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"Well, she couldn't find the stick. But I knew right where it was. So I helped her."
All the bad things that could have happened flew through her mind- alligators, water moccasins, unstable lake bottoms. Charlie could have been seriously hurt. Why did she assume he'd mind her? ''That's not a good enough reason to go against my instructions, my rules. There will be repercussions."
"What's repercussions?"
"You won't be able to watch TV for the next two days,” Eva said, taking his arm and tugging him toward her car.
"What? No. I didn't mean to, Eva. I was trying to help Biscuit," Charlie cried, trying to pull away from her.
"Doesn't matter. You put yourself in danger by disobeying me. You're punished."
"No, you can't do that. You're not my mom," he said, yanking his arm from her grasp.
"I'm your guardian, and I'm in charge. You don't mind, you don't get privileges." Eva grabbed his arm again and tugged him toward the car. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Clint's eyes widen.
Yeah, buddy, you want to date this? I don't think so. Cause we're a package deal.
"Ow," Charlie screeched. "You’re hurting me."
"I'm not hurting you. Get into the car. It's time to go." Eva felt irrational anger rear up inside her. How dare he act like a ...brat. She'd spent the past two weeks sacrificing any sort of peace in her life for him.
"You are hurting me and you're being mean. I didn't do nothing and you're being a big, mean asshole.” Charlie flung open the back door of her car.
Eva’s eyes widened. “That’s inappropriate language. Where did you hear that?”
Charlie scrunched his face up, crossed his arms, and buttoned his lips.
Eva turned toward Clint, sucking in deep breaths while trying to count to ten. "I'm sorry you had to witness this. I'm learning kids aren't the most rational of creatures."
Clint lifted his eyebrows. "Yeah, I see. Good luck with that."
"So you want to rescind that invite?" she teased, trying to beat down the irritation she felt at Charlie with some humor.
"No way. I love kids."
Eva arched an eyebrow.
Clint grinned. "Okay, I don't. But I would love to spend time with you."
Again, a warning flag. ''Okay, it's your funeral."
''Not yet", he said, giving her a smile and wave as she slid into the driver's seat.
She caught sight of Charlie in the rearview mirror. He glared at her in that age-old gesture that meant ''you're dead to me."
Great.
"Thanks for the cake," Clint called.
Eva waved and started the car, rolling down the cypress-strewn drive laced in Spanish moss.
"You do understand that all kids get in trouble for doing what you did." She glanced back at her brother. "Charlie?"
"I'm not talking to you."
"Well, you just did," she said.
Inside she still felt shaky. The thought of Charlie floating facedown in the lake haunted her. At that moment she knew this wasn't just about providing care. No, some thing more was going on inside her. She knew she loved Charlie. He was her brother, and loving him came with the territory. Like having wavy hair and a prominent Italian nose. But suddenly it was so... visceral. She felt an... almost rabid fear of losing him. A bizarre thing she'd never experienced before had sunk its teeth into her.
