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Elliot’s laughter is intoxicating as I grin from ear to ear. “You’ve always been an old soul too.”
For good reason. I had to grow up really fucking quick. Being the baby of five didn’t do me any favors. My sisters fled the moment they could from the cult we grew up in, and I don’t have the trauma they have. I think it’s because I learned from them. No one could touch me if I didn’t come out of my room. If I sat way in the back of the church services, so I went unnoticed. If I volunteered for all the girl-only events so none of the guys could catch a whiff of me. I did everything to be a ghost, and it worked for me. I wasn’t touched, raped, or forced into marriage. I also think my older sisters hid me from everyone. Did things to get in the way so I could stay in the shadows.
Which is why I feel I owe them everything.
They don’t feel the same and only love me, but my heart swells at the thought of them.
No matter the reason, we’re free. I have watched each of my sisters fall in love and find their happiness. After being in asituation where all I did was watch them cry or be in pain, I’m about to explode with joy that we’re all safe and protected.
“Do you think he’s interested in you?” Elliot asks as she rubs Darcy’s head absent-mindedly. As much as she says she doesn’t like my dog, she’s always petting and loving on him. Probably because my good boy is all about protecting his auntie. He growled at Alejandro when he was yelling about a messed-up DoorDash order. It wasn’t even directed at Elliot and me, but Darcy crawled over my sister and protected her. He’s my sweetest good boy.
I snort. “He looks at me like I’m a rock in his shoe.”
She sputters with laughter. “No way!”
“Yes! He’s so damn grumpy and put together. I wanted to mess him up, have him break control, and be on the receiving end of the repercussions.”
Elliot rolls her eyes before shaking her head. “You are the epitome of a brat.”
“Proud of it,” I throw back, cupping my face in a girlie way and grinning at her.
I’m met with her laughter as I look around the yard, counting my dogs. I have thirteen today, and while most of them are mutts, I have some purebreds. They are the bougie ones sitting to the side, watching all the cool doggy fun being had. I roll my eyes, but I can’t even with them. Instead, I take in how beautiful each dog maze is, how I worked so hard on the fence and the painting along it. I went with a groovy pink-and-orange theme, so everything is bright and eye-catching. I love the sun, the peace sign, and the dogs. It’s perfection in my head.
The dogs can’t see it, but it looks great in pictures on social media. It’s one of the things I bank on for marketing—it draws people in. Along with the fact that I’m all happy and sunny. People love me. I’m a great time. Well, I don’t think Riggs thinks that. I think he thinks I’m annoying, and while I’d be highlyefficient at doing this job for him, he’d rather just take the dogs with him. Don’t blame him. I’d want to do the same.
I notice Phill, our grounds keeper, making sure the electric fence that keeps bears out is sound, and I remind myself to thank him later. He has been such a huge part of my business. He has been working for my peepaw for as long as I’ve been living with him, and when Phill offered to help me build the resort, I jumped at the opportunity. He is a man of few words, works to the bone, and doesn’t complain. A huge part of my income goes to his salary, and I don’t even bat an eye at it. He’s worth every penny.
He waves at us, and we wave back with smiles on our faces. When I look at Elliot, she’s watching me. “What?” I ask, reaching over to rub her belly. It cracks me up that she thought she could hide this pregnancy from me. I was the first to know. Elliot doesn’t gain weight in her stomach, and when I noticed it, I knew she was either bingeing on cheese or she was knocked up. I kept my mouth shut, waiting for her. Especially when I realized she’d stopped taking her anxiety meds. Elliot does things on her own time. No one can rush her or force anything from her. Well, maybe Alex can.
I rub her belly, in awe of the fact that she’s growing my nephew. For the longest time, she had a little bit of a pooch, but now, my nephew is showing his presence. It’s almost as if he was waiting for his daddy to come back. He hid to help his momma keep him a secret, but now, he wants everyone to know.
Oh, I love him so.
She covers my hands with hers. “Be careful.”
I bring in my brows. “Huh? Am I hurting you?”
Elliot waves me off, rubbing my hands with hers. “No, not that.” My brows furrow more in confusion. “About Coach.”
“What about him?”
“You’re smitten,” she accuses, and I shrug. “And from what Alex says, Coach is dead inside.”
“Dead inside?” I ask, confused. “Why does he say that?”
“He went through a nasty divorce and is jaded.”
“El, be real. I’m not trying to marry him,” I say with a laugh, even though my heart does skip through a little trippy feeling that I don’t really understand. I love that he’s dead inside, that he’s jaded. That means I can breathe life into him. Whoa? Why do I want to breathe life into him? I don’t even know him. Am I really that desperate for some ass? The answer is no, so I don’t know what my mind is doing right now. “I’m just watching his dogs,” I say, more to myself than her.
She sets me with that older sister look that I hate. “I know your smile when you get excited about something, and you’re not excited about those dogs.”
I feign hurt. “I’m always excited for dogs!”
“But you’re more excited for a grumpy, bearded coach who, I hear, hates everyone. You’re too vibrant for someone like him. Don’t waste your time.”
I can’t help the grin that pulls at my lips or how my cheeks fill with color. I lean over, cupping her belly. “My sweet nephew, tell Momma not to worry about me and to worry about you.” My nephew kicks me, and I grin up at her. “He agrees.”
She scoffs, giving me a pointed look. “You’re going to do what you want, but I hope you protect yourself. I’ve got my hands full.”
