I love it here. I inhale the ocean breeze floating in through the open windows. The house is sprawling and bright; it just feels like summer. It breaks my heart that this is the last I’ll see of it this year. I can only hope that they’ll invite me back to stay all next summer to nanny for Parker and the new baby. Although that’ll probably mean I won’t have much time to spend with Maggie and Kaden. But still … to be here for an entire summer again before I leave for college would be a dream.
“Isaac!” Parker squeals excitedly. I set him down, and he runs to the boy seated on the stairs, looking down at us from between the painted white spindles. “Come see my trains!”
“Not now,” Mrs. Harrison tells the boys before they can disappear upstairs. “We’re going to have dinner, and then you need to take a bath before bed.”
“I’m not tired,” Parker argues with his arms crossed. He’s trying to look defiant, but his puckered mouth and furrowed brows only make him look more adorable.
I laugh and immediately cover my mouth when I realize I shouldn’t encourage him.
“Isaac’s going to have dinner with us too,” I say, trying to defuse the sulking boy. “C’mon. You can sit at your special table.” Which is actually the kitchen table with the built-in window seats.
The adults sit in the dining room, so we can all fit. We designated the kitchen as the kids’ special table, no grown-ups allowed. But considering it’s all open and we can see them easily, we’re technically in the same room.
Parker grabs Isaac’s hand and leads him like he’s the older one of them. Isaac, being the easygoing nine-year old that he is, doesn’t argue and allows Parker to drag him away.
I help Parker with his plate of pasta and meatballs, setting a cup of milk in front of him, while Isaac settles in next to him with his own plate.
“Let me know if you need anything,” I tell the boys before filling my plate and joining the adults at the long dining room table. If not for Kaden, I’d honestly prefer to sit with the kids. More because of Cassandra and her theatrics than anything else.
“I’m sorry I didn’t realize Isaac was coming up with Cassandra,” Mrs. Harrison tells me. “I hope you don’t mind.” She’s saying this because she knows I’ll be looking after him too. Cassandra may have been his escort, but she certainly won’t be taking care of him.
“It’s no problem,” I tell her sincerely. “He’s such a great kid. He’ll probably help me with Parker more than anything.”
“Can you believe Violet had the nerve to ask me to bring him along?” Cassandra huffs dramatically. “I mean, he’s not even my brother.”
“Well, I appreciate it,” Niall says, shutting her up. “I haven’t seen my little brother for the past month, so it’s nice to have him here this weekend. I’ll take him out on the boat tomorrow. Would you like to come along?” His attention is on Cassandra’s boy-toy. I haven’t caught his name. It doesn’t matter; he won’t be around long.
And that’s when I notice it. The diamond on her left ring finger. I choke on the water I’m swallowing.
Kaden rubs my back. “You okay?”
I nod, still unable to tear my eyes away from the large emerald-cut diamond flashing light like a disco ball.
“What are you doing?” Mrs. Harrison questions in alarm.
“What?” Cassandra responds, unaffected, continuing to pour white wine into her glass. “Relax. It’s only one glass.”
Mrs. Harrison presses her lips together, visibly fighting to keep her temper in check. She doesn’t want to make a scene. I can tell. She is the epitome of class—unlike her sister. But this once, I really wish she’d let her have it, whatever she’s upset about. Maybe Cassandra just got out of rehab or something. It wouldn’t surprise me.
Her … fiancé … remains quiet across from her, the furrow in his brow the only indication that he also doesn’t approve. But Cassandra ignores everyone staring at her, gulping down a large swallow of wine like she’s dying of thirst.
“I’d love to come out on the boat with you, Niall,” the guy says. “Thanks for the offer.”
Neither man bothers to ask Cassandra. From the way her fiancé’s currently looking at her, he’d probably push her overboard if she accepted.
“Kaden?” Niall directs his attention to his younger brother. “Like to join us?”
“No thanks,” Kaden replies, taking my free hand under the table. “I was planning to take Parker and Faye to the beach in the morning.”
“I figured you’d say no, but I had to ask,” Mr. Harrison says with a subtle smile, looking between us.
“Are you two still together?” Cassandra asks, scrunching her nose like she can’t believe it’s a possibility.
I bite back the snappy retort on the tip of my tongue and smile. “Yes. We’re still together.”
“That’s so messed up,” she says with a judgmental laugh.
“Cassandra, must you?” Mrs. Harrison scolds before silently apologizing to me.
Cassandra dismisses her with a deliberate sip from her glass.
Kaden squeezes my hand as I clench my teeth together. How is she possibly related to Mrs. Harrison? They had to have been raised separately or something. Or maybe some people are just born evil. Even so, apparently, someone loves her. I feel bad for him, but then again … he did ask her.
“I’m duuun!”
Grateful for the excuse to leave the tense table, I rise to attend to Parker at the kitchen table.
“I’ll help you,” Kaden says, standing with me.
He doesn’t like conflict either, maybe less than I do. Perhaps it’s because his parents fought so much the first few years of his life before his mother finally left his father, also leaving him and his older brother behind. Eventually re-marrying a younger and wealthier man to start a new family. But Isaac is with us so often; evidently the second family didn’t take either.
“Let’s get your tomato face into the bath,” I say to Parker, who’s wearing more sauce than probably made it into his mouth.
I wipe at Parker’s hands before he can cover everything he touches with marinara and help him from his chair. Kaden takes our plates to the sink, Isaac carrying his and Parker’s.
“Can I have bubbles?” Parker asks, racing across the hardwood toward the wrapping grand staircase.
“Of course,” I call after him.
“Isaac, wanna take a bubble bath?” Parker hollers from the stairs.
Isaac looks to me with a face that says he doesn’t, but he feels bad, saying it.
“He’s already had his bath,” I tell Parker. “This one is just for you.”
Isaac reveals a small smile of appreciation. He doesn’t say much but somehow expresses everything.
From behind us, the tension continues to boil over.
“I can do whatever the fuck I want with my body! Don’t you dare get all high and mighty with me. This isn’t yours. It’s mine!”
Mrs. Harrison must have voiced her disapproval about Cassandra’s drinking once we were out of earshot. Although half the island is within earshot of Cassandra’s response.