“You’d think that hope would make them tip better.”
“I know, right?”
I sighed and took another sip of my drink. “On set, everyone knows me as Mac’s kid.”
“Is he an actor?”
“Stunt coordinator.”
“And you really didn’t know he had stepsons?”
“No, I knew that.” Hell, I’d resented him for that over half my life. “But I didn’t know they were working on the movie production or I never would’ve come here. I thought he’d just give me a job, I’d rarely see him, and that would be that.” Actually, that kind of was the case. But it was a little harder to avoid Aiden and Tanner when I had to live with them. “I like your stepping-stone idea, but I just don’t know what I’m going to do next. And I hate sitting around the dank and dusty office like a useless lump. I may not know movie making, but I’m not useless.” I didn’t add that it hurt that perhaps they all probably thought I was.
“Then do something productive,” Kylie said after getting drinks for a pair of women at the end of the bar. They looked like they’d just gotten off of work. Presumably, their employers actually had something for them to do.
“I’ve tried.”
“Not for them, for yourself. Since you’re not able to help them, you can help yourself. Use the time to learn a new skill or something.”
“Like what, costuming?”
Kylie laughed at the expression on my face. “Maybe not that, but something. You could try one of those language-learning apps and learn Spanish.”
“I already speak Spanish.”
Her eyes flew to my dark hair. “Right, sorry. Not many people around here do. Hey, why don’t you spend the time trying to get back into your fitness routine? You said you’ve let a lot of that stuff slide lately.”
“That’s an idea.” I thought it over. There was a lot of equipment in Ford’s gym or parking garage or whatever you wanted to call it. Plus, I could increase the intensity of my running.
Still, it didn’t sit quite right. “They’d be paying me to do nothing for them.”
“But that’s already the case now, and it’ll still be true whether you do something to help yourself or not,” Kylie pointed out. “Besides, it might benefit them in the long run.”
“How so?”
She grinned. “Maybe a movie star will get stuck in a burning building and you’ll use your newfound super strength to go in there and pull him out.”
“It could happen,” I said, with a grin. Then I thought of Aiden. “Or I could grab a seat and eat popcorn while the building falls down on top of his arrogant head.”
“Yeah, that works too, because if you get more fit, you’ll be able to metabolize the popcorn better.”
We giggled at that idea. And again later when I convinced Kylie to take a break and throw some darts at Aiden’s face, er, the dart board.
By the time Evan showed up to drive me home, I was properly sloshed, but it was the best time I’d had in days. Weeks even.
I’d definitely be back.
9
Aiden
Mac texted me during dinner. And after. And pretty much every half hour, asking where his precious little girl was. It was a bit much from a man who’d left her years ago. I didn’t agree with Ronnie on much, but there was no disputing that fact.
I turned down the volume on my phone. Not so that I could hear the game we were watching, but because I didn’t want to hear the goddamn thing buzz the next time Mac texted.
Why the hell didn’t he text Tanner? Mac had always treated me like the elder son, even though I was only twelve minutes older than Tanner. Twelve fucking minutes—yet somehow this situation was on me.
“I can hear the vein in your forehead throbbing from here, mate.” Ford had his eyes on the television, but I knew he was talking to me. Mac could just as well have contacted him. After all, he was the one Ronnie had deigned to send a message to. Not Tanner or me.
“Are you sure that’s all she said? That she didn’t need a ride home tonight?”
Ford sighed. “I read you the text twice.”
I bit back the retort I wanted to snap out. None of this was his fault—it was hers. The pampered princess who I hadn’t even thought about in years. Not since the first year or two after Mac joined our family. Back then, he wouldn’t shut up about her. Daddy’s little girl. I always felt bad for the other kid, Ronnie’s brother. Mac rarely mentioned him. Perhaps between me, Tanner, and Ford—who spent at least half his time at our house—Mac figured he had his share of sons or son substitutes.
But it still wasn’t enough to make up for his precious little girl.
“She probably just went to Moab for dinner or some shopping,” Tanner said, not for the first time.