Page 69 of Releasing 10
“Uh-huh.” Grinning, she leaned her hip against the island and dried her hands with the tea towel. “Among other things.”
“Like what?” I blurted out, trying and failing to play it cool. “I mean, uh, she said stuff about me?”
“Aw, look at you blushing over my sister,” Caoimhe crooned. “This is too cute.”
“Hugh’s in love,” Claire chimed in then. “He wants to smooch your sister.”
“Claire!” I snapped, feeling my face grow hotter. “Stop it. You know I don’t.”
“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” Claire teased, while she danced over to our babysitter. “He’s always asking me questions about her.”
“Ohreally?” Caoimhe’s eyes danced with mischief. “What kind of questions, Claire?”
“Like what’s her favorite color, and does she like dinosaurs, and who’s her favorite author, and does she talk about him at school,” my sister replied with a snicker. “He even draws her pictures, and writes little notes, and makes me bring them to school for her.”
Groaning, I fought the urge to run upstairs and die from my shame in private.
“Lizzie draws pictures for Hughie, too,” Claire continued, spilling my secrets, as she led Caoimhe into the lounge. “And she writes notes with love hearts on them, and I have to bring them home for him.”
“Omigod,” Caoimhe gushed, sinking down on the couch next to Claire. “That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I think Hughie is Lizzie’s boyfriend,” Claire offered. “Like Gerard is my boyfriend.”
“No, I’m not,” I argued, feeling all sweaty and awkward, as I hovered in the archway. “And Gibsie isn’t yours, either.” I shook my head, feeling flustered. “He’s just a boy who’s yourfriend. Same as me and Liz.”
“Nuh-uh, Hughie,” my sister argued back, gesturing for me to come and sit next to her. “Gerard says he’s going to marry me when I’m a big girl.”
“Aw.” Caoimhe laughed. “My little Gibs told you he would marry you?”
“Yep.” Claire smiled proudly. “Except we’re getting kittens after the honeymoon and not bull guns.”
“Shoot me,” I muttered, sinking down on the couch. “Seriously.”
“Do you have one?” Claire asked then, climbing onto her lap. “A boyfriend?”
“Yep, I sure do,” Caoimhe replied, smiling. “Actually, I think you guys might know my boyfriend: Mark Allen.”
“Ew.” Claire reared back, looking horrified. “Just ew.”
Caoimhe laughed. “You don’t approve?”
My sister shook her head. “His daddy was kissing Gerard’s mammy when he wasn’t supposed to,” she explained, scrunching her little nose up. “Gerard says they were being cheaters on his daddy.”
“Oh boy.” Caoimhe sighed. “Well, that’s not good, is it?”
“Nope. That’s a bad thing.”
“Sometimes grown-ups do bad things,” she agreed. “But just because the grown-ups do bad things, doesn’t mean the kids are to blame.”
Claire looked confused, but I knewexactlywhat she was trying to do.
“It’s not Gibsie’s fault, is it?” Caoimhe clarified in a gentle tone.
“Nope.”
“Exactly.” Caoimhe smiled at her. “Then how can it be Mark’s fault?”
This seemed to throw my sister, and she frowned. “Huh.”
