Everything.
* * *
The Sloppy Pelicanis quiet just an hour after opening. It’s noon and the lunch crowd hasn’t quite streamed in. Mojo let me know that Ax was across the street at the bank depositing last night’s take, so I make myself comfortable at a booth near the back. I pull out my laptop and open the file that readsEpicurean Elite. Now that I’ll have Axel back—undoubtedly—hopefully, and not to mention the fact I have two bonus besties—I can focus in on fulfilling my personal goals and dreams. I giggle to myself for a moment. Just the thought makes me giddy, and I’ve long hated anything associated with that word. It’s strange. It’s as if during this, the most tumultuous time in my life, I’ve actually become the person I’ve always wanted to be—free from all of that heaviness my mother hung me with before she left. All of the angst, the sarcasm, the outright hatred was a millstone she placed around my neck before shoving me into the deep end oflife.
“Epicurean Elite?” a light female voice snips from over my shoulder, and I turn to find Abby Wilcox tee-heeing to herself. “What’s this? Some snazzy new place you hope to land yourself a job?” She plops down next to me, elbow-to-elbow, and it’s all I can do not to knock her onto the floor with my hip. I may have forged two solid friendships, but I’ve hit my limit. Abby Wilcox is no friend. There’s something smarmy about her I can’t quite put my fingeron.
“It’s actually something I’m thinking of startingmyself.”
“What?” She leans in and scours the first few lines before I snap the laptop shut. “A search engine for great food,” she muses at the tagline. It still needs work. I’d never put it out there without polishing it first. “Sounds like something that’s already in existence.” She clears her throat with a haughty air about her. There. That’s exactly why I can’t stand her. She’s haughty to the max. A self-satisfied smile comes to mylips.
“It might already exist, but my site will be better. It will purely be comprised of food specialists that I’ll personally vetmyself.”
“And how exactly will this make money?” She shakes her head, doubtful of my financial return as if she had a right to be sojudgmental.
“It’s ad based—details in which I won’t bore you with.” A familiar face brightens the room, and I’m filled with both delight and grief simultaneously. “Teagan!” I flag her over. “Look.” I nudge Abby out of the booth in order to plot my own escape. “I need to help someone out with a little party planning.” I gather my things before giving Teagan a heartfelt embrace. I close my eyes, and for a moment I fool myself into believing it was Emilia I was locked in a hug with. I guess you could say Emilia was my first real friend. I think she’d be thrilled to know that after all these years I’ve made a couple more. Not to mention the fact I bet she’d be tickled to know that Axel and I are back on for good—Ihope.
“I’m not dying, am I?” Teagan pulls back with a laugh that sounds exactly like Emilia’s once did. I can’t imagine the bitter pain her parents must feel, that Axel mustfeel.
“Nope, I’m just glad to see you. I’ve got a million ideas about your eighteenth birthdayparty.”
“Good.” She leads us off in the direction of the room in the back. “Because my party is next weekend and I need this thing to rock. And I’ve decided that I’m going to call it my FreedomFest.”
“Eighteen and free at last?” I can’t help but laugh. “Was it hardtime?”
“Ugh.” She slings her arm over her forehead and pretends to faint. “Thehardest!”
Teagan and I go over everything from flowers to the band. You would think she were marrying British royalty the way Pinterest boards were being formed andanalyzed.
Teagan slaps her hand to her cheek as we study the vast array of images we’ve managed to compile in the short hour we’ve been at it. “Do you really think this could all come together thatquickly?”
“Are you kidding?” I close my laptop as we both stand for the first time in an hour. “I’m a pro at making things happen. I’m organized to a fault, and believe me, I’ll use this superpower to make sure your birthday goes off without ahitch.”
“Thank you.” She throws her arms around me tight as if I were her Freedom Fest savior, and I just might be. She was looking into mouth blown balloons and crepe paper before she metme.
“You’re welcome.” And now is a perfect time to segue into a quick sound bite for Barnes. It’s never too early to indoctrinate the youth as far as higher education goes. Now that Axel and I are practically back together, Teagan is family. And just like Teagan, there’s no way I’d want her anywhere near Whitney Briggs. My heart pinches because Sunday just so happens to attend that sexed-up university. But it’s a longstanding Knight family tradition, so I didn’t dare interfere. Plus, her big brother Rush is there. What could go wrong? But as far as Serena and Teagan go, nope. It’s Barnes all the way. Just as I open my mouth to get the indoctrination underway, Shep popsup.
“There you are. Come on, kiddo. I need to get you back to the office before Dad turns you into apumpkin.”
“Ugh,” she grunts at the thought. “That’s right. Dad’s got some big acquisition meeting this afternoon. A million new ideas by a million new people. It’s safe to say my father very much enjoys riding the coattails of others.” She sticks her finger down her throat andwretches.
“Text me if you need anything,” I say as she speeds back out into the restaurant, but Shep takes a few stepsback.
“I talked to Mortgage Mergers. They said you haven’t filed for the refi. I can help you with the paperwork if you’d like.” He ticks his head in the exact way that Axel does. It’s a bit unnerving how much alike Axel, Shep, and Teagan are. And come to think of it, one of my favorite things about Emilia was how much she reminded me ofAxel.
“I think I have someone to help me out with that.” I swallow hard because I can feel it coming. “You know, I sort of just learned about Emilia’s passing, and I wanted to let you know how sorry Iam.”
Shep’s cheek flinches. “We all are. Thank you.” He steals a quick embrace. “You have a beating heart after all.” He gives a playful wink as we head back out to the bar. “There were bets in place at onetime.”
I belt out a laugh. “Did you make anymoney?”
“I took the over-under. Nothing too excitinghappened.”
We share a laugh as we step out into the dining room, and I freeze solid once I see him. There he is, Axel—speaking sweetly to his baby sister. My adrenaline kicks in because I know what’s coming. The time has arrived for me to make things right betweenus.
Shep and Teagan say goodbye as they hit the door, and it’s just Axel and me locked in agaze.
“Hey,Lex.”
