side table drawer. She said she didn’t want Winnie to…” I held up my hands and made air quotes. “Break it.”
“And the Perry the Moose stuffy that Aurora bought her is gone,” Harper added in a very accusatory voice.
Brystol gasped.
“My reaction as well,” Cadie stated. “She probably buried him in the backyard and planted a tree over it or something.”
I turned to look at Cadie. “You have had way too much suspense in your life lately, you know that?”
She sighed. “I know. I’m sorry.”
I smiled.
“But I wouldn’t be surprised if she decapitated it, poured gasoline on it, and—”
“Cadie!” Brystol cried out. “What in the hell?”
My hand came up to my mouth to keep myself from full-on laughing. When I looked at Harper, she raised her brows and grinned.
Putting her hand to her chest, Cadie said, “Oh my God, I really need to stop reading Kian’s notes.”
Brystol focused back on me. “Do you think she threw it out or something?”
“I’m not sure,” I said with a shake of my head, “I was going to talk to Liam about it at storytime that same day, but he texted to say that they couldn’t make it. His dad invited them over to grill hamburgers, and Liam didn’t want to miss the opportunity to hang out with his father. But I do need to talk to him. I don’t trust her, you guys.”
Harper let out a “Ha!” which caused Lily to jump, then she quickly settled back into her slumber. “I haven’t trusted her since she showed up for that interview. Who goes to an interview for your ex to be his nanny? I’m not buying it. And the whole she was penciled in last-minute thing. No…something is off with that.”
Cadie pointed to Harper. “I’m with Harper on this one. I don’t trust her at all. And she’s rude. At movie night, she acted as if we weren’t welcome there.”
I let out a groan. “I don’t know what to do.”
