Page 3 of Blame It On the Lattes

Avery

“Ireally don’t thinkwe should be here,” I hissed at Cassidy as she held Kennedy’s hand while trying to balance a bag of groceries on her hip.

“You’re fine, now stop it,” she hissed back, giving me a look over her shoulder before turning the knob and opening the front door of her parent’s house.

“We’re here,” she called out.

Warm air that smelled of freshly baked bread greeted us, immediately overwhelming my senses as my mouth watered.

Cassidy set the bag down on a table in the entryway, then helped Kennedy out of her jacket as I hung mine on the rack behind us. I nervously smoothed a hand down the front of my dress, hoping it wasn’t obvious how out of place I felt. While I grew up around Cassidy and her family, it had been seven years since I’d been back to Sugarplum Falls, and a lot had changed since then—like me marrying a controlling asshole, having his baby, and then filing for divorce and having to start over.

“Do you need help?” Sam asked as he rounded the corner from the living room.

“We got it, but thank you,” Cassidy said, leaning in to hug her brother. “Kennedy is going to help me make macaroni and cheese for dinner tonight.”

I smiled at how happy my daughter looked as she bounced excitedly with Cassidy.

“I can’t wait. I’m sure it will be delicious,” Sam said, smiling down at her.

Cassidy led Kennedy into the living room, and it surprised me how much she already felt at home there. We’d come by yesterday to say hi to Cassidy’s parents after she insisted I needed to get over myself when I refused to come for dinner. Amelia and Ron were two of the nicest people I had ever known, and they always made me feel welcome in their house.

“I brought wine,” I blurted out, handing Sam the bottle I had carried inside my purse. “Cassidy said sometimes you guys drink it, but don’t feel obligated to indulge because of me.”

I shook my head, already irritated with myself for rambling. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to give myself something else to focus on other than the way Sam was looking at me.

“Wine is always welcome in this house,” he said, accepting the bottle. “We’re happy you and Kennedy are joining us for dinner.”

“Cassidy didn’t give us many options,” I joked with a soft laugh. “She threatened to knock me out and carry my lifeless body inside if I didn’t agree to come willingly.”

“Well, I mean, you did give her a weapon.” He held up the wine bottle as evidence.

“True.” I laughed, enjoying the way the corners of my mouth felt. It had been so long since I’d smiled, let alone laughed, that it felt foreign to me.

“So, how are things going?” he asked, staying in the entryway.

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my dress and lowered my head.

“They could be better,” I admitted. “But soon, I’ll be on my feet again, and that’s all that matters.”

“If there’s anything I can do...”

“Thank you. I appreciate that. Right now, I’m just super thankful that Cassidy is offering us a place to stay as we pass through.”

“Where are you headed?”

I noticed the same furrow in his brow that I’d seen yesterday.

“I’m not sure yet.”

He nodded and rubbed his lips together as if keeping from saying something.

“Well, like my grandpa used to say, life always has a way of sorting itself out.”

I smiled the best I could, but it felt like those words were impossible to believe right now. He nodded and led the way into the living room, where I found his parents sitting on the couch, talking with Kennedy.

“Thank you for having us for dinner,” I said as they stood to hug me.

“Oh, dear, like I said yesterday, you’re always welcome in this house. You never need an invite. Just show up and make yourself at home.”

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