“He’ll be back.”
I slap my palms down onto my thighs. “You know what? I hope you’re wrong.”
“Ev-er-leee!” Oakley throws her arms up, waving the tissue and venting to the ceiling. “What is wrong with my sister?”
“Nothing is wrong with me. He just isn’t my type. He works construction.”
Oakley freezes. I swear if she wore glasses, she’d be scooting them low on her nose and staring me down over the rims. “You do know you’re a snob, right?”
“I absolutely am not a snob. I’m a realist. You know my type.”
She pats a faux yawn and sneeze-coughs the wordboring.
Sisters.“That isn’t fair. You knowme,Oak. I need a guy like me. You know how I’m always reading, always thinking. Always—”
“Boring us with your philosophical musings and making the rest of us hold conversations with our dictionary apps open.”
A growl rattles my ribcage. “Says the girl on her way to medical school.”
“Hey, if I ever become a self-important, arrogant doctor, I give you permission to let me know, too, okay?”
Too? “I am not arrogant and self-important.”
“You think he’s dumb because he’s big and works with his hands.”
I glower. “I said no such thing, nor was that my intent.”
She squints. “Because you are a generally nice person, I’ll take you at your word, but I still say put your money where your mouth is. If he’s a nice guy and he asks you out, you should go, Ev.”
“Agenerallynice person?”
She waves me off. “You know what I mean.”
Staring down my little sis, I take the stretchy band from my ponytail and brush my fingers through my hair. Arguing with her has long been an exercise in futility.
As for Knox…he definitely seemed nice, though men can fool you. Did he script the prayer comment special for me? “As you may remember, I don’t live in Chandor anymore.”
“So? Dallas is not that far. People commute every day.”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, I do. Knowing is a talent of little sisters.” She taps her thick skull as if she possesses some rare superpower.
If she does have one, it’s the gift of annoying like a pro. “That’s not all they’re good at.” Annoying the crud out of exhausted older sisters is Oakley’s real specialty. I stand and stretch my arms, nearly popping my jaw with a giant yawn.
“Detecting a bad attitude, sis. Why don’t you just cooperate? I’m dishing out stellar advice here.”
“Pretty sure I can handle my own love life, but thanks.”
“Let me know when you get one, and then we’ll talk.”
Ouch.Leave it to a sister.
The verbal slap burns the lonely spot that’s been festering in my heart for a while now. I’m at that point where I’m growing increasingly tired of doing life solo. I’m ready for the next step, one I pray my future holds.
I grab Oakley’s toes with the blanket as a buffer and rattle her feet. “You really think I’m going to let you know when I meet someone? Trust me, I’ll be sure the deal is sealed before I give you a shot at scaring the poor guy off.”
“Hey, that’s mean!” She tosses a tightly wadded tissue through the air.
