Page 9 of Axe Marks the Spot

The name of my ex-husband makes me flinch. “Nothing he isn’t known for doing already.”

“Does he want Kas to come down for the summer?”

I shake my head. “He’s too busy with his girlfriend and some new deal he landed for a fancy NBA player. She’ll continue to visit him one weekend a month—that’s the agreement as of now.”

“Too much, if you ask me,” Nathan says.

I nod, agreeing. But while I hate Jeremy and the woman he cheated on me with, I’m not going to deprive Kas of her dad. He may be a dick to me, but he loves his daughter, and Kas likes the one weekend a month she spends there.

“Then what’s going on?”

The truth is on the tip of my tongue. I should tell him that it’s more than being overworked and overtired—I feel as if my life has gotten away from me.

And while I’m sure Nathan knows, Mom leaving us hurt. I understand why she moved back to Santa Solana, but it really messed up the pattern we’d fallen into and brought up some abandonment issues I’ve never addressed after Jeremy cheated. Not to mention, with it being summer and Kas not being in school, I’ve had to find childcare for her, which has taken more money from my paycheck. Between that and the lawyer bills I’m paying, I’m drowning.

The house is often a mess, and I feed Kas cereal or Pop-Tarts for breakfast and frozen food for dinner instead of home-cooked meals like Mom used to.

On top of that, I’m so goddamn lonely. I miss being touched, held, kissed.

I take a breath through my nose and force a smile for my younger brother. Since he was a kid, I’ve always tried to be strong for him, show him that I’ve got it all together. With age, that hasn’t changed.

“Like I said, just tired.” He cocks his head at me, the “really” look now plastered on his face. I sigh.

“The summer is just a little rough is all. Kas not being in school puts pressure on me financially since I need childcare without Mom here. I’ve been paying Rina’s daughter, JoJo, from next door to help out. It’s been difficult, and I know that sounds selfish because I’m not entitled to Mom’s help.”

“That’s not selfish, Linds. Not at all. And I hope you don’t think Mom left because she felt like you were taking advantage.”

A nagging voice in my head that’s been saying that since she left comes to the surface. “I wouldn’t blame her if that is why she left. She already raised us and took care of Dad when he was alive. She deserves to have time to herself now.”

“That may be true, but you know it’s because she didn’t like the small-town life here. She missed her friends and the ocean. You know she probably would have stayed if you were honest about needing help. You told us you were fine.”

“I’ll be okay. I just need to make it till the start of the school year at the end of August.”

“Until then, let me know what days you need help. I’ll take Kas as much as I can.”

“You already take care of her when I pick up extra shifts and helped so much last school year.”

“Make a calendar, and tell me what days,” Nathan insists. “You know Fox and Morgan love Kas, and I can do my marketing work for Morgan and Fox while I watch her.”

“Are you sure?” I exhale.

“Positive. Make the calendar tomorrow and email it to me.”

Fox and Morgan return with two rounds of shots collected in their hands. Morgan slides in next to me and throws an arm around my shoulders, using her free hand to push a shot toward me.

I stare at the layered brown-and-white shot. “What the heck is this?”

Morgan shakes me playfully. “I went safe and got some slippery nipples since Moose and his bartenders didn’t know how to make a lemon drop. The weirdos.”

The name of the shot is ridiculous, and I find myself smiling again, my conversation with Nathan and my problems starting to slip away. Morgan’s infectious energy also helps, and I’ll admit having my brother’s help more during the next month and a half will ease the pressure I’ve been feeling.

“Couldn’t have just gotten us vodka?” Nathan asks, picking up the shot and staring at it.

“Where’s the fun in that, Wolfie?” Morgan sing-songs.

Fox picks up a shot and, without a word, downs it. All of us watch him as he swallows then slams the empty glass on the table.

“That tastes like shit.”