Page 138 of And Now, Back to You

“Um,” I scratch at the back of my neck and glance down at the screen, double-checking I’m still connected and this isn’t some gas-station-candy-induced dream. “Did I . . . take your call?”

“Thank you for not hanging up,” she corrects quickly. “Listen, we don’t have long.”

I settle back against my pillows with a grin. “Did you con your brother into feeding a stray cat so you could get me alone?”

“To be fair,” the other voice says. Adeline, I guess. “The cat really does like it when Jackson leaves her milk.”

“Yeah, but we also spent, like, twenty-five minutes trying to lure her to our house.”

“We’re doing a public deed, if you think about it. Feeding the huddled masses.”

“It’s a cat, Addie.”

“And it’s cold out there, Penelope.”

I roll my lips together against my smile. “Did you guys have something specific you wanted to talk about?”

“Oh. Yeah. Thanks.” They recalibrate, brought back to the task at hand. “We have some questions.”

“Okay.”

“What’s your favorite color?”

“Hmm.” I think about it. “Blue.”

“And how do you feel about meticulously organized weekly meal calendars?”

Very subtle. That makes me grin. “I appreciate the thought and detail.”

“Have you always liked the weather?”

“Always,” I answer.

“If you were trapped in your car and you had fifteen seconds to live, what would—”

“How about,” I cut in gently, “you ask what you really want to ask.”

There’s a beat of silence, and then Adeline, I think, in a heated rush, “What are your intentions with our brother?”

“Yeah,” Penelope adds. “Because if this is a thing for, like, views or clout or whatever, we’re not going to be happy about it.”

The smile slips from my face, pressure blooming across my nose and behind my eyes. A half hour ago, Jackson was worried about protecting his sisters, and now they’re protecting him.

“I really like your brother,” I manage around a throat that feels too tight. I pick up my mug and stare at the candies inside. “I really, really like him.”

A pause, longer this time. I imagine the silent conversation happening on the other side of the phone and strain my ears for any hint of it.

“Will you be patient with him?” Penelope asks.

“Yeah. I will.”

“And you’ll help us take care of him?” Adeline adds. “He’s not great at accepting help, so you have to be sneaky about it.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed that.” I laugh. “But, yeah. Yes. I’d love to help take care of him.”

“Okay,” Adeline finally says. “Good. That’s what we were hoping for, because Penelope and I are big fans of your work. We didn’t want to have to hate you.”

A laugh sputters out of me. “I’m glad.”