Page 15 of The Last Lavender Sister

“What? Doughnuts?” Her whole face lit up. “I happen to adore a good doughnut. Why haven’t I seen this place?”

“We’re tucked away, but if you follow Homer’s Bluff, the street not the town, all the way past the bank, you’ll see us a little ways down on the left.”

“Do you get a lot of traction out there?”

“We do really well. Plus, I’m not a center of town kind of business.”

Brynn smiled. “No. You wouldn’t be. That’s a compliment.” She looked around as if remembering herself. But from what? “I guess I should get outta here and let your life resume as scheduled.” She pointed through the wall to the left. “I’ll just be next door.”

“And I’ll be in here.”

“Neighbors.”

“That’s us.”

They shared a smile and Aster’s cheeks went hot. She resisted the urge to cover them with her hands. Shoved ’em into her pockets instead. Brynn’s smile faltered and then rebounded. “Okay, um, I’m off.” And she was. Like a mother who’d just remembered she’d left a toddler alone with the peanut butter, she was through the door and on her way.

“My neighbor,” Aster said to the empty room, as her brain tried to absorb this new dynamic. She’d be running into Brynn a lot more than she’d originally expected. She’d be literally feet away. This was certainly going to liven things up. Aster just couldn’t decide if it would be for good or to her own personal detriment. Either way, it wouldn’t be boring.Be careful what you wish for. Because they just might move in next door.

* * *

Okay, what was that?

Brynn closed the front door and leaned back against it, her eyes finding the tan ceiling and holding on, an anchor. There she’d been, minding her own business, when a harmless conversation had shifted on her in the strangest way. Somewhere between science fiction and Aster’s doughnut shop, Brynn took acute notice of the way her new neighbor looked in a black tank top. Most notably, the way the fabric followed and clung to the curves of her breasts. Not to mention her fantastic and perfectly toned arms. Were those genetic or from the gym? Because good God. Really? Who knew Aster had such an amazingbody, and why was she allowing herself to remember every detail she’d glimpsed of it? Water. That would help.

Also, also, also, where was this all coming from exactly? She stalked to her sink, knowing what had to be the answer. She’d gone without sex for far too long, and now she was lusting after innocents who just wanted to sell doughnuts and hang out in their homes unbothered by lustful new neighbors.

But she wasn’t actually interested in Aster Lavender. No. Not in a romantic sense, anyway.

Aster was nice enough and clearly very smart. Okay, really pretty too with full, heart-shaped lips. But she wasn’t at all the type Brynn went for. The opposite. She was drawn to life of the party types. Loud, talkative, gregarious. The kind of person who took Brynn’s hand and dragged her onto the dance floor in spite of her protests, sharing a little bit of her tenacity and flair. Aster, cute as she was with her sci-fi novels and dark wit, was not really what Brynn was pulled to.

This was clearly a sign that her libido was not dead, however. That was something to celebrate. It had just taken a little hiatus after an unforeseen breakup that had tortured her heart for far too long.

Her phone rang, saving her from her lust. That better not be Tiffany, she thought to herself, seeing her ex’s face in her mind. A pang of sadness slashed at her. She envisioned the eyes that used to do her in, bright blue and bursting with life. “Uh-uh,” she said out loud and took a step back as if the physical distance would tame her wayward nostalgia. She looked down at her phone in relief. Tyler.

“If it isn’t the new Chicagoan.”

“City mouse reporting for a check-in,” Tyler said.

Brynn laughed. “Country mouse is happy you did. How’s Chi-Town?”

“You know? A lot less scary than I was imagining. My classes so far have been really interesting as well. I’ve made a new friend even.”

“What kind of friend? Are we talking a boyfriend? Spill it.”

Tyler laughed. “Time will tell. But so far, we’re just classmates who enjoy studying together. But he does have good hair.”

“Keeping my eye on you.” Honestly, she was impressed. Tyler had only been in Chicago for a short while, and she was already forging relationships. But intense coursework had a way of bringing people together.

“How’s my practice?”

“I have yet to burn it down accidentally. You’re welcome.” They hadn’t spoken since Brynn’s first day on the job when she’d come up with a list of questions. Since that time, she’d learned the ins and outs of the office procedures and oriented herself on where the supplies lived. She even knew which of the three employees was the most knowledgeable on any given subject. “But in all seriousness, I think I’m finding my stride. Yesterday, Peggy the Pug had some porcupine quills that needed extracting. That was our exciting case of the day.”

“Again? This is not Peggy’s first rodeo with quills.”

Brynn shook her head. “She just can’t quit the porcupine, it seems. Her parents think it’s the same one as last time.”

“Just another lesson on the dangers of love,” Tyler said wistfully.

---