Shameless(17)

He lets go of my arm and stares out the window. The urge to hug him is overwhelming, but I know we have to have some boundaries.

“Don’t be upset with Cal on my account. He treated me really well. Like a sister. And I love living here.” The tension in his face starts to wane, so I continue. “You don’t owe me anything. In fact, if it’s a burden to have me here, I can… I can go.” Oh, God. What am I saying? My heart pounds at the thought of leaving, but I don’t want Brady to feel like I’m some squatter or feel obligated to keep me on if he can’t afford it.

His head jerks back. “Jesus. That’s what you’re getting from this conversation?” He rubs the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, Katherine. That’s not what I mean at all. Fuck, I feel like an *.”

“Ash-hoo. Ash-hoo.” Bella grins up at us, and I smack Brady in the shoulder.

“Stop, or she’s going to sound worse than your biker bar friends.”

He rubs his arm, chuckling. “I don’t hang out at biker bars.”

I huff out a breath and deadpan, “Fine. Your strip club friends.”

He laughs. Thank God. “Try art-school friends.”

Realizing I’d better take advantage of the smiling guy in front of me before he turns into Mr. Moody Pants again, I motion toward the hallway. “All right, Picasso. Get your biker butt into the bathroom. And don’t forget the bubbles.”

He raises an eyebrow. “So you like bubbles.”

I mock punch him in the arm. “For the baby, perv.”

That grin widens. “Sure.” That dimple winks at me. “For the baby.”





11





Brady





I survey the mess in the bathroom. As I shift on the cold, wet tile, my knees protest. “Is this a nightly routine?” Please say no.

A gleam of humor flickers in Katherine’s eyes. “C’mon, tough guy. It’s just a little water.” But then she realizes she’s soaked from head to toe and she sighs. “Okay, it’s a lot of water. Can you watch her a sec while I change?” She shakes her head.

“Yup. I’ve got her.” I reach over to scoot the baby away from the faucet as Katherine’s footsteps fall away.

The tub is full of floating characters I’ve never heard of until now. Guess I’d better learn.

Katherine returns a minute later as I hold up a rather phallic-looking, bumpy pink guy with one eye. I glance back at her with a questioning look. “Really? This is what kids are playing with these days? It looks like a di—”

She covers my mouth with a finger and laughs. “Let’s not teach Bella any more new words tonight.” Her hand falls away. “That’s Dippy from Dippy and His Magical Kingdom, which I assure you is a family-friendly show. The music will make you insane, but kids love it.”

“He looks like a cock,” I mouth.

She shakes her head at me and does her best to hold back a laugh. She’s changed into a pair of yoga pants and a dark, long-sleeved Henley that hugs her slender curves. She’s not wearing any makeup, just those ridiculously sexy glasses that slip down her nose.

Employee. I repeat that to myself. You do not check out your employees.

Which reminds me. She needs to fill out a 1099.

As I blow bath bubbles at Izzy, the phone rings in the other room, and after making sure I’ve got the baby, Katherine trots off to answer it.

Izzy tips forward. “Whoa there,” I say, trying to reposition her. “You’re a slick little bugger when you’re wet.” She laughs, babbling away as she splashes around.

No lie, I’m going to have a goddamn heart attack. What if she topples over? What if she bangs her head on the tub? What if she knocks out one of those little teeth on the faucet? What if she inhales some water?

Wiping my forehead on my arm, I take a deep breath.

I don’t know how my parents can care for a one-year-old. Izzy is a great baby, but she’s constantly moving. I have no idea how Katherine keeps up with her, much less how my parents will be able to handle her.

A splash catches me in the eyes. “Nice aim, doll.”

Izzy giggles, and I smile even though I’m momentarily blind. Feeling around for a towel, I manage to knock over some bath soaps. Eventually, I give up and reach for the hem of my t-shirt and yank it up to dry my face.

Someone clears her throat, and I drop my shirt to catch Katherine standing there, lips parted, cheeks slightly flushed. Her eyes dip away, and she nods toward the other room. “That was one of our neighbors calling to check on us. Make sure we were okay. They do that around here. It’s kinda nice.”

“In Boston, you’re lucky if you don’t get run over. We’re called M*s for a reason.”

She chuckles, placing a hand on me to scoot around and get the baby out of the tub. I try not to notice the warmth of her touch or how good she smells. I shouldn’t notice these things. But I do.

Moving out of the way, I study her smile. The soft pink hue of her full lips. The way she tilts her head like she’s embarrassed. How gentle she is with Izzy when she dries her off.

It’s been a long day. The girl must be exhausted—she was up long before I was—but she’s yet to complain. I have no idea how I’m going to afford her and her back wages, what she really should’ve gotten and not some measly hundred dollars a week, but I’ll figure out a way, even if it means selling the Harley.