“And I,” her mom spouts off from the back seat, “can get a head start on seeing how well my daughter’s being treated.
* * *
We eat a late lunch on the patio of a wee café overlooking the water. Because I had to suffer through Mrs. Flowers’ questions, I catch Justice’s earlobe in my teeth and whisper a reminder of the last time we were at a restaurant on the water.
“You got engaged,” she quietly replies while her parents chat amongst themselves over the menus. “Now, no kisses in front of my dad.”
“Ye mind wit happened when we stepped outside. Yer arse was seated on the tabletop, and yer hands were around my head while—”
“I’ll stop taking the pill.” Her eyes twinkle.
That shuts me up real good.
An hour later, we stroll past a couple of shops and into the newly purchased Mia’s Place. The place is gutted. A table is in the center where I assume the main bar will be. Leith, Chevelle, and Edward, Erika’s uncle, are listening to another lad.
Erika’s on crutches near the rear, arguing, but by the sound of her tone, she’s doing more bargaining than anything. My niece Mia springs into the room.
“Uncle Brody!” she screams my name.
“Oh, she’s so precious!” Mrs. Flowers gasps.
“Yes, a little doll,” Mr. Flowers says.
As Mia bounds toward me at top speed, the others notice us at the door.
“We could’ve been robbers.” Justice is suggesting a door chime.
Mia gets to me then skirts around me. “Uncle Cam!”
“That fecking hurts.” I clutch a hand at my heart as she jumps into Camdyn’s arms.
“I was getting off my bike and saw you all walking over here,” Camdyn says, running a hand through Mia’s hair and kissing her forehead. “Hag, how ya doing, girl?”
“Hag?” Mrs. Flowers’ mouth drops.
Chevelle heads over, faking a glower at Camdyn. “It means sweetheart in Gaelic.”
“Yeah,” Mia nods. “Daddy makes me hag. You can all call me—”
“Come here, rascal.” Chevelle takes her from Camdyn’s arm, planting the lassie on her bony hip. While Chevelle talks to the Flowers like they know each other, I mutter, “Twigs is also Gaelic for—”
“Stop it.” Justice laughs softly. “Dad, Mom. Chevelle and I will show you the blueprints with Mr. Dorsey. He’s Erika’s uncle.”
Erika pitches a tiny wave from near Edward as they head over, leaving me, my two bràthairs, and Chevelle.
“So,” she says, “Harley waxed and ready for your new school?”
“Yup.”
“C’mon, you’re in for a fresh start, Cam.”
“Aye, American. Ye got that fecking GPA,” Leith adds.
“One point higher than yours.” Chevelle bumps my bràthair with her hip. Leith loops an arm around her, and they walk over to the others.
“Cam,” I connect gazes with my wee bràthair, “ye still maddy?”
He snorts. “That you asked Mom and Dad to pull me from public school? Nah. You didn’t turn rat. What you did was set me up with wealthier clients. DuPont Academy is the perfect place to expand my horizons and fatten my pockets. Good lookin’ out for me, bro.”