Page 100 of Just This Once

I press my nose to her hair, inhaling deeply. “At least until next year.”

“What’s happening next year?”

“That’s when you get the good jewelry.”

She tips her head back, brows drawn in confusion. When the lightbulb goes off, her jaw drops. I close it with the tip of my finger. “Don’t worry. As much as it’ll kill me, I won’t ask a minute before next Christmas Eve, so you have more than enough time to prepare. And find a new place for Tortellini to live.”

Funnily enough, it’s not the possible future question that has her pointing her finger at me. It’s my tortoise. “He can stay in the basement. He is not coming into the living room and definitely not into our bedroom.”

Ourbedroom.

I like the sound of that.

I nip the tip of her finger then lean my head back, relaxing with my girl in my arms as the tree lights send rainbows of color across the walls. It’s heaven. “Famous last words.”

Epilogue

With how nice the early spring weather has been, Cuppa Jo has put a few tables and chairs outside, so my brothers and I have forgone our usual booth inside to park ourselves in the sunshine. Up and down Aster Street, people mill around, window-shopping and chatting.

It’s been a few months since Dante and I officially became a couple, but only a few weeks since he broke off and started his own renovation business. All it took for the word to spread about him and his work was a few well-placed recommendations by Clara and Marianne, and his calendar became booked out through the summer. And wouldn’t you know it, suddenly Robert Moretti started trying to become friends with the son he always mistreated. Too bad he couldn’t appreciate what a good thing he had going. Now, he’s got to find a project manager with the same people skills who will work for less money and more hours, like Dante did.

“How’s everything going at The Nest?” Griffin asks, and I recross my legs, tilting my head back to feel more of the sun.

“Great. We’re doing more business than ever.”

“Proud of you,” he says with a knock of his knuckles on the table.

I’ve been working on accepting compliments lately, so instead of ignoring it, I nod. “Thank you.”

“I talked to Roman last night,” Ian says, and both Griffin and I turn to him.

I huff. “We’ve been sitting here for ten minutes, and you didn’t lead with that?”

“I figured you two wouldn’t care all that much.”

Griffin shakes his head. “Well, that makes us sound like assholes.”

“You are assholes.”

“As if you aren’t,” I say, balling up my napkin to throw at Ian.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re all grouchy motherfuckers. But he was asking about our house.”

“Our house?” Griffin and I parrot in surprise.

“Wanted to know whatever happened to it.”

All three of us go quiet. We were raised in a little ranch house with a stone fireplace and marks on the kitchen doorframe that showed our heights every year. I don’t remember a lot from that house, other than the shag carpet in the living room and Mom’s smile as she had us line up every year on our birthdays. Mom had to sell it when Dad left for good. After that, we moved to an apartment that was too small for the five of us, but it was all she could afford on her teacher’s salary.

“I’m not sure who lives there now,” I say, and Griffin shrugs, pretending like the question doesn’t affect him. But since he’s been with Andi, he’s become easier to read, and Griffin is not as hard-hearted as he hopes people believe.

Ian finishes his coffee and sets the cup down on the table, rolling it side to side on its edge. “Yeah, I’m not sure what madehim so curious all of a sudden, but it sounds like he’s doing well.”

Griffin and I nod. Not that I’ve completely forgiven Roman for ghosting our entire family, but I’ve softened on him a bit in the last few months from his occasional texts. Ian’s right. It does sound like he’s doing well, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.

While he might be a fuckup, he’s still my brother. My baby brother who got a shit end of the stick.

“So, I was thinking,” Ian starts, only to be interrupted by Clara, who strolls up to our table with a big smile and even bigger sunglasses on her face.

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