Page 80 of Above All Else

“Carter.”

“Yes, dollface?”

“Don’t do that.”

Smoke rose behind her, setting off the automatic fans above. “Your bacon is burning.”

“Oh, shoot.” She flipped off the stove and hurried to handle her breakfast while I set up her phone, entering my number as the emergency contact and pinning my contact card to the main screen.

“I need you to reach your parents today.”

She plopped the plate of salvageable bacon on the counter with pinched brows.

“Unless...you don’t want your parents moving here.”

Her fingers poked at the bacon on the plate. “I do...”

“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure how agreeable they’ll be.”

A weary breath escaped me. “They’ll have to be. Once I’ve had a nap, I’ll schedule the moving company to pack their things, get them plane tickets—“

“They’ve never been on a plane before.” June picked up a piece of bacon and nibbled.

“Never?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Dad said it wasn’t right how it defied gravity. Said if God wanted us to fly, he would have given us wings.”

I jeered. “And if God wanted us to go seventy-five on the freeway, he would have made us cheetahs.”

She laughed, and I soaked it in, absorbing the smile, the way her shoulders moved up and down, the fine line on her cheek, and the light in her eyes.

Was she happy being here even though it’s been less than twenty-four hours?

When would the ball drop and reality settle in for her?

“I’ll talk to them.” I stood and walked around the counter, pulling her into my arms. She laid her cheek against my chest, her arms mirroring my own.

“I can do it.”

“I think they’ll understand it better if it came from me, seeing as they aren’t concerned about me, but if you want to be the oneto break the news, I’ll let you handle it.”

She shifted against me, and I cupped the back of her head, resting my chin on the crown of her head and breathing her in.

Only she could make cheap hotel shampoo smell like imported honey.

“I’ll do it. I’m sure my dad would like to fight with me more, and I don’t want to put you in the middle.”

“Alright. Also, I have a house lined up for them, and we’ll close in a month. They have until then to come to terms.”

June pulled back, her brows hiked, her mouth parted. “You bought them a house? That’s too much, Carter. I can’t let you—“

“You’re notlettingme do anything. Iwantto do this.”

“It just seems so much.” She pulled out of my arms and returned the eggs to the fridge.

Lost her appetite?