“That’s because you’re old enough not to be doing it anymore,” I sighed, walking over to help Bailey.
“Hey, big brother!” Krista shouted as I dug my arm under hers. “Ooh, should you be doing that?”
“Well, since you showed up here, it doesn’t look like I have a choice.”
With all the energy I could muster, I dragged her over to the couch and plopped her down.
A burst of laughter bubbled from her lips as she tossed her hand over her face. “You know what’s really funny, Bailsley?”
“Do tell me,” Bailey grinned, walking toward the kitchen.
My sister did a half-assed attempt at sitting upright before flopping back down. “He was pretty damn hot once upon a time. You know, before he turned into a psychopath and started scaring all the women in town.”
“Who’s this?” I asked, completely confused.
“Austin. Him and me were like this once upon a time,” she murmured, her fingers haphazardly crossed in front of her. “I mean, before he started getting all weird.” She spun suddenly to face Bailey. “Hey, did you know Lizzy used to have a thing for Clay?”
“Nope, I didn’t know that.”
She walked back over with a glass of water and a wet rag, plopping it on Krista’s forehead.
Krista grunted. “Not that anything would ever happen between them now. Or anyone else in the family. Old man Callahan would never allow any of us near his precious sons.” She hiccuped, resting her head on the couch. “You saw the way he acted toward us today.”
I froze the moment the words left Krista’s lips, and judging by the way Bailey’s eyes widened in panic, she knew she was caught.
She was supposed to be with my mom today. There was absolutely no reason to go anywhere, yet she did, and she didn’t even bother to tell me.
Very slowly, I got to my feet and narrowed my eyes at Bailey.
“What the hell is she talking about?”
16
BAILEY
She really stuckme in it.
I was so close to getting Liam to behave himself and go to sleep, but after Krista opened her big mouth—after she warned me not to mention a word of it to her brother—there was no way this night was going to end on a happy note.
“Bailey,” Liam said in warning, his tone brooking no arguments.
“Hmm?” I hummed, pretending I had no clue why he was upset.
“Ma wasn’t with you when you got groceries, was she?”
“Groceries? Oh, no. She was busy trying to clean up her kitchen. Why? Does it matter?”
“You were supposed to be with Ma.”
“I was,” I said flippantly, turning on my heel to flee the scene and get away from the bear about to bite off my head.
“If you were with Ma, you would have said she was at the store with you.”
“Well, she was busy, and I didn’t want to add to her list of things to do. So, I went with Krista.”
Krista chuckled as she leaned back on the couch. “Oh-ho…someone’s in trouble,” she said in a sing-song voice.
“Because you ratted me out,” I hissed.
