LITMIR.BIZ

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      “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

      “You’re at their beck and call.”

      He scowled down at her. “Lady, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

      “Really? Let’s see…” She gestured toward the washing machine. “You’re here, on what I’m assuming is your day off…?”

      She paused and looked at him expectantly. What else could he do? He nodded once and she continued. “And what are you doing on this gorgeous morning? You’re changing water hoses.”

      “They needed to be replaced and—”

      “Yes, they did, but Britney could’ve done it.”

      “Britney can’t tell a wrench from a screwdriver.”

      “If you’d teach her how to take care of things herself, she wouldn’t have to have someone ride to her rescue all the time.” Though Nick had at least five inches on Faith, she somehow managed to look down her nose at him. “I didn’t want or need your help with Austin. What I want is for you to keep your nose out of my business.”

      “So you’d rather have your pride than accept a helping hand every once in a while?”

      She flushed, but he couldn’t tell if it was from embarrassment or anger. “I don’t need your charity.”

      “You think I don’t understand what it’s like for Austin, sitting here while you work? How bored he is?” Nick clamped his lips shut. The last thing he wanted was to open up to her about how he knew exactly how the kid felt. Not when she obviously thought so little of him.

      His mother might not have dragged him to work with her, but she had left him at home in charge of his sisters. There were plenty of times he’d had to put his needs second.

      But he hadn’t minded having to quit baseball so he could be home to watch Britney after school, or that he didn’t get a video-game system when he was fourteen because they’d needed new snow tires for the car. He had a responsibility to his mother and sisters—the same responsibility Faith Lewis felt for her son. Family did for each other. So why did she think his favors for his sisters were anything different?

      “I thought Austin would like something to read to pass the time,” he continued. “But if I was out of line, I apologize.”

      Then, because he didn’t care one way or the other if she accepted his apology, he went back to the washer. Kneeling, he unscrewed the hoses from the back of the machine. Water dribbled onto his hands and he wiped them on his jeans. After a moment, he heard the sound of her footsteps as she walked away. Too bad she’d left her soft floral scent behind.

      How the hell had she twisted his simple gesture into something to be pissed about? He pinched the bridge of his nose. Even after being surrounded by females his entire life, he still found them a mystery.

      “Ms. Garey wants you to come out when you’re done,” Britney said as she entered the room. “Her niece is visiting next week and she was wondering if you’ll take her out.”

      “I’m busy.”

      “I didn’t even tell you what days she’ll be here,” Britney said. “Oh, and Ms. Garey wanted me to remind you of how she let you retake some English final your senior year so you could graduate with the rest of your class instead of suffering the humiliation of summer school.”

      He grabbed the new hoses, viciously tightening the connection for the cold water one. “Blackmail is illegal.”

      “Hey, you’re the cop. You tell her.”

      Nick tilted his head to the side. Why him? He was a decent guy. What had he done to deserve this? “Is this the same niece she set me up with a few years back? The vegan?” He connected the hot water hose. The wrench slipped and he whacked his knuckle. Pressing his lips together against the pain, he shook his hand. “Because I’ll tell you right now, I’m not eating one bite of her tofu casserole or whatever it was she cooked up for me the last time.”

      “Take her to the Wave Runner. She can get the all-you-can-eat salad bar.”

      “And spend the night listening to her lecture me about eating lobster? No thanks.” He stood and dropped the dripping hoses into the utility sink. He grimaced when he finally saw his sister. “What the hell are you not quite wearing?”

      “Now, Nicky, if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times, I’m a grown woman and I can dress however I want.”

      The headache that had started when Faith ripped into him intensified. “True. But I’m pretty sure I can write you up for indecent exposure. Aren’t you supposed to wear that vest over something? Like a shirt?”

      She adjusted the hem of her top. “For your information, Michael likes the way I dress.”

      And the last thing he needed to hear was how his baby sister’s latest unemployed, stringy-haired, dumber-than-Nick’s-firearm boyfriend liked her to show lots of skin. “I’ll sleep better tonight knowing that. Toss me a towel, will you?”

      Britney handed him one from the dryer, then leaned against the washing machine while he sopped up the water on the floor and put his tools away. “If you had a steady girlfriend, you wouldn’t have to go out with the mean old vegan.”

      He locked his toolbox and stood. “No.”

      “Why not? Faith is sooo nice and she’s smart and funny and—”

      “And she’s off her rocker. She’s also mighty ticked off at me, so even if I was interested—which I’m not—I don’t think you’d be able to convince her we’re destined to be together.”

      “What do you mean, she’s ticked? What did you do?” Britney asked suspiciously.

      He folded the towel and laid it on top of the washing machine. “What makes you think I did anything?”

      “Now, don’t get all sensitive.” Britney poured a cup of coffee, added creamer and handed it to him before getting a bottled water out of the fridge. “Come on. Spill.”

      He quickly filled her in.

      “That doesn’t sound like Faith,” she said thoughtfully. “Although she is very protective of Austin. Maybe she was just worried about him going that far on his own?”

      “Maybe,” Nick conceded. But he had a feeling whatever had set Faith off was more than that. His cell phone rang. “Coletti,” he said after opening it.

      “Nicky,” his sister Andrea said, “please tell me you’re not busy.”

      He turned his back on the new hoses. “I’m not busy. What’s up?”

      “Marie called. Isaac’s sick. Marie thinks it’s chicken pox.” Their sister Marie ran the day care center Andrea’s two kids, five-year-old Isaac and two-year-old Dana, attended. “He needs to be picked up, but I can’t get away from work until two-thirty and Tuesdays Steve is at his Brunswick office and—”

      “And you need me to go get Isaac.”

      “If you don’t have any other plans,” she said in a rush. “I’d really appreciate it.”

      So much for meeting a few buddies for an afternoon golf game. “No problem.” He wedged the phone between his shoulder and ear and shoved the washing machine back in place. “Tell Marie I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

      “Thanks, Nicky.”

      “Isaac’s sick,” he told Britney after he hung up. “Marie thinks it’s the start of chicken pox.”

      “I told Andrea she’d regret not getting those kids vaccinated.”

      “Her choice.” He picked up his toolbox.

      “Wait.” Britney grabbed his free

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