Page 160 of Lemon Crush

“I was hoping we could go out tonight.”

I should say yes, if only to spite the bastard, but I wasn’t in the mood anymore.

“Ask me again next week?” I gave him some sultry eye and a lip bite and he nodded quickly, a blush stealing over his cheeks.

I still had it.

That should have perked me up more than it did, but I was still in a grumbly mood as I cleaned up the studio, sent home Alice the front desk dragon and drove back to the house that, until a few weeks ago, I’d shared with Phoebe, Sammy and my soon-to-be son-in-law, Professor Todd.

I should have been happy to have the place to myself again. To not be surrounded by the evidence that I was old enough to be somebody’s grandmother.

Instead, I sat in the driveway and leaned back against my seat, staring at the home I’d lived in my entire life. Yvonne had signed over the deed to me when I was a new young mother, and Wade had kept up the maintenance on the old place, so it was in fairly decent shape.

I’d been thinking of passing the baton to Phoebe and moving into a tiny place of my own, but Morgan, Wade and Todd had beaten me to it, finding them a home that frankly made this one look like an old heap of kindling.

Now I was alone again. A few of my bandmates had talked about rooming together and finally working toward more gigs and serious money. I loved those guys, but talk was all it would ever bewith them. Plus, they were horrible roommates. When I wasn’t babysitting Sammy, I’d spent my time cleaning up after them like a den mother.

Maybe I should sell the place anyway. A little apartment would suit me fine. Unfortunately, my brother had already rented the one above his auto shop, and August had company in the perfect pool house I’d always secretly coveted.

I didn’t mind that Chick was staying there indefinitely, since he was smart and funny and, as I’d recently discovered, the perfect wingman at a bar.

August always did have great taste in friends.

Since those avenues were closed, I’d have to find an actual apartment, and there weren’t many to choose from in this neighborhood. I wouldn’t mind a big tub and something with a view. And I’d need two parking spots so I could work on my recent purchase when I had the time.

I grinned at the station wagon I’d bought from one of Wade’s friends.National Lampoon’s Vacationhad called, and even they didn’t want it back. It was glorious.

It ran great too. My brother had already checked it out for me. I had a ton of plans for what I was going to do to it so we could rally in comfort. March was still a few months away, so August and I had time to decide how or if we wanted to decorate it to make sure the rally was a road trip to remember.

I’d planned it wanting to reconnect with her, but it was more than that. Now that Phoebe didn’t need me, I’d been feeling restless. I needed a new challenge. I’d thought the race would fix that, but it had only made things worse.

This rally was the answer. That, and winning more points than Rick and his team, since we’d made a bet and I wasn’t about to let him back out of it.

Stop thinking about him.

I was trying. But my friend group was too intertwined with myfamily, and I couldn’t seem to escape him. Especially when my own daughter was working against me. She loved the guy and invited him over every chance she got.

At least that would stop, since she’d moved closer to Gene and Morgan. I wouldn’t have to deal with him checking in on us during hurricanes or making baby cribs as gifts or insidiously working his mouthwateringly gorgeous self into my life. Reminding me of all the hard angles and barely leashed power I’d gotten a glimpse of when we?—

My phone rang.

“Thank you, universe,” I muttered, hitting a button on my steering wheel. “Hey there, sis.”

“Bernie, I’m so glad you answered.”

I sat up straighter. “What’s wrong, August? You sound like you’re crying.”

When they returned from their honeymoon in Italy a few days ago, she’d been so blissed out I was openly jealous. She’d thought about Scotland, because she loved castles, kilts and cooler weather, but Wade had bought tickets to Italy and she’d been overwhelmed. In the end, she’d said she knew she had to close that final circle, stand where Sam had stood, and say goodbye.

Then they’d spent a beautiful week in Tuscany. In every picture, my brother looked happier than I’d ever seen him. And August was actually in those pictures, so clearly, she’d been too happy to remember her phobia.

“I’m in shock that’s all,” August said. “I had a doctor’s appointment today.”

My heart plummeted. Right after her mother died two years ago, August had gotten sick. There’d been no label for the truckload of symptoms that had come with her illness, but Chick told me he’d called it The Fuckening. Heart palpitations, high blood pressure, headaches, brain fog and an early helping of hormonal issues. Just a bucket of shit that she hadn’t deserved.

But we’d been working out together and she’d been so much better, it had seemed like most of that was behind her.

I braced myself. “What did he say? Did Wade go with you? What do you need?”

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