Page 24 of Mr. Wrong
Cassie nods again.
“So, since your Uncle Lex and I are both grown-ups, we should be able to share and be nice to each other, right?”
Cassie nods again. Neither Landon nor I say anything to dispute her. I think we’re both too stunned to speak.
“So, your uncle and I will share the pool house,” Ellenore looks up at me, practically daring me to call her a liar. When I don’t, she re-focuses on Cassie. “I’m not here to hurt anyone, Cassie.” She aims it at my niece but I have a feeling she’s talking directly to me. “I just want to do my job—and that’s getting you ready for kindergarten in the fall.”
Cassie crosses her arms over her chest and shrugs. “I can already tell time.” She sounds smug when she says it. “And I can write my name—Uncle Lextaught me.” She aims that one at my brother and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing out loud.
“It sounds like your uncle has made my job a heck of a lot easier.” Ellenore holds out her hand to Cassie. “Want to help me pick out some stuff for your new schoolroom?”
Cassie’s arms drop and she looks at me. Before she can say no, Ishooher away. “Go on,” I tell her. “You help Ellenore and I’ll make the pancakes.”
She stands there for a second before she turns away from me and takes Ellenore’s hand while I pretend it doesn’t hurt like hell when she does.
Seventeen
Ellenore
First,I thought Lex was a bartender at his brother’s bar and he was fired for sleeping with that bitchy cocktail waitress. Then, I thought maybe he was Landon’s personal assistant and had been fired for being lazy or something more serious, like embezzling or wrecking his brother’s Lamborghini.
Now I know the truth.
Lex wasn’t a bartender.
He wasn’t Landon’s PA.
Lex was Cassie’s caregiver and Landon didn’t fire him for being lazy or wrecking his car.
He fired him because of me.
I’m his replacement.
No wonder he won’t even look at me.
While Cassie and I sit at the table and leaf through one of the catalogs and Lex makes breakfast, Landon makes a phone call on the landline to someone named Killian, telling him that the new hire has arrived and needs to have hercodes and prints set up—whatever that means.
“Elle, will you walk me to my car?” Landon says, his tone casual but the way he’s looking at me lets me know it’s an order, not a request. “I’d like to go over Cassie’s schedule before I head out.”
This pulls a scoff from Lex, who is pouring maple syrup on Cassie’s pancakes. They smell delicious. I haven’t eaten since the few pieces of sushi Dani forced on me last night. My stomach is not pleased.
Still, I push myself off the stool. “Of course,” I say, watching while he drops a hasty kiss on top of his daughter’s head.
“I might be late getting home but Greta will be here, okay?” he says to her. Cassie doesn’t even look up from her pancakes.
“Okay.” She shrugs, like the fact that she’s not going to see her dad for the rest of the day is nothing out of the ordinary and of little consequence.
Landon stands there for a few moments, looking at her, and I get the feeling that he’s stuck. Like he can’t move toward or away from her. Like he knows he should stay with her but he can’t or maybe doesn’t want to. Finally he clears his throat and nods. “Love you, Cass.”
“Love you too, Dad.” She says it to her pancakes again, like he’s a ghost. Like he’s already gone.
Moving toward the back door, he motions for me to follow him. “I just wanted to reassure you that despite what you said, you won’t have to share living quarters with my brother,” he says leading me under the arbor and through the garden gate. “I have a house in Malibu. Lex can—”
“He can’t leave.” It’s out of my mouth before I can catch it, my tone stopping him in his tracks.
Landon cocks his head at me and narrows his eyes. He’s obviously not used to being interrupted by subordinates. “Oh? And why is that?”
“Because he’s obviously Cassie’s primary caregiver.” I shake my head at him. “You can’t just take him away from her.”
