Chapter Three
Murder.That’swhatIwas going to commit. My sister was as good as dead when I got my hands on her. I couldn’t believe the gumption of her. The nerve!
Tyler looked up from his paper and winced. “Don’t shoot the messenger.”
I scowled. “I’m going to shoot your wife, and then I’m going to bring her back just to do it again.”
Hank screamed at me from his highchair and reached desperately for more of his breakfast. I jumped into action and airplaned another bite of his food into his hungry little mouth.
“The party is ridiculous enough. Hank is just turning one. He’s never going to know any of this happened. But the setup! It’s my second day here. What is she thinking?”
“That you’re a little high strung and could use a good lay?”
I scoffed at Tyler and then laughed. “I hate you.”
He grinned. “You know Kara never means any harm. She’s worried about you and how alone you’ve been. You know she just wants the best for you.”
I puffed out a big breath and shook my head. “I’ve been alone by design. I don’t need to be set up. I don’t need a good lay. I had a good lay once, and it got me this beautiful little boy that I’d never regret, but he’s enough.”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.” Tyler straightened his paper and put it aside. “So. The birds and the bees.”
“Go to hell.”
“Condoms, Mallory. Use condoms and you can have all the good sex you want to have without worry.”
I fought another laugh. “I really don’t like you.”
“You love me. And you love your sister. Which is why you’re going to meet the mystery man tonight and pretend to have a wonderful time. Because you don’t want your sister to have one more thing to worry about. Right?”
“Hey, that’s emotional blackmail, I’m pretty sure.”
“Well, I never claimed to be good. I’m not above getting dirty to make sure my stressed-out wife relaxes for even one second.” In an uncommon moment, Tyler grew serious. “Lord knows I’ve caused her enough stress for a lifetime.”
I fed Hank another spoonful and sat in the silence for a moment, wondering what to say to Tyler to make him realize that Kara would’ve lived through a thousand times the stress of him being sick if it meant she got to love him for a second more.
As usual, though, Tyler didn’t let the moment stay pensive for more than a second. “Anyway, I’ve seen Isaac. He’s a fucking fox.”
Taylor happened to be coming into the kitchen just as his dad swore. “Dad said a bad word!”
Casey appeared like magic. “Ten bucks to the swear jar, or eight to us. You choose.”
I gaped. “Are you shaking down your dad?”
Tyler pulled out his wallet and pretended to be angry. “I’m raising a bunch of crooks if you ask me. Real mobsters. Here. Take my last few dollars and go.”
I watched as they grabbed the money and ran, already discussing what they were going to buy. “Well, that was fun.”
“I saved two dollars, to be fair.”
“Is the swear jar a thing? Because I don’t keep a lot of cash on me.”
“Only if the twins hear you.”
“So, yeah, it’s a real thing.” I sighed. “They hear everything.”
“Try having sex in this house. It’s damn near impossible.” Tyler wagged his brows at me. “You could have sex in Isaac’s house, though. No listening ears there.”
“You’re impossible!”