Page 18 of Whiskey Wednesdays

Anger rose, but I tamped it down. “You want him to help you take care of your daughter after you accusedhisdaughter of stealing from you.”

His eyes narrowed. “I never accused you. And where are you going with this?”

I narrowed my eyes back. “I don’t like you very much, Mr. McCoy.”

“I’m well aware of that, Ms. Cruz.”

“Are you going to have lunch with us?” Elodie called from the fire engine.

I turned to her. “No. But I’ll come over this week to my dad’s house and we can play with Shawnda if you want.”

Her face lit up. “Okay! Can we have lunch then?”

“If your dad says it’s all right. I’m going to talk with him for a few minutes, then I’ll push you on the swing. Okay?”

“Okay.” She waved and went over to the slide where a couple of little boys were playing.

I watched her for a minute, then reluctantly turned back to Connor. “You can call me Isabella, and I’ll call you Connor.” I said his name like I was chewing glass.

He nodded and studied me carefully. “So?”

I crossed my arms. “Have you apologized to my dad yet?”

“No. And I didn’t accuse you of stealing.”

“You’re splitting hairs. If my dad is going to nanny for you, then you need to find someone to help with the maintenance and landscaping. And a caregiver for Elodie on the weekends and evenings if you aren’t around. He needs some time off.”

He nodded. “It’s already arranged. And I hired a remote personal assistant as well.”

“Good. Maybe this one won’t quit on you as quickly as the last one if they don’t have to talk to you face to face. One more thing. Pretend you give a shit.”

He took off his sunglasses and glared. “What do you mean?”

“Your employees. Call them by their names, and show some appreciation once in a while.’”

His jaw flexed but he kept silent.

“And don’t allow other people to mistreat them. I know they get paid, but my dad is a kind, hardworking person. You’ve never thanked him, and you called him ‘the guy with the big hat’ who trims your hedges. Your yard looks immaculate, and your flowerpots and gardens are stunning.”

He nodded stiffly. “I’ll apologize. This isn’t an excuse, but there’s been shit going on in my life…”

I stared at him flatly.

Connor sighed and watched Elodie play with troubled eyes. “I won’t take him for granted again. This isn’t about me.”

Elodie was talking animatedly with the two little boys at the bottom of the slide.

My shoulders slumped. “This isn’t about me, either. I’ll tell my dad we’re okay.”

Just then Elodie waved at me excitedly. “Belly, I have two new friends!”

“See? I knew you could make friends here,” I called back.

“I’d like to hire you to help too.”

I sat back, surprised. “No way.”

“Why?”

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