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“Don’t start.” I glare at my nosy sister.
Her grin just grows. “And you’re looking very relaxed this afternoon. Like you’ve been sleeping well these days.”
“True,” Layla echoes. When I glare at her, she titters into her sleeve.
“The both of you are annoying,” I grunt.
Just then, I hear my name being shouted from the back. Saved by lunch.
I reach across the counter, grab my takeout bags and turn for the door. I throw my hand up in a wave for good measure. “Have a nice day, both of you. Don’t go sticking your noses in everyone’s business.”
Karli shouts after me. “Don’t you worry about where we’re sticking our noses. You should probably focus on where you’re sticking your—”
Her words cut off when a horrified Layla clamps a hand over my sister’s big mouth. I run away faster.
But despite being in such a hurry to get away from Karli and Layla, their words ring in my head the rest of the afternoon. I’m still thinking about their comments back at home as Stella, Inez and I sit around on the back porch, talking and laughing over our burgers and fries and celery sticks.
Do we look like a family?Is that what people saw today when we were out and about? Is it crazy that I can so easily imagine a family with these two beautiful girls?
Because I can. I really fucking can. It just feels natural with the way Inez has been effortlessly folding into our little life.
But what were the words my ex-mother-in-law used earlier this morning? Pipe dream. It’s all just a pipe dream.
I had a family once. I even had a wife. But Lilian took off, practically before the ink of our marriage certificate could dry, leaving me to raise our daughter alone.
Sure, she pops back into Starlight Falls whenever she wants a taste of home. But any of my hopes of a happy family drove off in her beat up Volkswagen van years ago.
I’ve already accepted this bitter loneliness as my fate. A sweet fairytale romance is just not in the cards for me.
8
INEZ
With Stella at school today and Nolan out running errands, I find myself with a bunch of free time in the middle of the week. Honestly, I’m not too sure what to do with myself.
I take care of the dirty dishes from breakfast. Then I sweep and mop the kitchen. After that, I grab the little sewing kit from the laundry room and stitch up the holes in the office couch cushions. But I’m finished before long. Then I sit there, staring at a wall, bored out of my mind.
Outside of my shifts at the bar, I’ve mostly stayed in the house for the past few days. I’ve been sort of hesitant to face the town.
It wasn’t exactly fun having to answer all the questions that were hurled my way over the weekend. Nolan did his best to keep everyone under control and I’m so grateful for all he did to protect me.
But the truth is, he can’t protect me forever. People are going to talk, they’re going to whisper. If I want to live my life with any sense of normalcy, I’m going to need to get a backbone.
Stealing one of Nolan’s T-shirts and pairing it with some jeans and some chunky wedge sandals, I decide to venture downtown. Not the most practical shoes for walking long distances but my options are limited at the moment. Springtime in this town can be pretty unpredictable but the weather is bright and warm today without a raincloud in sight. I’ll take that as a point in my favor.
In desperate need of a wardrobe upgrade, I head to Daphne’s new vintage boutique. Well, it’s clearly not so new anymore, I realize, as soon as I step through the door.
“Hello, anybody home?” I call out as I wander around the tiny, adorable space, admiring all the jewelry displays and clothing racks.
The store is empty but I can hear chatter and laughter coming from all the way at the back. Daphne rushes out from her back office with her friends on her heels, looking like they just finished up having lunch together.
“Inez!” Daphne wraps me in a hug. “I’ve been hoping that you were going to stop by. I tried calling you but your number is out of service.”
I flinch. “Yeah. I had my phone disconnected when I left town,” I say. “Part of my grand ‘burn bridges and cut ties with Starlight Falls’ plan,” I admit. “As you can see, that plan didn’t exactly work out.”
“Well, we’re glad to have you back,” Layla says, hugging me next.
Karli bumps Layla out of the way and pulls me in for a tight squeeze. “The town hasn’t been the same without you!”
