Page 34 of Last Love
“Funny seeing you here,” I say to Everly as I reach for my niece. Before Everly had Esme, I never really knew how much I could love a little girl. I’m good with the kids that come into the restaurant, but this girl, she’s my whole world. “And how are you doing, gorgeous?”
She offers me a slobbery smile.
“I had to show up to make sure you were still alive,” Everly says.
“If I were dead, you would have seen it on the Juniper Springs Express.”
“That’s what I said when she forced me out of bed,” Wyatt grumbles. He looks hungover, but I know better. He doesn’t really drink, and more than likely, he closed last night. If Everly dragged him out of bed, he is probably not in the best mood.
“When I hear you have strange women over at your house for breakfast, I figure it’s my duty to check it out.”
I take the empty seat because there’s no avoiding this. Everly didn’t used to be so nosey, but ever since she got pregnant with Esme, she’s gotten more and more involved. I can only imagine what shit she puts her baby daddy Quinn through on a daily basis.
“Who’s minding the store?” I ask, still playing with Esme.
“We left Quinn and Carter in charge,” Becca says.
I look over at my sister’s bestie. Becca has always been a little different than everyone else. What am I saying? That’s basically the theme of Juniper Springs, but Becca stands out. She takes her fashion to the extreme, having different themes every day. Today seems to be eighties day. She’s sporting a lot of black lace and crosses. It should look odd, but it works for her. It’s Becca’s parents who helped Wyatt when our parents died. They stepped in and helped all of us make it through that mess. I’ll be honest with you. I grew up with a massive crush on her. I don’t know many guys whodidn’tcrush on her, but no one has had one as long as Wyatt.
But that’s another story altogether.
“You left the writer and his goofball brother in charge of the store?”
Esme’s father is the writer and graphic artist Quinn Hawthorne. He tends to hate spending time with people about as much as Everly.
Everly rolls his eyes. “My baby daddy can handle it, and Carter might be a goofball, but he’s smart. Also, I get that you’re trying to deflect.”
And she isn’t going to let it go. Two years ago, she wouldn’t have cared if I invited half the single women of Juniper Springs over for breakfast. For some reason, she seems to think I need handling when it comes to my love life, and that’s weird.
“Fine. It’s Liv Edwards. The new office manager for Travis and Nancy.”
“She’s got kids.”
“Yes she does, Captain Obvious.”
That earns me a chuckle from my brother.
“So, not a date?”
“Since when have you cared about that? It’s not like I’m a virgin but this is the first time in my life you’ve been worried about who I’m seeing.”
“I’m more worried that you haven’t been seeinganyone.”
“We all are,” Becca says. I glance at my brother.
“Don’t lump me into this. I was forced to come here.”
My brother is about six-five, all muscles. Becca and my sister are not lightweights, but forcing a mountain to move is probably easier than getting Wyatt to do your bidding.
“So, you think my not dating is an issue? Just a couple years ago you said I was sleeping around too much.”
“I just didn’t think you were seeing anyone and it’s odd you didn’t tell us.”
“I don’t tell you about every encounter.” It’s hard for her not to hear about who I sleep with in this town. The gossip was already bad before Jon Howard invented the Juniper Springs Express app. Now those LOLs keep everyone up to date on everything. Hence, why my sister knows about Liv being at my house this morning.
I bet it was that Ms. Tracy across the street. She’s a retired doctor with too much time on her hands and the perfect candidate to report to nosey Mrs. Peterson.
“So, it was Liv Edwards you slept with last night.”