I make direct eye contact with Mack. "And you said a dented one, right?" I deadpan.
He slaps me upside my head, exactly like my father would have.
"No, dipshit. I said, green beans. They're reliable. Delicious. Pair well with just about everything."
He winks, and a shiver runs down my spine. "Please don't ever say anything like that ever again."
Brooke shrugs. "I thought it was spot on." She wiggles her brows and throws us a smile. "Catch you guys later."
Right when I think I've escaped the conversation, she looks over her shoulder. "Seriously, Liam. Call her."
Mack glances down at me with curiosity etched into his brow. "What was that about? Is she trying to set you up?"
"Yeah," I say. His eyes double in size before I finish my sentence. "With a nanny."
His face falls flatter as he reads the situation. "But you didn't like her?"
I exhale heavily, taking a vested interest in the roll of tape still in my hand.
"Or you did like her?" he asks, unsure.
"She was late," I say bluntly.
"Did she have a reason?"
I roll my lips in and peer up at him.
"Okay, so yes. Probably a good one too. Next problem."
"She got fired from her last job."
He tilts his head side-to-side. "Why?"
I clear my throat, tossing the tape back into the med-kit. "The family was moving."
Mack scoffs and props his foot up on the bench. "Anything else?"
"Yeah," I say with more aggression than I mean to. He waits patiently while I come up with some excuse for why I feel the way I do. When he sticks his neck out at me, waiting for a response, I pull one out of my ass. "She didn't take her shoes off at the door."
"Oh, for Christ's sake, Liam."
"What? It's common courtesy!"
"It's foofy is what it is. Just like that excuse."
My jaw tightens as I attempt to think of a retort.
"Did she seem capable?" he asks before I come up with anything.
My continued silence speaks volumes.That girl is more than capable.
"Then, enough with the bullshit. You're too old."
My eyebrows shoot up. "Real rich coming from you."
He drops his foot and plops down next to me. "You're throwing a damn tantrum because the last few haven't worked out. Don't punish a good one for their mistakes." I open my mouth to argue, but he cuts me off. "Or yourself. Or Ruthie, for that matter."
I lean my forearms on my thighs and let my head fall between my shoulders. "This shit's taking a toll on me, Mack."
