“What’s this stuff?” Jason asked as I pulled open the door.
“It’s why I texted you to come over. It’s for Goodwill.”
He reached down and took a bag, grunting with surprise at the weight.
“What the hell do you have in here?” he asked, heaving it over to Lexie’s car, which I’d asked him to bring instead of his bike.
“Clothes, mostly.”
“You mean…”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I cleaned out Mom’s room.”
When Jason came back up the porch steps, he threw an arm over my shoulders. “Good for you, sis.”
“I’ll admit, it feels better.”
“Yeah, you can’t keep a shrine to her in this house and still expect to be comfortable living here.”
“I miss her.”
“Me too,” he said, giving my shoulders a squeeze. Jason let go and grabbed the second bag to put in his car. We weren’t exactly the lovey-dovey type, so I wasn’t expecting much more than his help. The hug was a bonus.
“Hey, do you want to get together next week for dinner?” I asked.
“On Sunday?”
“Yeah.”
“Absolutely.”
I had the feeling that he was waiting for me to extend this invitation. This whole time, I had assumed that he was okay because he had Lexie, that she was all support he needed, but now I wasn’t so sure. Maybe I wasn’t the only one feeling alone since our mom died.
* * *
I wasin a good mood when I walked into work on Monday morning. I’d had a hell of a weekend, starting with great sex and ending with a big dose of personal growth. I walked into Ink Envy while holding a drink carrier with four coffees made to everyone’s specifications. I enjoyed working closely with a small group of people like this. I’d been employed by large companies in the past while working in housekeeping or for restaurant franchises. Employees didn’t matter to those businesses. Everyone was easily replaceable. We were just numbers on a page. I knew that Brie cared about us and that she saw us as talented individuals and friends.
“Good morning,” I said as I sat her cappuccino on the counter in front of her.
“I just cleaned that glass, you know,” she said, picking up the cup and taking a sip.
“You’re welcome,” I replied, and she smiled.
“You’re chipper for a Monday morning,” she commented. “Have a good weekend?”
There was a twinkle in her eye, and I wondered what she knew about it.
“Sure.”
“Funny, Blade seems to be in a good mood, too. Makes me think it might be related.”
“You ever hear of a coincidence?”
“Okay.” She raised her hands in defense. “I get it. None of my business.”
When I walked into the back of the shop, Blade was already there, but Piper hadn’t arrived yet. I watched him for a long moment as he stood with his back to me, a combination of confusion and denial keeping my feet rooted to the floor.
“What the hell is that?” I asked, my voice sharp.
