Page 45 of Hold

“It’s lasted a long time,” Liam said. “You should have the HVAC guys come in as soon as possible to look at it, though. You might be able to get away with just adding the shutoff valve.”

Ellen sighed. “So we called you away from your family for nothing.”

“It’s fine,” he said, his eyes flicking to Thea and back. “It was a big crowd; I won’t be missed.”

“The water’s back on,” Kane said to Ellen.

Jake, for some reason, scowled. “You did good,” Liam said, catching it. “Always the correct first move. The leak stopped because the pan was empty, but you had the right idea.”

“And he knew where the shutoff was when we didn’t,” Kane added, ruffling Jake’s hair. Jake, predictably, ducked out from under him and put a hand to his head, flattening his pool-styled curls. “So Jake’s working for you for the rest of the summer?”

“Until about mid-August, yeah. I’m starting a new teaching job around then. If he still wants to come.” Liam smiled at Jake.

“Yeah, I do,” Jake said. “Apart from when we go to the Cape, right?”

“Right,” Kane said.

“When’s that, Jake?” Liam asked.

Jake looked at Kane. “In two weeks,” Kane answered for him. “For a week.”

“Is that okay?” Jake asked.

“Sure. I’ll try and survive without you for a whole week.” Liam put down his empty glass. “Thanks, Mrs. Fielding.”

“Oh God. Ellen, please.” She came up, putting the baby on her other hip, and shook his hand. “Any friend of Thea’s is a friend of ours.”

“Well, thanks, I appreciate that.”

Kane, accompanied by Benji, who was prancing around Liam’s legs, walked him to the path that led to the front of the house. “You sure you won’t let me pay you for your time?” Thea heard him say as they turned the corner.

She made a movement, as if she had any chance of getting in front of Kane and forestalling that conversation, but she stayed where she was.

“What’s the matter, Mom?” Jake asked. “You hardly spoke to him. You didn’t even say thank you.”

“Oh.” She unstuck her throat. “You’re right. I’ll say thank you on Monday.”

Jake shook his head. “I thought going to school was supposed to make you smarter.”

“Hey, Mom!” Benji was back, running through the gate. “Liam says he can pick me up from the bus!”

“What?”

Now it was Benji who looked at her like she was crazy. And maybe she was. This afternoon had been surreal. There wasn’t one part of it she could hold on to, ever since Ellen’s first scream from the flooded hallway. “The bus, Mom! So I don’t have to go to aftercare! And he and Jake’ll take me to the park every day, or we can stay home and play video games!”

“Oh, Benji,” she began, finally moving her stiff legs toward him. Liam and Kane appeared again at the gate.

“Really, Mom, he said it was fine!” Benji ran up to her, pulling her hand to make her go faster. “It’s perfect! Then you don’t have to spend the money on aftercare”—Thea cringed—“and Jakey isn’t home alone!”

Liam had a look on his face like he’d been caught doing something he knew was wrong. “Benji, Liam and I have to talk about it,” Thea said. “Go on back and swim some more.”

“Why do you have to—?”

“Go on, Ben.” She put on her no-questions voice, and Benji obeyed.

“This isn’t a good idea,” she hissed at Liam.

“I didn’t suggest it,” he said quickly. “It kind of… snowballed.”

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