Page 74 of His North Star
He smirked before lowering himself off the counter. “That sucks.”
“It does. I’m exhausted. You?”
He shrugged. “A little. It’s not exactly hard work being at the registration desk for most of the day. I’m more anxious to get back outside and work with my hands.”
Dad and Landon usually took care of the landscaping and building maintenance. With five acres of property, it took a lot to keep it in pristine condition. Since Mom’s fall, Landon had to cover the registration desk in the mornings. Then he switched with Dad in the afternoon for his regular job. Neither one of them tolerated being stuck inside for too long.
“Yes,” I agreed. “But twelve-hour days catch up to you no matter what you’re doing.”
“True. I haven’t wanted to go out the last few Saturday nights, and that’s saying something.”
Landon was a social butterfly. At twenty-four, he should have had a few serious girlfriends by now, but he loved the single life. And his video games. At least, that’s what he told us.
“Have you checked your temperature?” I teased. “You might be getting sick.”
“No time for that, sis.” He walked out of the kitchen, waving my comment away as he went.
I’d checked for résumés two days ago. Maybe, by some miracle, someone worth interviewing had submitted an application since then. I’d look again later today.
After cleaning up the kitchen, I took the stairs two at a time up to Mom’s place. “Mom,” I called, opening the door into their kitchen.
“In here,” she hollered.
I followed her voice to my parents’ bedroom. Propped up behind several pillows, Mom sat with a book in hand. This wouldn’t worry me if it were at night. But in the morning? Mom never lounged around. Either last night wore her out, or it didn’t bring back the spark as we had hoped.
“What are you reading?” I sat on the edge of her bed.
She held the cover up for me to see.A Proper Scoundrelby Esther Hatch. Hmm. Looked like I had a book I would need to borrow.
“Is it any good?”
“Very.” She smiled.
“Let me know when you’re done with it.”
“I’ll be finished today. You can come back for it tonight. The first two books in the series are on the coffee table.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “Thanks.” If I couldn’t have my own happily ever after, I’d have to live through the heroines I read about.
“Are you ready to talk about James now?” Her brows wiggled up and down. She never was one to beat around the bush.
Tears stung my eyes. My nose twitched with the moisture tickling inside. Stupid emotions.
“Well, that doesn’t look good.”
I ran my hands down my thighs and swallowed back the building emotion in my throat. “He’s leaving.”
“Leaving you or leaving the area?”
“Both. He got a new job in Missoula. We broke up last night.”
She patted the bed next to her. I climbed in the middle, just like when I was little. “Do you love him?” she asked bluntly.
I shook my head. “I like him. We didn’t have enough time together for it to go beyond that. Besides, I rushed with Blake, and I didn’t want to make the same mistake again. I made us take it slow.” Not that it mattered in the end.
“Oh, sweetie.” She wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me into her side. “I’m so sorry for how things ended and for my persistence that you date again. I had no right to pressure you like that.”
“It’s not your fault.”
