Not sold on her hot take, I lift my chin but remain rested against the counter. With my size, normal movements likestanding straight can be misread as aggression. “What I do for a living is run a jobsite. Everly knows that.”
“Yeah, as of about an hour ago, but there’s more to the story. Trust me, you’re gonna regret masquerading as an average Joe.”
I swear, sometimes it feels like I can’t do anything right. Can’t a guy just be who he is? So I happen to own a company but enjoy working in the field. What’s the big deal?
“Not being honest is a red flag. How do you get through an entire date and not say something as basic as, ‘oh, hey, I also own the company I work for, Ev’? Come on, Knox. This isn’t some stupid romance where the cute guy is actually the secret prince of some foreign country.”
I sputter. “A prince?”
She puffs out an annoyed breath. “Please tell me you’re getting the point here. Which is…” She jabs her finger as if I’m a balloon she wants to pop. “If you’re not going to come clean with my sister, I’ll do the dirty work myself.”
A scuff mars the toe of my otherwise shiny loafer. Must have happened during the yard decorating. I raise my face again, taking Oakley’s threat head-on. Yeah, it’s a threat—and I can’t blame her. Much. Siblings should keep an eye out for one another.
“How about this? I’m going to ask Everly out again for next weekend. If she says yes, we’ll have the conversation then. Maybe even sooner, depending on how the week goes. How does that sound?”
“It sounds like foot dragging. Why not tell her now? I don’t see the issue.”
For reasons I don’t understand, my brain scrambles over what should be a simple matter. “Don’t you think it’s kind of weird to just strike up a conversation and say, ‘Hey, Everly, you know, I’m kind of a big deal.’”
She snorts. “I didn’t say you were a big deal.” Her foot taps. “But, if you want my opinion, it’s weird not to say it.”
I didn’twantany of the last five minutes.
Everly rounds the corner, rescuing me. She taps her phone to her chin, deep in thought. When she notices her sister and me together, her expression shifts. Her gaze flits back and forth between us, a half-smile on her lips. “What did I miss? It looks like I missed something?”
“Not a thing.” Rising, I smile. “Good phone call?”
“I guess.” When she pivots to lay the phone on the coffee table, I hike an eyebrow at Oakley.Deal?
She tosses her eyes into a partial roll, following with a quick nod. But behind Everly’s back, she wags her finger.
I take a deep breath.Message received.
Claire walks in, her shoulders hanging low, dabbing a tissue to her eyes. “I can’t believe we’re going to have Christmas without your father this year.”
Everly hugs her mom, tells her everything will be okay, and then we all deck the tree, although, damage successfully inflicted, Oakley abandons us before the job is complete.
Once Claire declares our handiwork pure Christmas perfection, we line up in the center of the room. She oohs and aahs. Me, I’m thankful for the sweet fragrance of Everly’s perfume as our shoulders brush. It counteracts the stench of her sister’s suspicion and ultimatum. The whole thing is much ado about nothing.
Then tell her, Knox. Easy peasy.
Yeah, right, except Becca—
Man, that woman has no right to torment me, yet clearly, she injected her poison into my psyche and it’s still in my system.
Regardless, I’m not having the conversation that, yes, needs to be had, with Claire present. Not because any of it is a big deal, but first mention of the subject will be an Everly and me thing.
Twilight arrives early in December, and when the graying light beyond the windows coincides with Claire suggesting leftovers for dinner, I know it’s time to go. Everly has yawned on multiple occasions over the last half hour. I only hope she’s not been wishing me gone.
Outside, we’re finally alone. A stiff breeze whips into the protective alcove harboring the front door. Inflatable Santa waves his arm at the empty street.
“Yard looks good.” Everly wraps herself in her arms.
“I did a darned good job, didn’t I?”
She slugs my bicep. “That’s called team effort, Mr. Humility.”
Jamming my hands in my slacks pockets, I smile. “I had a great boss. All I did was provide the muscle.”
