“That’s very kind. I appreciate it. We’ll buy them from you.”
“Nah,” I say making light of it. “I think Mom was keeping them for when I had a son of my own, and since that’s not ever going to happen, they should go to my little brother. Right, Gavin?”
“Right,” he says, and when he puts his tiny hand in mine, I swear to God, the universe just flipped me on my head. My pulse beats a little faster in my throat, the degree of responsibility I have here closing in on me.
You’ve got this, dude.
Worry dances in Harper’s eyes as she looks at our joined hands, and in that moment, I swear to God that I’m going to do the right thing here. “You don’t want kids of your own?” she asks.
I shrug it off. Since I don’t know her, I’m not about to tell her that women don’t want the real me. They want the guy I pretend to be, and man, that act is hard to pull off twenty-four-seven. If they knew I was basically an introvert living in an extrovert world, and that I prefer quiet nights and books over parting and drinking, they wouldn’t want anything to do with me. That quiet little boy from my youth, the boy who was bullied until I beat the crap out of a guy during a high school hockey game and changed the playing field, still lives inside me.
“Did you say something about ice cream?” I ask, taking a cue from my little brother, and changing the subject.
Harper eyes me for a second and lets it go. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. Today was just an orientation, and we can set up a schedule later.”
“You think I’m going to miss out on ice cream?” I say.
“Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream,” Gavin chants and when I join in, Harper rolls her eyes.
“Did I just take on another child?” she asks with a grin.
“Oh, you two are so perfect for each other,” Rita says and when I glance at her, she’s looking back and forth between Harper and me. Of course, she must mean me and Gavin, though. Right?
“All right, let’s get ice cream,” Harper says, and Gavin and I follow her out the door.
We step into the sunshine, and I glance left and then right. “Should we walk?”
“Yeah, let’s go to Stanley park, just around the corner. Gavin likes it there.”
“Liam, do you have a dog?” Gavin asks.
“No. Do you?”
“I have a hundred dogs,” he says, and I raise a brow. I guess that’s why Harper’s dress is covered in dog hair all the time.
“Are you like one of the crazy old cat ladies but with dogs?” I ask.
“First, I don’t appreciate being called old,” she says with a laugh. “And second, no. I’m a dog groomer and dog walker.”
The pieces of the puzzle click. “Ah, so Mr. Show and Tell Charlie is a dog, not an uncle.”
She crinkles her nose. “Not sure what you mean, but yes, Charlie is a dog, one of many I take care of.”
“And Miss Tammy?”
“Preschool teacher.”
“So, Charlie is your favorite, huh?”
Her soft chuckle curls around me, settling in places I really wish it wouldn’t. I can’t sleep with this woman, especially now that I’m her kid’s big brother. “My son tells too many secrets.”
Gavin lets go of my hand and skips ahead. “Now that I’m Gavin’s big brother, am I your favorite hockey player?”
“I don’t have a favorite. I don’t watch hockey, remember?”
I feign exasperation, and throw my hands in the air. “How come I’m never anyone’s favorite?”
This makes her laugh, and she says, “I’m surprised you’re not the favorite. Everyone likes a bad boy.”
“You think I’m a bad boy?” I tease, or maybe what I’m really doing is flirting.
She goes quiet for a second, her steps slowing as her gaze moves over me, studying, assessing, looking deeper into my soul than any woman ever has before. I shift, uncomfortable under her scrutiny. Jesus, what is she thinking? From her dark, contemplative look, maybe I don’t want to know. Then again, how bad can it be? She’s put her son in my care. Is it possible this woman sees the real me? I’m cleaning up my act, but the truth is, who I’m displaying right now with her and Gavin is the guy I really am. No showboating, no obnoxious behavior, no loudmouth, foul mouth conduct. Does she like that guy?
“Aren’t you, Liam? Are you a bad boy? You are kind of known as the Rule Breaker, aren’t you?” she says, the question taking me by surprise.
I scrub my chin, my gaze roaming over her pretty face. Honestly, I can’t understand how this woman is single. Guys must be lining up to date her. Heck, for all I know she is dating, or taken, or maybe she’s been hurt, and when it comes to her personal life, she proceeds with caution. She definitely proceeded with caution with Gavin and me.
“You tell me,” I say, wanting to hear her answer as much as I don’t.
“I will, but it will have to wait.” She points ahead and I turn to see Gavin standing outside the ice cream shop. A group of young girls, maybe in their late teens or early twenties, step around him and head inside.
“Come on, there’s a big line.” Gavin shouts. We hurry to catch up with him and I open the door and wave them in. I tug my hat low, but the second we enter, a hush goes through the crowd. Phones are instantly pulled from pockets and aimed my way. And what do I do? I instantly go into Rule Breaker character.
But first I toss an apologetic smile Harper’s way. “Sorry.” That’s when I notice she’s gone
