“Yeah, well, I got shit to do now.”
Blowing out a breath, Mak willed herself not to get angry. That route never worked with Lee. As difficult as it was to feel like his guardian, he never seemed to see her that way either. If she got a little lecture happy, he would shut down. “So, are you gonna look for another job? I might be able to get you something at the diner.”
His audible snort had her frowning. “No, thanks. Love you, sis, but I’m not interested in working with you and living with you. Too much togetherness.”
Okay, well that kinda smarted, but again…eighteen-year-old boy. “Well, I’m sure there are plenty of places looking for help with the summer coming up soon. Tourist season and all that. And since school will be done soon, you’ll be able to work more hours.”
Finally, he lifted his gaze. “Ehh, not sure I want to work right now.”
Say what?
What the hell did he think he was going to be doing all summer? And what happened to the mature, responsible, caring brother who’d rescued her, protected her, and supported her throughout their childhood? Was this just a normal period of rebellion or a symptom of a deeper problem?
“Look,” he cut in before she was able to pursue the troubling statement, “I’ll watch them this Saturday since it’s so much money, but from now on, you gotta make other arrangements, okay?”
Forcing back a sigh of frustration, Makenna nodded. She couldn’t afford a blow-up with him right now. “Sure.”
“If it’s far in advance, you can ask me, but not a few days out.”
“Fair enough.” But was it? No, none of it was fair. Hell, her whole life had been unfair. And when had she started thinking along the lines of fair anyway? Those thoughts led to nothing but bitterness and misery.
Because fair would be sharing an apartment with a group of girlfriends. Fair would be taking Thunder up on his offer the other night. Fair would be never having had to marry a man three times her age. It’d be fair if she’d been allowed to dream of a future. To make goals, work toward a satisfying career, to have a life of her own. Fair would be cutting her list of responsibilities down by about ninety percent.
Wasting brain power and time on fair was a fool’s errand. Maybe that was the lesson Lee needed to learn.
“Great, thanks. Hey, I’m going out in a bit. Don’t wait up,” he said, then strode down the hall toward his bedroom.
What the hell had happened to her beloved brother? To the boy who helped her get the kids to bed every night? To the teen who snuck her icepacks after each punishment? To the young man who carried more than his share of the weight as they escaped the community? What happened to the boy who kept her sane when she feared they’d made a huge mistake in leaving? When she’d been too busy working every hour possible to properly take care of everyone, Lee had jumped in and kept the kids happy.
Where had that boy gone?
With a sigh, she stared down the empty hall. That boy had grown into a young man who realized all that had been stolen from him in his young life.
For a few moments tonight, while Emmie slept on Thunder’s chest, she had a glimpse of what life would be like with a man. It’d be so easy to close her eyes tonight and run with that fantasy. Let it morph into a dream where Thunder played a starring role, her siblings had a father figure to look up to, and she had a partner to walk through life with. But she wouldn’t allow herself to indulge in those domestic thoughts. Instead, she’d let the evening be what it was.
A beautiful illusion.
CHAPTER TEN
DAYS LATER, THUNDER still couldn’t get the time he spent at Makenna’s out of his mind. He’d left, feeling…weird. Off-kilter, in a way he couldn’t quite come to terms with. The following day at work, he’d been so distracted Zach had nearly kicked his ass out the door when he’d tried for the tenth time to get Thunder’s attention. Throughout his shift, he continually zoned out, replaying every aspect of his conversations with Makenna.
The woman was incredible. How she made it through each day with a smile on her face knowing the height of responsibility piled on her plate baffled him. Despite all he’d glimpsed of her home life, he had a feeling it’d been the tip of the iceberg. Mak had a past. An ugly, dirty, grimy past that led her to become the mother to her five younger siblings. None of them had hinted at such a story, but bits and pieces of the Makenna-puzzle were starting to fall into place.
They’d popped up in town not long ago.