My heart pumps so hard that the pulse is evident in my neck.
“You know,” Mom says, straightening the toaster, “I would understand if she was a stranger. And I know you don’t know her. I get that. But do you think I would allow someone who might hurt or neglect Kennedy in any way into this house?”
I hang my head.
“I love that little girl just as much as you do, Chase.”
Dammit.
“Mom, I know,” I say, sighing before my gaze rises to hers. “I know you do. I didn’t mean to insinuate that you didn’t.”
She shoves a hip into a cabinet and crosses her arms over her chest. Then she does the one thing I hate more than anything else—theMom guiltlook.
Three seconds of that stare has me backtracking.I hope I have that kind of power with Kennedy someday.
“I’m sure …” I clear my throat. “I’m sure Megan is great.”
In so many ways.
“She’s wonderful, Chase. So smart and kind—and she won’t be bowled over by Kennedy.”
I believe that.
Mom sighs. “I don’t know what all that was about with Megan, Chase, but you need to get your head on straight. Megan is exactly what your daughter needs right now. Someone young, someone fun—someone to model herself after.” She shoves off the cabinet. “That polish brand that Kennedy was talking about? Megan was the head color designer there for several years.”
Was she? I set my glass on the counter.
“She’s been around the world,” Mom says. “She’s met people and seen things. And she’s willing to come intoyourhouse and helpyourchild for a month.” She snorts. “She doesn’t need this shit, Chase. But she’s doing it for her mom. For me.For you.”
“Why? Why would someone like that want to come here and deal with a teenager?”
Mom shrugs. “I know she got laid off. Iyala is a smaller business, from what I understand, and they had to restructure to stay afloat. Megan moved from Los Angeles to Dallas while she figured out her next move. Nail polish designers aren’t in high demand.”
The fact that this all makes sense is even more frustrating. Why couldn’t she have some massive flaw that makes it easy to justify not wanting her here? Why does she have to be perfect on paper?
And probably fucking everywhere else…
I have enough problems on my hands. There’s zero doubt that Megan would be another. It’s not hard to imagine the thirty days ending, and Kennedy has fallen in love with her and then acting out even more because Megan leaves.
Nor is it difficult to imagine that I would struggle to keep my hands off her if we shared the same living space …
But I have to do something.
I have to stop being selfish and do what’s right for my family. And, right now, that’s the little minx that has me tied up.
I grin.Things that I wish were true.
“Chase, honey,” Mom says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You’re a good daddy?—”
“Hey, everybody …” Luke stops on the threshold and looks at Mom, then at me. He grimaces. “I’ll come back later.”
I motion toward the table. “No.Sit.Stay.”
“Yeah, see … this looks like one of those conversations where Mom is about to let you have it,” Luke says. “I’m familiar with the lead-up. While it would bring me joy to watch someone else get reamed for once, I’m afraid that sticking around might change the focus to me, and I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life today.”
Mom snorts and kisses my brother on the cheek. “You act like I’m always … what did you say? Reaming you?”
“Um,you are,” Luke says, ducking to avoid her swat. “I came to your house on Monday, and what happened? Oh, that’s right—you yelled at me.”
