sitting in the crook of her arm. âI know itâs hard living here with Nana. She gets crabby, and she doesnât always know what youâre talking about, and sheâs really cheap with your allowance, and sometimes she makes the most disgusting vegetables, right?â
Tuck smiled knowingly.
âSo, letâs make a deal. From now on, Iâll give you your allowance. And anytime you feel mad at your mom, or if Nana doesnât understand what youâre saying, you come talk to me, all right?â
âMom says Nana is a psycho.â
Katie sighed. âSometimes, when grownups are upset, they say mean things.â Her voice was calm, but inwardly she was fuming. How dare Mina say that when their mother had made a career out of bailing her out time and time again? What an ungratefulâKatie stopped herself. Her sister had taken the step to go into rehab. She was trying to turn her life around. Thatâs what Katie needed to focus on.
She gave Tuck a quick kiss on the top of the head. âSo, youâll come to me when things are bugging you? Deal?â
Tuck stuck out his hand for Katie to shake. âDeal.â
âGood man.â
âAunt Katie?â Tuck asked again as he clambered off her bed and headed toward the hall.
âYes?â
He paused in the doorway. âIf I was grown up,â he mumbled quickly, âIâd want to be your boyfriend because youâre so nice.â With that he disappeared back to his own room.
Katie turned out the light and slid back down beneath the covers.
Well, at least someone wanted to be her boyfriend.
CHAPTER 03
Someone wa s staring at him. Hard. Paul could feel steady waves of pulsating energy being beamed his way. He made himself look. Standing not two inches away from the bed was a little boy with a pinched face and a surly expression.
âShoot!â Paul grabbed the silk sheets, scrambling to cover his naked torso. He hated silk sheets. Slick, shinyâit was like sleeping on vaseline. âUh . . . hi?â
The child scowled. âAre you Momâs new boyfriend?â
âUh . . .â
âWhat happened to Gustav?â
Panicking, Paul reached over to the other side of the bed to shake Liz awake. She murmured something unintelligible before turning away from him, taking all the covers with her.
âShit!â Paul grabbed back some covers to cover his nakedness. âSorry,â he said to the boy, who looked unfazed. Paul shook Liz harder. âRise and shine. Câmon.â
Moaning, Liz rolled onto her back, but her eyes remained resolutely shut. Clearly she was not a morning person.
âWeâve got company, dear ,â Paul hissed in her ear. Beneath the covers he gave her a sharp poke in ribs.
âOuch!â Liz yelped, eyes springing open. Turning to Paul, she smiled like the cat whoâd eaten the canary, sighing deeply, contentedly. It seemed to take her a few seconds before she realized her son was standing by the bed.
âGary.â There was displeasure in Lizâs voice as she stifled a small yawn. âWhat are you doing here, sweetie?â
âIâm hungry,â he whined.
âWell, go tell Laurie to fix you some cereal. Could you also be a doll and tell Laurie to make Mumma some nice, strong coffee?â She blew him an air kiss. âOh, and close the door on your way out, will you, honey? Thanks.â
Gary glared at Paul resentfully before stomping out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
âGary can be melodramatic sometimes,â Liz murmured as she gave a big stretch.
âJesus, Liz! Why didnât you tell me you had a kid?â
âI thought you knew.â
âHow the hell would I know?â
âEveryone knows.â She nuzzled against him. âEveryone knows Iâm a poor, single woman back in Didsbury after my horrible, painful divorce.â
âI can see the experience really scarred