Page 2 of Night of the Living Manny
“I will take you Saturday! Hand me the scissors!” He snapped it, but he didn’t dare apologize. Parenting was guerilla warfare.
She gave him the scissors, handles first.
Now Susanna.
The doorbell rang just as Liam reached the stepladder set up against the refrigerator. The ladder went flying, crashing against the counter, which sent the stacked breakfast dishes slamming to the tile floor.
“Motherfucker!”
“Daddy!” Brittany gasped.
“I swear to fucking God, Susanna….”
She clung to the top of the fridge. “Dad. Help me!”
Liam grabbed her, trying to see her safely to the floor. Christ, sixteen going on seventeen was heavier than he remembered. He did get her down, though.
“Peter, can you get the door?” Liam screamed it, but at least there were no cuss words.
“Got it, Dad!”
“No! I want to do it!” Brittany yelled.
“Dad asked me!” The undeniable sound of a fall, followed by sobs, filled the air, and then the door opened.
“Daddy? Did you get us a dog?” Brittany’s tears dried right up. She sounded gleeful.
“A what? No. No, I didn’t.” Right? He hadn’t. Surely Susanna had not ordered a dog for Brittany. That wasn’t possible. You had to go in person and pick one up.
A lowwoofwas the answer, and he was suddenly very worried. He set Susanna down before racing out to the front room. There was an enormous black dog sitting on Brittany, licking her face.
Behind them, with Peter, stood a lean man with sandy-blond hair, smiling at the two on the floor.
“Dad? Is this some date from Grindr?”
“Susanna, I will murder you in your sleep, I swear to God.”
The guy chuckled, a warm, easy sound. “Hi. I’m Brenden Torrance.”
“From the service? Come on in.”
“What? Dad! No!” Susanna’s protest was super loud.
He glared at Susanna for a moment. “You and Peter are not inspiring trust. Come in. I’m Liam Whitehouse, and these are my kids.” He swept his hand toward each one. “Peter, Susanna, and Brittany.”
They were a motley crew—Susanna was wearing shorts that were too short and a shirt that had been his before Diana had gotten sick and he’d lost a hundred pounds. Peter looked like he was possibly homeless, and Britt? She just looked lost about what was happening.
“Nice to meet all of you. Can I help?” Brenden asked.
“I need a haircut,” Brittany said automatically.
“I can actually do that, but I think we have a few other things to do first.” Brenden smiled, which left Liam blinking a little. Pretty.
Stop it.
This was not the time to be admiring a hot young man. This was an emergency.
“Please come in. We’ll sit in the front room.”
