“S’fine, I guess.” He shrugs. “Different from Maui.”
“Food’s on the grill,” my dad announces before I can dig deeper into his short answer.
One by one, we file out the glass doors and onto the deck, where he pops the top of a local beer and hands it to Millie.
She grimaces at the can as she takes it.
Biting back my own disdainful look at my dad, I take the can from her. “What can I get you?”
“There’s sparkling water in the fridge,” Kane pipes up. “Lime flavored.”
With a shake of his head, Dad scoffs. “I don’t know why he drinks that fluffy stuff. I told him he’s welcome to a beer.”
“Dad.” My hackles raise in irritation. “He’s fifteen. He can’t drink.”
He lets out a derisive chuckle. “Take the stick out of your ass and live a little.”
Millie catches my eye, her lower jaw nearly detached from her head. Rather than refute the statement, she turns to Kane. “Sparkling water would be great, thank you. Lime’s my favorite.”
“Me too.” With that, he slips inside. When he returns with two cans, my fake wife and my new brother tap their drinks together in a toast.
Though my dad frowns at them, I ignore his ire and spend the next hour focused on getting to know Kane.
Millie and I offer to clean up after lunch, leaving my dad and brother behind on the deck.
“He’s the absolute worst.” She shoves paper plates into the trash can with so much force the whole thing nearly topples over. “I don’t think I can do this. We’ve been here for barely an hour, and I already want to toss him into the Pacific.” She strikes a hand through the air. “Tied to a thousand-pound anchor.”
I turn to the closed sliding glass door to make sure we’re still alone, then clasp my hands over my chest. “Please don’t leave,” I whisper. “I don’t know how I’ll make it up to you, but I promise I will. If not for me, then for Kane. He just lost his mom, and this is who he has to live with now. Please, Mills.”
I’d get on my knees right now if it meant she’d stay. Not that I’d mind the view.
She exhales in response, cutting into the visual forming in my mind. I shake that image off faster than a dog after a bath.
Stepping so close I’m practically looming over her, I unleash my best pleading face, hoping like hell the expression and my comment about Kane and his mom tug at her heartstrings.
“Fine,” she grunts.
Instantly, my shoulders sag.
“But.” She jabs a finger into my chest. “I will take payment in foot rubs and tacos, thank you very much.”
“Feet and tacos. Got it.” I salute.
“Notfeet, you goof.” Head tipped back, she laughs. “Unless you have a foot fetish?” She quirks a brow.
11
Millie
KANE LEAVESto hang out with friends, and Rob excuses himself to do who knows what. Thank the fucking gods, too, because I don’t know what I’d do if I had to endure one more minute in that awful man’s presence.
Thirty seconds with him nearly caused an aneurysm. How am I supposed to last two weeks?
Free vacation to Hawaii.
Free vacation to Hawaii.
Free vacation to Hawaii.
