Somehow, a regular shift at the bar has turned into a family affair. I’ll never hear the end of this either. I know everyone is going to be on my back until I act. I gave Lucio enough shit about Delilah when he wasn’t sure what to do, and my brother’s all about payback.
“Cupcakes!” Brax yells and runs toward Tilly.
Tate snatches the box from her hands and turns away from him. “They’re mine, Brax.”
“Tate,” I warn, but what the hell am I going to do? These are the times when I wish Marissa were around because the two of them together can be more than a handful.
“Now, Tate. Share with your brother. What fun is a treat if you can’t share it with someone special?” Tilly touches Tate’s pudgy cheek. “I’ll make you more.”
“Do I have to?” Tate’s shoulders slump forward.
“How about this…” Tilly looks up at me, but I’m letting her roll wherever she’s going. “If you share with your brother, you can come to the shop whenever you want and pick out a cupcake.”
“Every day?” Tate asks because the kid is a bottomless pit when it comes to anything sweet. She’s smart too. She’s hedging her bets and making sure there’s a payoff for her somewhere.
Tilly laughs, looking up at me. “As often as your daddy allows.”
“Any cupcake?”
“Any cupcake you want,” Tilly tells her.
I can see the war going on in Tate’s head. She doesn’t want to share, but the prospect of unlimited future cupcakes is tempting to any child.
“Fine,” she whispers and turns her body so Brax can reach a cupcake. “I’ll share.”
“You can each have one,” I tell them, knowing the quiet that my mother was enjoying is about to come to an end because the sugar high is going to be extreme.
“Would you like to come up for a coffee?” Ma comes to stand next to us. “I’m watching the kids while the boys get the bar ready for service.”
Tilly looks at me. Why? I don’t know. It’s not my place to tell her what to do or where she can go. Even if she were mine, I wouldn’t dare stop her from doing something she wanted.
I know my mother is going to pry, feeling Tilly out and seeing if there’s any hope for us. That’s what she does. One thing about Betty Gallo is she is the master of manipulation with a dash of interrogation.
“I’d love that, Betty.”
Poor Tilly. She has no idea what she’s getting herself into, but she’s about to find out. I just pray my mother doesn’t come on too strong or declare my intentions when I’m not so sure what they even are at this point.
“Yay!” Tate jumps straight up, almost knocking every cupcake out of the box. “Tilly’s coming over.”
“Twilly!” Brax joins in on the excitement.
“Daddy.” Tate bumps me with her behind. “You want a cupcake?” She hoists the box above her head, offering me one.
“I’m good, baby. You go upstairs with Grandma and Tilly and enjoy one cupcake.”
“Two,” she argues and bats her eyelashes.
“Tate.” I know it’s a losing battle. My mother is going to give the kids whatever she wants, no matter what I say. She always does.
“Come on, sweetheart. Don’t you worry about your daddy.” Ma ushers Tate toward the stairwell with a devilish grin. “Let’s us girls, and Brax too, have some cupcakes and milk. We have much to discuss.”
Tilly peers over her shoulder at me as she follows my mother to the stairs, and she looks a little like a deer in headlights. I can’t stop myself from smiling, trying to make her feel better about the interrogation I have no doubt is about to happen.
7
Tilly
“Let’s have a little chat, shall we?” I glare. “You’re going to stop being such a pain in my ass and do as you’re told.”
