Page 37 of This Feeling

“The fire department was out on a call, so it fell to me.”

I was pretty sure my mouth was hanging open. I cleared my throat. “Maybe I should be a firefighter instead.”

“Don’t get all excited; their call was to help a goat whose head was stuck in a fence.”

“Holy shit. I’m going to be bored out of my mind.”

“Or…we could figure out what’s happening with your brother and Harper. Does that look like a happy couple to you?”

I glanced across the street and saw Harper outside the Crazy Daisies flower shop. She was watering the plants outside while Sean stood there, his arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face.

“Looks like a lovers’ spat going on.”

Frowning, I nodded. “It sure does. What do you know about their breakup?”

Gavin shook his head. “Not much. I don’t hang around your brother; he has his own set of friends. And I know Harper, but not on a tell-me-why-you-broke-up level.”

“Something is really off with them, and I’m going to find out what it is.”

Rubbing his hands together, Gavin said, “I’m all in. Let’s go!”

He started to cross the street—by jaywalking—and I held him back. “Don’t you think we should set an example and go to the crosswalk?” I jerked my head down the road.

Gavin looked at the crosswalk and then back to me. “But it would be a hell of a lot faster to just walk across here. Besides, it’s not a crime to jaywalk.”

“You were trying to get me to give a guy a ticket for it just two minutes ago.”

Smiling, he winked and started to cross the street. I quickly fell into step next to him.

“Rule number one, Declan, know the laws.”

“Fuck you, Gavin, Idoknow the law. And by the way, let me do the talking, please.”

He chuckled, then quickly sobered up as we approached my brother and Harper.

“How’s it going?” I asked, jumping out of the water spray just in time when Harper spun around. Gavin, unfortunately, was too slow.

Karma.

“Oh my gosh, Gavin, I’m sorry!” Harper said, quickly turning off the water and dropping the hose as if it were on fire. Sean let out a laugh, and when I glanced over at him, he quickly stopped.

“It’s okay,” Gavin said, smiling as he looked down at his pants. It looked like he’d pissed himself.

“Bad luck,” I mumbled, earning a look from Gavin.

Harper covered her mouth to stifle her laugh. She quickly controlled herself and said, “I’m so sorry, Gavin.”

“No worries, Harper.”

“How’s it going?” I asked again, as I looked at my brother. “Off work early?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m on my lunch break. I was trying to talk Harper into coming to dinner tonight.”

“Why don’t you want to have dinner with your boyfriend?” I asked her. When her cheeks turned bright red and she looked away, Gavin and I exchanged a look.

“It’s at Mom and Dad’s house. Did you forget? It’s their anniversary, and Mom wanted us all to have dinner. She’s also inviting some other people, so it’s not just the family.”

“Really?” I asked. “Who else is invited?”

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