Page 116 of Will Bark for Pizza
A sinking feeling hit me in the gut. All this time I was caught up in Kira and the bookstore, Madeline had been crying out for help. I thought Kyle would keep her grounded. Keep her from doing anything reckless. But if she went behind his back?—
“He hasn’t left her,” Nana said. “Yet.”
“I should go.”
“No,” Nana said quickly. “I know you mean well, but you’ll just make it worse. You can’t keep coming to her rescue. You’ve been doing that all your life. Madeline created this mess. It’s not yours to clean up.”
“But it’s yours?”
“I’m just going to hand her the broom,” Nana said.
Frustration welled inside me. What if I had given inand allowed my parents to move into the vacant property? Worst case, they trashed the place, and I eventually had to evict them to renovate the house again. But at least Madeline’s fucking marriage and finances wouldn’t be on the line.
“Anything Icando?”
“Yeah,” Nana said, folding her arms across her chest. “Stop making impulsive decisions. I raised you better than that.”
“Nana—”
“I mean it, Beck. Look, I like the girl.”
“Woman,” I corrected.
“I like her. She’s accomplished a lot for herself. She’s got grit. Maybe even reminds me a little of myself sometimes. But getting mixed up with her is a bad fucking idea.”
She didn’t have to spell it out. There were Luke and Connor to consider. They might not take too kindly to me dating their sister. Not to mention the rest of her family, who basically accepted me into their clan without question. I was about to be Kira’s landlord—a clear conflict of interest. If I pursued her and it didn’t work out, several bridges I built since moving to town would turn to ash. I might not be welcome in Bluebell Springs at all if things went south. Then what?
I was tired of picking up my life every two to three years and starting over, something the redheaded curse was famous for enacting. Being in Bluebell Springs made me realize more than ever that I was ready to settle.
I was ready to settlehere.
Here, where I could wake up to the sun rising over themountains each morning. Where I could count on a friendly smile when I needed one. Where I had deep bonds with friends who were like brothers to me.
Bluebell Springs was the closest place I’d ever known to a real home, and I didn’t want to fuck that up.
“She’s also a wounded animal,” Nana added softly, patting my arm. “And wounded animals are unpredictable. The last thing I want is for you to get your heart broken again. There’s a lot more collateral damage to consider this time.”
This time.
She didn’t have to say it out loud. She was referring to my most recent redheaded nightmare. The one where the boss’s daughter went a little crazy when I turned down her advances. All because I was friendly and helpful to her, not realizing until it was too late that she read into my kindness. Took it for something it wasn’t and accused me of leading her on. The dramatics were . . . extensive. Thankfully, her father didn’t fire me on the spot, but we both agreed it was better if we went our separate ways.
But what was growing between Kira and me, it was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.
“What if this time is different?”
Nana looked me dead in the eye, her tone serious as she said, “Then keeping it in your fucking pants for a good long while won’t change that.”
THIRTY-FOUR
HUSKER
Mom’s here! Mom’s here! Mom’s here!
“She’s taking you to the lake.”
Opal, you give the best head scratches.
More head scratches, please.
