‘Then came back to Barkley.’
‘To save up some money before I go again.’
‘So you say. I don’t see much money being saved when you go out almost every night,’ Brittany said.
‘You’re just jealous because Icango out and party, while you have to stay home and take care of a baby. Consequences and choices, Britt, we all have to live with them.’
‘Yeah, right, because I want to be still out there drinking and partying. That was fun when I was a kid. I chose to grow up.’
‘You chose to get knocked up, you mean.’
‘Hey!’ Jenny snapped. ‘Enough. Savannah, that was not called for.’
The blonde rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest as the two girls glared at one another. ‘Sorry,’ she eventually said, although to Nick, who had been trying to keep up, it sounded far from meaningful.
‘It’s okay, Mum. I have nothing to regret. Unlike some people, I grew up and got a job.’
‘If growing up is becoming as boring as you, then no thanks,’ Savannah snapped, before standing up.
‘Girls,’ Jenny sighed.
‘Savannah’s just being her usual dramatic self,’ Brittany replied, ignoring her mother’s mounting frustration.
‘Whatever. I’m suddenly not hungry. Nice to meet you officially, Nick. I hope you’re tough enough to handle this, because it’s not all sunshine and lollipops around here,’ Savannah said, before sweeping out of the room and throwing her older sister the finger as she passed.
Things were going well.
‘It’s okay,’ Nick said quietly, catching the mortified look on Jenny’s face and trying to reassure her. ‘Seriously, you’ve seen my workplace … I deal with this kind of thing every day.’
Her smile, fleeting as it was, did not reach her eyes. ‘Let’s just eat.’
‘Whatever it is smells great,’ Nick said as he followed her out to the kitchen.
‘It’s probably not up to your celebrity chef’s standards,’ she said nervously.
‘Hey, I still burn my toast—I think your cooking will be fine.’
‘I’m sorry about all that back there,’ she said. ‘I don’t know what gets into them sometimes. They can be ruthless.’
‘It’s all good. Hey,’ he said softly, linking their hands, ‘don’t stress. There’s nothing anyone can do to scare me away. You’re stuck with me, okay?’
‘I guess there’re worse things to be stuck with,’ she conceded, then grinned when he growled at her.
‘Right! Dinner’s ready. Let’s do this,’ she said with renewed confidence.
He wasn’t sure if it was fake or not, but it sounded believable and for the first time in a long while, he felt like a part of a team. They’d get through tonight and any other hurdle that was thrown at them.
