Page 41 of Clear Blue Sky

“It’s more than that.” Tiki tilted her head. “Something changed between last weekend and today. You’ve been distant with both of us and Lake is taking it personally.”

Now she understood Nelson’s position.

She couldn’t talk about the situation with Marcus. That would be beyond breaking a confidence. She couldn’t even discuss a lot of it with Lake. Not anymore. Too many lines had been crossed.

But she could express her feelings about Nelson.

Girl talk.

When was the last time she’d done that?

Never. She didn’t have women friends.

Hell, she wasn’t sure she had friends. Not in the true sense of the word. When she went out, it was with co-workers or friends of the family. When she’d been dating Ethan, they hung out with his friends.

“Honestly, I have no idea what I’m doing.” Brandi leaned over and adjusted the flame of the fire before topping off her wine. She lifted her cell to see if there were any messages from Nelson.

None.

He’d been quiet most of the day.

Nothing to report. That should be good news, but part of her wanted a random text now and again.

Wasn’t that what boyfriends did?

“What do you mean?” Tayla asked.

“Taking an on-again, off-again fling into an exclusive long-distance relationship. It’s a crazy decision. On both our parts. He works nutty hours and is never going to visit me in the city. Once my dad retires, it’s going to be harder for me to get away.”

“I’m going to say something that is going to piss you off.” Tiki shifted. “You’ve wanted your father’s approval forever. You needed him to treat you like Lake’s equal. It drove you crazy that he didn’t believe you were as capable as Lake. But what you want for your future has changed.”

“I am the future of Grant Publishing,” Brandi said, but her tone lacked conviction.

“What about your cousin, Edward?” Tiki asked. “He’s young, he’s passionate, and he’s got blind ambition.”

Brandi used to think she had ambition, but since her father had turned over half the reins, she realized her drive had been more about proving her ability than wanting to be the face of the company.

“Where do you see yourself in five years?” Tayla asked. “Is it career? Family? Both?”

“I want both,” Brandi admitted. “For years I believed that would always happen in the city. I’d find someone like-minded. Maybe in the business, but definitely not an author.”

“But that didn’t happen,” Tonya said. “You found Nelson.”

“Are you in love with him?” Tayla asked.

Brandi choked on a cracker. She pounded her chest, cleared her throat, and took a sip of wine. “I care about him, but it’s way too soon to be tossing around that word.”

“I don’t believe that.” Tiki lowered her chin. “Maybe it’s not the right time to say it, but those feelings can happen quickly. It can sneak up on you and before you know it, you’ve fallen head over heels.”

“I totally agree with that statement,” Tayla said.

“I was in love with Foster for years. It took us being best friends before we could express our feelings.” Tonya lifted her child out of the stroller. She leaned back, brought her baby to her chest, pulled up her shirt, and began feeding.

Brandi’s heart melted.

That was definitely something she wanted and she wasn’t getting any younger.

“Long distance isn’t an easy way to have a relationship,” Brandi said. “Especially when two people are committed to their careers.”

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