“Mom says you gotta say why you ’pologize,” Asher said, proudly setting his fork on his empty plate.
Ellie laughed a little too loud. “How about we get you a cookie, Mr. Kangaroo?”
He followed his mom into the kitchen.
Nick wondered if he should apologize to Maisie’s mom or go after her but he promised Asher he’d take him outside. Scooping up a huge bite of potato, he focused on his food.
“You have to stop doing that to her, Mom,” Natalie said quietly, tossing her napkin on her plate.
“Wanting what’s best for her? She lives in a tiny little apartment and leases the space across the hall, barely a closet, for work. Is it so wrong that I want her to see that she’s more than that?”
Nick fought back the desire to protect her, to speak up for Maisie. The only other person he’d felt the need to do that for was his sister.
“Maybe she wants the same,” Jacob said, his tone strained.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Laura didn’t like having the tables turned on herself.
Jacob stood up. “It means, maybe she wantsyouto see that she’s more than you just described. Did you see the photos she took of her friend Hailey’s wedding? She wasn’t even the event photographer and it was her photosPage Sixprinted.”
Laura stood up. “I’m not saying she isn’t talented.”
“No, Mom,” Natalie said quietly, taking her husband’s hand. “You’re just telling her that her talent isn’t enough.”
Nick excused himself before things went any more sideways than they already had. He couldn’t stop thinking about Maisie. Going into the kitchen, he hoped to find her in there but wasn’t surprised when he didn’t. Asher sat at the island looking at his iPad and Ellie was cleaning up.
“Mo family, mo drama,” Ellie said.
Nick laughed. “Guess we’re lucky then, huh?”
Ellie looked up at him as he stood next to her, grabbing a towel to dry the dishes she was washing. “I feel pretty lucky.”
They worked side by side for a few minutes but he knew his sister well, even if he didn’t get to see her as much as he wanted.
“What’s going on?”
She looked up at him, strands of her blond hair getting in her eyes. She blew them out. “I don’t want you to get mad. It’s not a big deal and I dealt with it so it’s done.”
Nick’s fingers tightened on the dishcloth. “What?”
“When I was closing up the lot tonight, there were a couple of photographers. One of them asked some questions. I told them no comment and that my land was private property. They were smart enough to stay outside the fence. But, just so you know, if you go into town again before you leave. Hard to stay under the radar even in a town this size when you’re showboating as a celebrity goat.”
Nick laughed at the ridiculousness of the statement. “My publicist thought it was fantastic. Gives people something to talk about other than my game or my injury.”
She bumped his hip. “Plus, Hester dropped off your cookies as a thank-you. I don’t think I’ve ever had more cookies in my house.”
“I love cookies,” Asher said from behind them. “We gotta save some for Santa.”
“We will, honey.” Asher went back to laughing at something on the screen and Nick felt his sister’s gaze.
When he looked down, a surge of affection swamped him.
“You need to watch yourself,” she said quietly.
Nick’s lips tightened. “What’s that mean?”
She tilted her head toward the dining area. “Colt’s protective of Jacob’s sisters. Which makes sense. He’s protective of me too.”
Smoothing the cloth, he measured his words carefully.
