AllFreeNovel
Share Us
So why was I looking?
Feeling that flush overwhelm my face, I turned away and ran into the kitchen to quickly grab a muffin from earlier.
“Here, I hope you have a good day,” I awkwardly proclaimed, and my hands suddenly shook.
What in the world was wrong with me?
Those silver eyes lowered to my outstretched palm. His strong fingers delicately took the baked good, and while he stood there staring, he scoffed.
“Of course, you bake.”
It was like ice-cold water doused over my head, taking me right back to the gym when he’d told me I was too delicate to learn self-defense.
Yes, I baked, and it wasn’t like I was trying to win any awards. I just liked learning how to do new things, and I had never been given permission to create when I lived with my parents. Now I could do what I wanted.
He turned and left, unwrapping the muffin as he went. I shut the door and tried to shake his comment. It didn’t matter.
The girls all finished off their muffins with a glass of milk as I considered what to do with our afternoon. The snow hadn’t melted quite yet, but the temperatures had risen, and that, paired with the sunshine made it feel warm outside. My thoughts instantly went to whether or not it was safe for the kids to play in. How did parents know if it was safe for their kids to play outside?
Deciding Colson would know, we all bundled up and went on a field trip to his house. Nora was still at the Community Center as far as I knew, but his truck was in his driveway, which meant he was home. I knocked lightly before pushing through the door.
“Uncle Cole!” the girls all shouted in unison.
My brother poked his head around the corner with a carrot stick hanging out of his mouth.
“Girls!” he mouthed around his snack. He hugged each of them but they were gone as soon as he released them.
His thumb jutted over his shoulder, finishing his mouthful. “So, you’re serious about this then?”
I shrugged. He and I had become closer over the past week, and with Nora back, it seemed like we’d been together our whole lives and not living in the divide that my parents created.
“You know I think it’s cool, right?” he said as he chopped up a few more veggies on the cutting board.
I slid onto one of the stools at the counter, waiting for him to elaborate.
“Liam doesn’t have many friends. I mean, I’m basically it. His ex…” He shook his head as he kept his back to me, the sound of chopping filled the space, along with the distant sounds of the girls laughing from the guest room.
“She just did a number on him. He can be rough around the edges, but he’s a good guy. Just be careful.”
He turned toward me, carrying his tray of veggies. I snuck a green bell pepper strip, giving him the same glare, I had given Jeffery when he’d warned me away from Liam.
“Don’t give me that look. I’m just trying to be your big brother and watch out for you. I owe you at least that.”
“Then why do I need to be careful? We’re just trading services. I help with the girls, he teaches me self-defense. It’s a good deal.”
Cole’s eyes narrowed on the tray in front of us, his jaw flexed as he considered what I said.
“It sounds weird when you say that out loud; try to limit how often you do that.”
I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh before grabbing another bell pepper.
“The reason I came over is because I need to know if it’s warm enough for the kids to play outside if they wear all their gear?”
He chewed another carrot, narrowing his gaze. His eyes flicked from me to the snack in front of us, like he wanted to say something else, but I really couldn’t handle any more warnings about Liam.
“It’s just…in California we don’t have anything near this cold to compare it to, and I’m just not familiar with what’s normal.”
Letting out a sigh, he looked up to the ceiling like he was still struggling with letting the subject drop. “Yeah…it’s safe. They’d probably love it. Twenty and anything lower is usually too cold unless they’re geared up real good, but their boots…”
