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Mom is dressed in her favorite cardigan today, the blue one with the big white buttons. She usually only dresses up when she goes to see her friend. “Am I driving you to Carol’s again?”
They used to play bridge every three weeks. Lately, she’s been playing with Carol a few times a week. It makes me think the two of them are up to something together.
She nods to the bag on the floor. “Can you take that for me? I’m spending today and tonight with Carol. But you can pick me up tomorrow morning.”
She seems more nervous than usual, which only fuels my suspicion. There’s something going on here but if I ask her about it, she’ll tell me to mind my own business. Still, I don’t want her thinking she can’t talk to me if she needs help. “If you need me, you can always call me. You say the word and I’ll come get you. You’re never a bother.”
Her eyes fill, and she blinks to keep from letting the tears fall. “I remember saying that to you a million times when you came to live with me. You’ve grown up into such a nice boy.”
I don’t want her to cry. The past was a long time ago, and I’m not that scared kid anymore. “Ma, come on. We can’t have you ruining your fancy makeup.”
She manages to compose herself. “When you pick me up, we’ll go straight to Ginger’s place. I want to be there first thing.”
I forgot about our plans for tomorrow. Our whole family is going up the mountain to be with Ginger, our little sister. She’s married to Grizz, a grumpy mountain man.
My brothers and I will be helping him add on to their cabin in preparation for the baby that Ginger is carrying. It’s still crazy to me to think that my little sister is pregnant. Seems like it was only a few days ago that she was trailing after Greer, my older brother, and begging him to let her ride the small ponies.
I nod to my mom. “I’ll get you there as soon as the sun rises.”
True to my word, the next morning, I’m pulling my truck into Ginger’s driveway just as the sun is beginning its ascent for the day. Ginger races out of the cabin, hugging my mom around her big bump and talking a mile a minute.
“You’d think they hadn’t seen each other in six months,” I grunt to Grizz.
He smiles—the man who had a scowl permanently etched on his face before he got married—actually smiles. He unloads mom’s motorized wheelchair with ease. “I’m glad she’s here. Don’t know if I can handle another discussion about the difference between golden yellow and sunset yellow.”
I chuckle. I know from all the time I’ve spent helping Mom at the candle shop that women love to sit around and invent new colors.
We help Mom into her chair then she’s rolling inside Ginger’s cabin, the two of them already working through accent colors that match sunset yellow.
We watch them go, just as a car I don’t recognize pulls into the driveway. Walt, from the town bookstore, ambles out of his car. He’s wearing his Sunday best and carrying a case of sodas. “I heard y’all could use some help up here.”
I’m not sure how much help Walt is going to be. He has an arthritic hip that needs surgery, but Noah probably invited him. After all, he’s dating the guy’s granddaughter.
I greet Walt and direct him inside where the girls are chatting. When he’s out of hearing range, I turn to my friend. “He’s always around lately. He was over at mom’s candle shop twice last week. Said something about needing new candles forhis book shop then he came back and did a return because he got the wrong ones. The whole thing seemed kind of weird to me.”
Grizz shrugs. “The guy is probably just lonely. Come on. We have breakfast food.”
My stomach rumbles at the thought. I’ve been working since before dawn. Even though my brothers and I are here to help Grizz with the cabin, we still had our own farm to tend to. When we get back late tonight, we’ll check on all the animals and do the same chores again.
The two of us round the back of the cabin where we’ll be getting the framing done for the new rooms. Greer and Noah already poured the foundation earlier this month.
Zac, my little brother and the youngest one of us, has spent the last few weeks on the road. He couldn’t even get time off to come help with this project. Not that it matters. We have more than enough bodies to get the work done.
As I step behind the cabin, I stop in my tracks. Standing at a long folding table, wearing a pretty dress and a smile, is my girl. Sadie looks radiant as she passes out donuts to the guys. Her tan chihuahua circles her feet, barking occasionally when it seems someone is getting too close to Sadie.Good little guard dog.
She laughs at something Greer says and the sight of my brother making her laugh fills me with an inexplicable rage. That’s my job. I’m the one that makes her laugh. I’m the one that gets her to throw back her head, exposing the pale column of her throat.
I stomp up to the two of them, and she smiles sweetly at me. She’s up to something. I don’t know what the game is just yet, but I can feel it. Barely able to hold back a growl, I demand, “What are you doing here?”
She puts a hand to her chest, the motion drawing my attention to the freckles right at her cleavage. I want to bury my face between her huge tits and trace every little dot on herbody with my tongue. “Little ol’ me? I’m not doing a thing, sweetheart.”
Greer notices that something is going on and takes his donuts, shuffling off somewhere else. Good thing too. I’d hate to throw a punch this early in the day.
I narrow my eyes at the curvy woman that I’ve been fantasizing about since the moment I met her. “You’re up to something.”
She reaches into the pocket of her dress and pulls out a long, narrow lollipop. I need to pull that dress off of her and keep her naked. I never want her luscious body hidden from my view again.
She unwraps the candy and gives me a cheeky grin as she runs her tongue up and down the sweet treat. The only reason that every man here still has eyesight is because I’m standing in front of her, blocking their view.
