Love Handles (Oakland Hills #1)(38)

Liam stepped towards the kitchen. “Man, I’m starving. Mind if I make myself an appetizer, Mom?”

“Don’t you dare!” Trixie released Mark and ran after him. “You stay out there where you belong. It’s bad enough Mark stole one of the eggs.” She shoved Liam back into the dining room and disappeared into the kitchen.

Liam walked over and poured himself a glass of lemon-spiked ice water. “You’re moving in here?” He cleared his throat. “With Mom?”

Mark eyed him over the rim of his glass, then kicked it back and drained it. “Just for a while. And don’t. Just don’t.”

Liam was tempted to tease him about not being ready to survive in the wild, but that might drive him away again. Liam realized he was damn glad his only brother was back home. Trying to keep his face innocent, he asked, “What?”

Mark shook his head and looked at April. “What have you been up to? I hear you got a job with an insurance company in San Francisco?”

“Just temping, thank God,” April said. “As if I’d want a career in insurance. I’d rather die.”

“Tough hours, then, Ape?” Mark asked.

“Eight o’clock. In the morning. It’s practically dark. I had to move in with Liam to get there on time.”

Mark’s pinched face softened into the sweet, open grin Liam remembered. “How long as she been crashing there?”

“Just a few weeks—” April said.

“Six months.” Liam edged their sister out of the way and put his arm around Mark. “You should see the losers she drags home.”

“That’s one way to get rid of her. Can’t she live with one of them?” Mark said.

“I’ve tried, but none of them will keep her for long.”

April kicked him in the shins and strode to the kitchen. “Just for that, I’m never moving out.”

When their sister was gone Liam gave his brother a hard look in the eye. “Why are you really here?”

Mark’s mouth dropped open to protest, but the fight drained out of him like air out of a bag. “Mom was right. I was lonely.”

“Lonely? But you’re—” he paused, trying to think of an unloaded term. Anti-social. A loner. Reclusive. “You’re so independent.”

“Not in Milwaukee apparently. I got home from school, ate, hung out online, went to bed. Never saw a living soul who wasn’t part of my daily routine—work, shopping, whatever.”

Liam couldn’t hide his confusion. “How’s that different from here?”

“I don’t know. Just was.”

“Huh. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“I know. Maybe it’s pushing thirty or something. I keep getting crazy ideas.” Mark tapped his forehead with his knuckles. “How about you?”

He felt his face get warm. “Not yet.”

“Whoo-hoo,” Mark said, grinning. “That’s progress. Last time you mentioned pigs and hell. Who’s the lucky lady?”

Liam stared at his brother, the man who had more experience with Legos than dating. “Let’s hear more about how you’re going to use Mom as some kind of practice wife.”

“I know I don’t want to be alone forever. That will require skills I don’t currently have. It makes perfect sense.” He stuffed a second egg into his mouth. “So, what’s her name?”

Liam put his glass down on the table and shook his head. At least now their mother would be too busy to give Bev much attention. “I think I’ll go see the dogs. Make sure they haven’t been eaten. You want to come?”

“No. Thanks.”

“Right.” To avoid his mother and sister in the kitchen, Liam slipped out the front and walked around to the dog run along the side of the house, watching his step as best he could in the growing darkness. Inhaling the sharp evening breeze, he peered across the electronic fence line at Ed’s—Bev’s—house and wondered why it was so quiet. Where was she? It was past eight. To his knowledge she didn’t know anyone other than Ellen in the Bay Area.

He was annoyed. She’d better not be still at Fite. That wouldn’t be safe, even with the security guys, not for a woman who looked like she did. Like there was no way she was a man. Even walking to her car and driving to the Bay Bridge wouldn’t be a good idea.

He’d have to talk to her about that.

But maybe he was overreacting and she was home, just conserving electricity. He walked back up the slope to peer over at the driveway, and was standing there in the dusk, casing the joint, just as her little RAV4 came around the bend, signaled, and turned into the driveway.

Liam jumped out of sight and reminded himself to go see the dogs. In the evenings they preferred to stay inside where their little bodies wouldn’t catch a chill, but if company was coming over his mom kept them in an insulated porch off the kitchen. She’d installed a children’s playhouse and carpeting and piped in their favorite bluegrass music, just so they wouldn’t feel left out. He followed the sound of Ralph Stanley’s banjo around the back.

His attention was behind him, however, on the house next door.

He heard her engine die and her car door slam. So why weren’t any of the house lights coming on?

Biting the inside of his lip, he looked down at the quivering dogs. They looked like they would be happy to have a run around the yard, maybe check out any strange noises. In fact they were pressing their little bodies up against the door with desperation.