Page 27 of Now That It's You
“I appreciate that.”
Kyle shoved the portfolio back in his truck and started digging for the box of cards he kept somewhere in here. Maybe under the tool belt or beneath the old shopping bag or?—
He bumped something off the seat, sending a book tumbling out the door. Chase reached out and caught the spine in one hand.
“Got it!” He turned the book over, flipping it face up so he could see the cover. The Food You Love: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook. Meg’s cookbook. Kyle started to reach for it, but Chase had already opened to the first page.
“An aphrodisiac cookbook? Hoo, boy—my wife would go nuts for this. She’s always researching libido-boosting food and checking out new recipes.” He flipped to the next page, whistling under his breath as he traced a finger over one of Matt’s pictures. “You order this on Amazon? I should get one for her.”
“Actually, a friend of mine wrote it,” he said. “And my brother took the photos.”
“No kidding? Kiki would love this. Our anniversary’s coming up.”
Kyle hesitated. “Why don’t you go ahead and keep it?”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I know where I can get more. It’s the least I can do after all the business you’re giving me.”
The producer laughed and flipped the book closed. “Is this my consolation prize for that piece you won’t sell me?”
“Yep.”
“Kiki’s gonna freak out over this.” He tucked the book under one arm and clapped Kyle on the shoulder. “You sure you won’t take me up on a couple nights in the guesthouse? It’s awfully nice out here.”
“I’d love to, but I’ve gotta get home to my family. You know how it is.”
“I do. Which is why I can imagine it might feel good to get away for a little bit right now.”
Kyle nodded and pulled out his keys. “Thanks, but I should pass.”
He might have felt okay taking off for a day, but overnight? No way should he leave his parents alone to deal with all the sorting and planning and going through Matt’s things. When he’d stopped by this morning to check on his mom, she’d been staring at her coffee mug with a blank expression. He’d reached out to top it off for her before realizing it was filled to the brim.
“Matt gave it to me for my birthday three years ago,” she’d murmured, turning around so he could see the lettering on the front.
Coffee makes me poop.
The thought of Matt choosing it for her made him smile almost as much as the realization she’d kept it. He’d bent down and kissed her on the cheek, breathing in the familiar scent of expensive cosmetics. His dad had walked in then, looking ten years older than he had a month ago. He’d given Kyle a weak smile and rested a hand on Sylvia’s shoulder.
“You’d better get going, son. It’s a long drive.”
Still. Maybe he should have postponed. What kind of jerk was he for driving out here today and leaving them to tend to that stuff on their own?
The kind of jerk who almost kisses his brother’s fiancée.
“Ex-fiancée.”
“What?”
“Nothing,” Kyle said, reaching out to shake the man’s hand. “I’ll be in touch. Enjoy the sculpture.”
Meg handed Kendall a blue and white flowered bowl filled with popcorn, then dropped onto the sofa beside her. She tucked her legs up under her butt and reached behind her to scratch Floyd under the chin. The cat gave a soft purr from his perch on the back of the sofa and stretched his paws out in front of him.
“This is what I love about coming here.” Kendall shoved a fistful of popcorn in her mouth.
“The pleasure of my company?”
“That, too, obviously. But also that you don’t just cram a bag of chemical-laden crap in the microwave and call it popcorn. What is this, anyway?”
