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This sucked.
He met his older brother’s eyes. “Not really.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “She’ll be all right.”
Like Michael would leave it at that.
His brother inhaled—a loaded breath. Nick braced himself for an interrogation.
Why’d you get all jumpy when Gabriel said g*y guys are creepy? Are you g*y, Nick? Of course it’s creepy. God, and we’ve been living under the same roof. Jesus, what would Mom and Dad say? Maybe you should sleep in the basement.
But Michael didn’t say any of that. “I need to ask you a favor.”
Nick coughed. He needed to turn his brain off. “What?”
“I feel bad asking, because I know you worked two extra nights this week—”
“It’s fine. What is it?”
His tone was rougher than usual, and Michael looked a bit unsettled. “Tomorrow is Hannah’s birthday. Her parents are taking her out to dinner, and they asked if I’d like to join them.”
Nick went still. So this had nothing to do with him at all.
“What’s the favor?”
At this point, he’d do pretty much anything if it took the focus off of him. Paint a replica of Van Gogh’s Starry Night on the ceiling? Sure, Mike. Let me get my brush.
“You can say no if you want,” said Michael.
Now all the uncomfortable small talk made sense. Nick’s subconscious let out a sigh. “Why don’t you get around to what it is before I start saying no?”
“Would you babysit?”
“You mean for James?”
“No, Hannah’s other five-year-old. Yeah, I mean James.”
“Do I have to go there?”
“No, she can bring him over here.”
Nick smiled. “Okay.”
Michael’s eyebrows went up. “Really? I was worried you’d have plans. Everyone else does.”
It would probably be good to let Quinn have a night off from his presence. At least she wouldn’t have a reason to bail on Adam again. “Nah. I have a big physics exam on Friday. I can study after he goes to bed.” His insides relaxed. “What’s everyone else doing?”
“Gabriel and Layne are watching Simon’s basketball game, then going to a movie; Chris said he and Becca are doing something, which sounds suspiciously like taking advantage of the fact that her mom won’t be home; and Hunter said he and his mom were going to catch a late dinner to talk things out.”
“No landscaping jobs?” said Nick.
“No jobs. I was actually planning to watch James so she could go out with her folks. We could take him with us, but I thought maybe I could get one of you to watch him . . .”
The air was practically trembling with anxiety. “You’re nervous,” said Nick.
“I’ve met her dad, but it wasn’t on the best terms.”
Meaning, the night Gabriel had been arrested for arson. Hannah’s father was the county fire marshal.
“They asked you, right? I think that’s a good sign.”
