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I sent Kandace a text asking her to call me back when she had a free moment. Eli would be home tonight so I’d tell him then. We’d talk about next steps. I’d make sure that when my ankle was healed, he didn’t leave.
My brain needed to chew on the details of how I would accomplish all that though. A change of scenery was in order, so I would start with getting a cab or an Uber or something, to chauffeur me around town for a few hours.
Carly’s face flashed on my phone screen, and I answered. “Yellow.”
“Does Kandace know you have another woman’s fingerprints all over your social media?” She greeted me. She must be talking about the apologies Lyndsay helped me draft.
I grinned. Carly was all business until she wasn’t—something she had in common with Kandace, though Kandace wore it better.
And yes, I was very biased. “Kandace introduced us. Is it that obvious I didn’t write the posts myself?”
“You’re not really anapologize for thingskind of guy.”
I’d be apologizing to Eli until the end of time if that was what it took to keep him. “I am when I’m wrong.”
“How often are you wrong?”
“Hard to say, but you’ve never seen it.”
Carly laughed. “My point exactly. Look, I just called to offer my sympathy, and send Raul and Diego’s as well. I’m sorry Isabella is doing this to you.”
“Eh. Bad press comes with the territory. But I do worry about how it’s impacting everyone else.”
“That’s the other reason I called.” Seriousness replaced the teasing in Carly’s voice. “Don’t let Kandace walk away over this.”
It was good to have friends in the right places, and Carly was one of the most loyal. If she was on my side, I definitely had a shot with Kandace. “The last thing I want is to lose her. Tell me how to win her over.”
“No.” Carly’s flat refusal caught me off-guard.
“Isn’t that why you called though? You don’t want to see your favorite brother in law happy forever and ever?” Okay, so neither Raul or Diego was actually my family, but they’d become good friends while I was there, and I’d joked a few times about us being long-lost brothers.
“I don’t pick favorites,” Carly said. “But I promise you he’s already happy forever and ever.”
“You’re my favorite sister-in-law.” I didn’t think the flattery would work on her, but I had to try.
“You’re an only child.” Her eye roll was practically audible. “But Diego and Raul appreciate the sentiment. I’m not going to tell you how to win Kandace over because she already loves me, and you need her to feel that way aboutyou. Besides, she’ll recognize my influence as well as I did Lyndsay’s on your BikBok.”
“Fair point.” Not that I was conceding I was wrong, only that Carly was right.
“What are you going to do?”
I had no idea. “You don’t want to help, so you don’t get to know until it happens.”
“Asshole.” Teasing-Carly was back.
“Yup. Give Eloise a kiss for me and I expect to see all of you out here for my Grand Opening,” I said.
“Iexpect to see details to said event sooner rather than later.”
I hoped so. “Cross my heart. Talk soon.”
That was what I’d do with my day—inspiration struck as I hung up. I’d check out that location Eli and Kandace mentioned would be good for a restaurant. This wasn’t a prime location, but my research said it was growing, and right now the town really only had pizza and burgers. It could use a third choice.
The next problem was, there was no local cab company, and none of the driver apps showed anyone available in my area. How was I supposed to get to Main Street?
A quick search online brought back a phone number for Johnny’s Garage, and a moment later I was dialing and asking to speak with Cash.
I introduced myself as a friend of Lyndsay’s—the brief exchange between him and her on Saturday told me that was my in. “Do you maybe know where a guy in a leg cast can get a ride in this town?” I asked.
