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“I can do your hair,” I say because who doesn’t want to butter up their boss?
“Yay!” Wren slides off Darla’s lap.
Darla happily hands me the ponytail holders and brush. Thankfully, we’re tucked into a corner. I wonder if this is the family table.
Wren hops up on my lap. She barely weighs anything.
Emmett finishes chewing and watches me brush her hair. I’d ask him what he finds so interesting about it, but I don’t really care to know what’s going on in his head.
“Did y’all hear Briar is moving in with me?” He grabs Bennett’s coffee just as Bennett reaches for it and swallows it down.
“Oh really?” Bennett asks, eyeing me.
“You’re so lucky.” Wren’s shoulders slump.
I raise my eyebrows.
Bennett fills me in. “Wren loves Emmett’s no rules policy.”
“I have rules. Right, Wren?” He winks at her. The same wink he gives me all the time, and I shouldn’t be upset that it isn’t reserved for me. That’s just Emmett.
Wren giggles like all the high school girls used to when we were in school together. Although, I was a freshman when he was a senior. Is there any woman besides me he can’t wrap around his finger?
“I heard something about this earlier today. Gillian called and asked me about the girls’ house and whether there was a spare room she didn’t know about.” Darla pours herself more coffee from the carafe.
It feels as if I’m never getting out of this room.
Emmett scoffs and leans back in his chair. “She’s so worried about me wanting to f?—”
“Emmett!” Bennett scolds.
Darla gives him the evil eye.
“If you’d let me finish, I was saying she’s worried I’ll do funny pranks on Briar.”
Wren laughs. “Like that time you put pepper in Uncle Jude’s drink, and he threw up?” She turns to look back at me, and I almost lose my grip on her hair. “It was so funny.”
Emmett puts up his hand to high-five her. “Couldn’t have done it without my accomplice.” He lets her smack his large palm with her small one.
“Yeah, that was great, having to put a flashlight against my glass for two weeks to make sure nothing extra was added.” Bennett stares at Emmett with zero expression on his face.
“Emmett does know how to be a juvenile,” I say.
Bennett snickers and wipes his mouth, then grabs Wren’s jacket from the back of his chair. “We have to get going.”
“Almost finished.” I secure the end of her braid with the ponytail holder. “All set.”
Wren’s little fingers run over the braid. “Do I look just like you?”
“You look beautiful,” I say.
“Am I as pretty as Briar, Emmett?” She turns to him as Bennett slides her arms into her jacket and grabs her backpack.
A flick of annoyance lands on Emmett’s face for a moment, but he forces a smile. “Prettier,” he says, a conniving smirk taking residence on his lips.
Wren beams at his compliment and waves goodbye to us as her dad ushers her out the door.
“Don’t you need to go to work or something?” I ask as my eggs are placed in front of me.
