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"Nope," I say. "You're not allowed to clean or cook. You're only allowed to have a good time and rest." I chew my burger thoughtfully. "In fact, why don't you stay at my apartment so you won't be tempted? It would make more sense for me to stay at your house anyway, since all Harper's toys are there."
"Yes," Harper shouts. "Stay at my house, Unca Ash."
"Thank you, Harper. I think I will."
I pick up my burger and resume eating.
"Fine," Amelia says. "But only if Russ doesn't have a problem with you taking time off."
"He won't have a problem." Russ might be a workaholic, but he's a tender-hearted guy. He'll understand why I need the time off.
"Okay. If you're sure, I accept."
I've got a mouth full of burger, so I give Amelia a thumbs up.
We finish our meals and chat with Harper. When we're done, we follow Harper back to the playground and sit on a nearby bench while she plays in the sandbox with some toys Amelia pulled out of her giant Mom bag.
"What's the story with you and Clover Weston?" Amelia says.
I sigh. "Can I just tell you it's none of your business and you'll respect my boundaries?"
"Her father destroyed our family. You know Dad never recovered from losing his father's land."
"Clover's not responsible for her father's crime." And I'll never tell my sister what she's too young to remember, that Clover came to our house with her father and looked at all of us with her big eyes and spouted lies. She was three years younger than me and she convinced me. She probably believed everything she said to us.
Whether she was broken when the truth about her father came out or she admired him, she could have grown up to follow in his footsteps. She's dangerous, no matter how well she kisses.
For once in my life, I'm going to make the smart choice. I've always expected the best from people and still do, no matter how many times I've been proved wrong. Maybe because my parents are the best people I've ever known. Maybe because my first best friend, Grant Holiday, is a genuinely good guy. In any case, it's just a part of me.
Just as much as it's a part of me to believe in true love and happily ever afters.
But that doesn't mean I can't change and learn to accept reality. Clover Weston is toxic to me and to my dream of owning a gym. Staying far away from her is the only option.
"What are you doing making out with her on trails, anyway?"
I run a hand through my hair. I don't want to get into this, but Amelia's going to hear about it no matter what I do. "She wants to buy the gym."
Amelia gasps and glances at me, expression outraged, before she goes back to watching Harper dig in the sand. "Russell promised you the gym."
"I don't have the money yet, Amelia. I don't blame him for considering a better offer."
"So that's it? He's selling the gym to Clover Weston?"
"I told you, I don't think he wants to sell at all. He's putting us both off by making us compete in a trail race in a month. Winner gets the gym."
She pats my knee and leans forward. "No sand in your mouth, Harper." Harper drops the sand and Amelia sits back. "Or Russ is giving you time to save more money and convince the bank to give you that business loan."
The truth, one that I don't want to admit even to myself, is that I'll probably never convince the bank to take a chance on an ex-con no matter how much money I can save up. "The bar offered me more hours."
"You can't work all the hours you have now, Ash—" She slaps a hand over her mouth, then drops it. "You can't watch Harper this weekend. You need those shifts."
"Melly, an extra six hundred bucks won't make a difference to the bank. And I need to spend more time with my niece. I was gone too long."
"I don't like this. I don't really need a weekend to—"
"Nope," I say. "You're going to take the weekend whether or not you like it. One of the weeknight bartenders wanted to trade some shifts with me anyway, so this is actually perfect." Another lie. I'm going to have to beg and promise favors to get my shifts covered. Saturday should be easy, because tips are great, but Sunday… A problem for another day. "And I've already agreed to take on the extra shifts. I get into trouble if I have too much free time."
"You still like to work on cars?" she asks, getting to her feet to follow Harper as she toddles off toward the slides.
