Page 159 of Will Bark for Pizza
“Kyle agreed to a fresh start, but he’s still pretty pissed about the whole thing.”
“Understandably so.”
“Gee, thanks.”
I took a long sip of my iced tea, scanning the deck out of habit. I didn’t see anyone I recognized in more than passing. I still couldn’t help but wonder how long it would take for a rumor to circulate that I’d been on a date with a strange woman. Odd that it didn’t even bother me.Huh. Maybe small town life had officially grown on me.
“Are those . . . scratch marks?”
“What?”
“On your neck. Did you get a cat? No. You’re allergic. If a cat did that, you’d be hospitalized by now.”
“I probably just scratched it on a piece of plywood or something. Been working a lot.”
“You’re a terrible liar, Beck. Always have been. Who is she?”
Fuck, this was not the conversation I wanted to have with my sister an hour after I finally had Kira in my bed. I was still sorting out the jumbled thoughts in my head without also trying to articulate them out loud. There was a very real possibility I was falling in love with her. Maybe I already had. But that was not a topic I was comfortable discussing with Madeline.
“It’s nothing.”
“I know you better than that. You don’t do casual. It’s definitelynotnothing.”
“How long you planning on staying in town?”
“A week. Maybe a little longer.”
“You were able to take that much timeoff work?”
“I’m kind of on an extended vacation.” Her eyebrows lifted a fraction. How much did Nana tell her? “And you still didn’t tell me her name.”
“I’m not telling you her name,” I said. “What happened at work?”
“So, thereissomeone. I bet she’s the redhead Nana mentioned.”
A mischievous smile formed across her lips. Fuck. This was never good. Madeline liked to meddle, especially when she was bored. And if she was here without any work to do, without kids or her husband to fuss over, she was definitely going to meddle.
“Difference of opinion. Nothing you need to concern yourself with. Are there any law firms in Bluebell Springs?”
I refused to acknowledge the redhead comment. “Don’t act like you haven’t already researched that. Where are you staying?”
“A little birdie told me you recently purchased a two-bedroom cabin. I thought I’d stay with my big brother. Help make sure you don’t enact another redheaded curse.”
Double fuck. There’d be no sneaking Kira over with my sister hanging around. I highly suspected Nana encouraged this sibling reunion. “That little birdie was Nana.”
“Serves you right for not warning me she was coming to pay me a visit.”
“She wouldn’t have shown up if you didn’t buy a house for our pathetic excuse for parents without telling your husband,” I pointed out.
“I’ll need a ride.”
“How did you get to town?”
“Uber.”
“From Denver to Bluebell Springs?”
“No, from the North Pole. Duh, from Denver.” She swiped the last fried pickle from the basket before I could take it. “I didn’t think you’d mind. Nana said everything in town is within walking distance.”
