“Maybe I’m picking some up for my sister.”
“Uh-huh, sure you are.”
He looked back at the two women as they neared, making eye contact with one and flashing her a cocky grin. “Go back to talking to your creams,” he whispered before stepping around me. “Hi…”
I heard him start talking to the two women as my eyes dropped to the creams I’d been looking at before. I smirked. I reached down, grabbed the one that didn’t belong, and turned. “Sir, I’m so sorry to interrupt, but you dropped this when you walked by.” I held out the hemorrhoid cream, making sure the label was face up and on display. “Seems like something you wouldn’t want to forget.” Wesley’s eyes slightly widened, and the two women began to snicker. “I’ll just…” I dropped it into the basket he was holding with a forced, exaggerated, friendly grin. “There you go. Hope things clear up for you. Have a good night.” I turned and walked out of the aisle, rounding the corner toward the registers. “Asshole.”
I pulled into the driveway of my parents’ house fifteen minutes later. My dad was standing in the living room when I walked inside with the bag containing my mom’s cocoa powder. “I thought Mom said you wouldn’t be home until later tonight?”He was a building surveyor and had gone out of town for a project; he wasn’t expected home until later that night. It’s the entire reason she called me to stop at the damn store because she said she needed it before he’d be home.
“I got done sooner than anticipated, so I got to leave earlier,” he said before giving me a hug. “How’s my girl?”
I smiled. “Good.”
We walked down the hall and into the kitchen, where my mom was baking. “Oh! Just in time!” She grinned as I handed her the bag and quickly kissed my cheek. “Hi. And thank you.” When she turned back to the stove, my dad and I shared a look. “What are you making anyway?”
“A hot fudge chocolate pudding cake.”
Shit. That sounded good. And now I was hungry, so I went to raid their fridge for something to tide me over until I got home.
“How’s your week been, kiddo?” my dad asked.
“Pretty smooth.” I popped up from the fridge with a small bundle of grapes and moved to the sink to rinse them off. “I did the final walkthrough of that new restaurant in Mount Pleasant. We need to go there one night. Their menu looks amazing.”
“I’m always up to try a new restaurant.” My dad grinned. “Especially one you helped bring to life.”
“How’s Callie doing?” my mom asked, turning to grab a couple of eggs.
“She’s okay. Just taking things day by day.”
“Well, if she needs anything, tell her not to hesitate to ask. We’re right down the road.”
“She knows,” I said with a smile. “You know how she is, always afraid of imposing.”
“Nonsense,” my dad scoffed. “The girl is like our second daughter. She’d never be imposing.”
“Who’s like your second daughter?”
I turned at the sound of my brother’s voice just as he and Avery walked into the kitchen. “Callie,” my dad answered before shaking his hand and hugging his daughter-in-law.
My mom smiled and greeted them both. “What are you two doing here?”
“We were on our way to dinner, and I figured I’d swing by and drop this off.” Wyatt held up a toolbox my dad left at his house over the weekend while helping him fix the fence around their yard, which happened to be only a street over from my parent’s house.
“Thanks.” My dad smiled and took the toolbox, setting it off to the side.
“Have you guys talked to Brody?” Wyatt asked.
“No,” my mom answered while my dad shook his head. “Why?”
Wyatt smiled as he wrapped an arm around Avery’s waist. “He and Leah are talking about having a destination wedding in Aruba.”
“Oh?” My mom grinned.
“Yeah. They’re talking about doing it this summer. I think they’re still working things out in their heads, but he said they have two weeks before they have to let the hotel know whether or not they want to book it. So, I’m sure they’ll be calling to get your input.”
“I think that would be fun,” my dad said with a grin.
“As long as that’s what they want and they’re happy with it, that’s all that matters,” my mom added. “And I agree, it would be fun. It would be nice to get away for a little bit and for such a special occasion.”
