That answered my question. “You’re here to babysit me, aren’tyou?”
“Babysit you?” Lucas snorted. “What anidea.”
“Oh my God, youare!”
He waggled hiseyebrows.
“Did Liam put you up tothis?”
Metal clinked in the office as Isobel sorted through the rows ofkeys.
“No one put me up to this. I’m doing it out of the kindness of myheart.”
“Your heart isn’t kind,” I volleyedback.
Matt snickered whereas Lucasscowled.
I wheeled on Matt. “Your mother’s not here for cooking lessons, Isuppose?”
He slung a big arm around my shoulder. “The pack takes care of their own,Ness.”
My wide gaze ping-ponged between the two males crowding thelobby.
“Are you crying?” Mattasked.
I touched my cheek. Sure enough, my fingertips came backdamp.
“Is it that time of the month . . .again?” Lucas offered, sporting a smile that made me want to punch histhroat.
I flipped him off a second before August’s mother popped out of the office, jingling a key. I dropped my hand back to my side, praying she hadn’t caught my vulgargesture.
Lucas’s lips quirked in a taunting grin as he pocketed the key, but then fell flat as his gaze landed on a spot over my head. I sensed August stood behind me, sensed it in the pit of my stomach which writhed as though the invisible rope that connected us had beencranked.
“On your way to off all the baddies?” Lucasasked.
“I’ve postponed my trip.” August slowly wiped his palms on a pair of jeans blemished with grease smears and wood stain. “Two of the lightbulbs on the living room chandelier need changing. You know where I can find some,Ness?”
“Yeah.” I ushered him toward the supply closet. The room smelled of laundry detergent, cool metal, and dusty cardboard. “Lightbulbs are over there.” I pointed to the shelf that sat underneath a hatch window, and he walked over and riffled through the rows of bulbs until he located the ones heneeded.
“I’ll get those screwed in before Ileave.”
Something occurred to me then. “Does Liam know you’ve postponed yourtrip?”
He stopped in front of me. “Notyet.”
“So your mom coming over to help, that was youridea?”
“Not just mine. My parents didn’t want you to be alone. So Mom called Kasie. I suppose Matt calledLucas.”
“Going to go unpack, roomie,” Lucas said to me while staring at August, who stood inches fromme.
I backed up until the base of my spine hit the doorframe. “We’re not roomies,Lucas.”
“Almost. Hey . . . you got an extra pair of ear plugs in there? Wouldn’t want to overhear anymoaning.”
My body went completelyrigid.
Glass broke. I shot my gaze down to the boxes of lightbulbs clutched in August’s fist. Without saying a word, he went to grab new ones, staying next to the shelving a minute, surveying the piece of sky visible through the hatchwindow.
