you think you can...”
“Re-lax.” Linda’s tone was condescending. “Of course, I can’t take Hallie with me. That’s why she’s staying with you for a while.”
“What?”
Ignoring Lachlan’s one-word question, Linda bent and drew the little girl into her arms, kissing her on her golden pigtailed head. “Be good for Daddy. I’ll call you from LA.”
She straightened again and took a step toward the door as if that was that, but Lachlan’s words halted her in her tracks. “Oh, no, you don’t, Linda. We need to talk. Kitchen. Now.”
Linda glanced at her watch, let out a dramatic sigh and then flicked her long hair over her shoulder. “Fine, but I don’t have long. My plane leaves in two hours.”
Lachlan looked to his daughter and smiled warmly. “Hallie, you wait here. Mom and I will be out in a moment.” Then, dragging the woman by the arm, he led her into the kitchen and slammed the door shut, leaving Eliza alone with the little girl.
She stared at the child. Lately, she couldn’t even handle being around her best friend’s children, never mind strangers’ offspring.
“Hello,” she said after a few moments of silence. Despite her own discomfort at finding herself in the middle of a family drama, Eliza felt for the girl. Although she didn’t know the ins and outs of the situation, it was clear this child was Lachlan’s daughter, that her mother was dumping her here unexpectedly and her father didn’t seem pleased with the news.
However dire her own life was, this was a stark reminder that she wasn’t the only one with problems. And a kid as cute as this one should not have to deal with such rejection. It made her blood boil.
“Who are you?” the little girl replied.
“I’m Eliza,” she said with what she hoped was a friendly smile. “Your dad is interviewing me to work in his new restaurant. Did I hear your name was Hallie?”
“Yep.” The girl shuffled forward and flopped into the chair Lachlan had just vacated. The sigh that slipped from her lips sounded far too heavy for someone who could only be about eight years old, nine max.
Before either of them could say another word, raised voices sounded from the kitchen.
“Do you not want her?” Linda shouted.
“Do you want to play a game?” Eliza asked loudly. She’d borne witness to a number of screaming matches between her own parents before they divorced and she didn’t believe any child should have to hear such things. Especially not their mom questioning their dad’s love for them.
Hallie rolled her eyes. “It’s okay. I’m used to my parents fighting and I’ve been waiting for this day for as long as I can remember.”
“What do you mean?” Eliza found herself asking. “Has your mom’s aunt been sick for a while?”
Hallie laughed. “I’ve never even met my mom’s aunt. I meant I’ve been waiting for her to get rid of me like she did my brother.” Before Eliza could ask what she meant, Hallie added, “My twin brother has got a condition called cerebral palsy that made Mommy not want him.”
The little girl’s words shocked Eliza and she found herself unsure of what to say, but Hallie continued on in a matter-of-fact way, “Oh, that’s not the story she or Daddy will tell you. They say they grew apart like grown-ups sometimes do and took a child each, but I’m not stupid. I go to Daddy’s house every second weekend but Mommy never takes Hamish. That’s my brother by the way.”
“I see.” Eliza’s heart hurt—in her research for the interview, she’d read an article on the internet saying that Lachlan had sole custody of a son with special needs, but she’d never imagined the reason why.
“And if Mommy can give up Hamish, then I always knew that one day she might also give up me.”
“But she’s not giving you up,” Eliza rushed to reassure the child. “She’s going to look after your sick relative.”
Hallie shrugged. “I’m actually glad. Daddy and Hamish live with Grandma Nora, and now I will, too. She’s the best. And I already have my own bedroom there.”
Despite the child’s attempt at bravado, Eliza saw her lower lip wobble and knew the girl was close to tears. Poor precious little thing. Eliza didn’t blame her. But she did blame her parents. Fighting within earshot of her and both carrying on as if looking after her was a hassle. Some people didn’t know how lucky they were.
The voices in the kitchen grew louder, more irate, and no matter Hallie’s declaration that she was used to this kind of thing, Eliza couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. She got to her feet and held her hand out to the little girl. “Will you show me round the distillery gardens?” While we wait for your parents to finish, she added silently. “I loved what I saw when I drove in.”
Hallie raised an eyebrow and took a moment to reply as if she knew this was a ploy to get her away from the firing line, but then she pushed her own seat back and stood. “Okay,” she said. “If you insist. Come on.”
As Eliza followed Lachlan’s daughter to the door, she glanced in the direction of the kitchen... This interview was not at all going how she’d hoped.
“Tell me this is some kind of sick joke, Linda!”
Holding her chin high, she folded her skinny arms over her surgery-enhanced chest and glared at him. “Joke? Looking after my ailing aunt is not a joke.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Cut the crap. There is no aunt.” Her father had never been on the scene, and as far as he knew, Linda’s mother was an only child.
Linda let out a long, deep, clearly irritated sigh. “She’s my mom’s estranged sister if you must know.”
“So why isn’t Carol trekking across the country to look after her, then?”
“What part of the word estranged don’t you understand?” she said, speaking slowly as if he were five years old. “Besides Carol has just started a new job in Bend, she can’t just take time off when she feels like it.”
“But you can, because you have never worked a day in your life.” He was about to ask her if she had any idea what it was like to look after someone with a terminal illness—Linda had never been the nurturing type—but he figured she’d work that out pretty quickly.
“There’s no need to be such an ass about this.” She blew air between her lips, flicking her platinum blonde bangs upward as she did so. “You’d think I’d asked you to sail around the world naked, not look after your own daughter.”
“Keep your voice down,” he growled, glancing toward the shut door. He’d been in such a good mood five minutes ago—thinking that he might have finally found the perfect person to lead his waitstaff—but now he could almost feel the steam hissing from his ears. “You’ve got some nerve. You know I want her. I’ve always wanted her and our son, but your timing couldn’t be worse. I’m trying to open a new restaurant here, and you interrupted me in the middle of an interview.”
Linda smirked. “Oh, that makes sense—for a moment there, I thought you were on a date.”
He hated himself for it but he took the bait. “And why would that be so amusing? You don’t think I date?” She’d be right. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on a date—between having permanent custody of their son, every second weekend with both kids and work, he didn’t have the time—but he wasn’t about to admit that. Not to her.
“Keep your pants on,” she said, obviously highly amused. “I just meant that woman isn’t your type. She’s a little too... How should I put it? Rounded?”
His