Tessa offered April a smile, but no insider information. Liam had to hide his chuckle at his sister’s annoyance. Maybe her infatuation with the show wasn’t a bad thing. It seemed to keep April off the topic of more serious things. Like why he brought Tessa with him and whether or not she was staying in Sunset Ridge. “Hand me that piece over there,” Tessa said to Liam. “The one marked with the letter F.”
They worked in sync assembling the crib all while April rambled on and on about the characters of the show. She had plenty of opinions. He wondered what his sister would think if she knew how many of them he agreed with. “What about that awful guy Derek? I can’t stand him! Please tell me he doesn’t win. I think I’d never watch another season if he did.”
Liam had wondered whether there was something between Tessa and the dreadful Derek character his sister mentioned. The camera had caught small moments that may or may not have been anything. He knew better than to give reality TV too much credit for authenticity, but it still caused a flare of jealousy when he thought about it.
“Are you going to watch it tonight?” April continued. “Or is that too weird for you?”
“It’s not really my thing.”
“Being on TV?” April pressed on. Liam hid his face in embarrassment, wanting to apologize to Tessa for the ten thousand questions.
“Cooking’s my true passion. The rest is really just a means to an end.”
“ThatI believe. You’re one of the only ones there who seems to have any heart behind it. Even though they call you a grizzly bear.”
As Tessa handed him the next pieces, Liam assembled the crib through April’s commentary. She paid more attention to the instruction manual than he did, which surprised him. It was not at all how she approached her cooking. Even as a teenager, she added things by taste. Recipes were only starting points.
When the crib was assembled, Tessa offered to grab a wet rag to wipe it down. That left Liam alone with his overbearing sister. “Miles will be home next week?” He tried to head her off with a diverting question before she realized she hadn’t pried enough.
“This baby isn’t waiting for her daddy to get home.” April tried to push herself up from the chest, but she gave up and reached out her hand. Liam pulled her to her feet. “What’s with Tessa? Didn’t think you two kept in touch.”
Oh, well. “We didn’t.”
“I have two dozen questions about all this, but lucky for you, Idohave pregnancy brain and can’t remember most of them.” April opened the closet and brought out a set of sheets. “You know you’ll have to help Miles move this to our house when he gets back.”
“I planned on it.”
“That means no disappearing in that plane of yours.”
Liam’s head snapped toward the door, worried Tessa might’ve overheard. The Super Cub was supposed to be a surprise. It was easier to break through her fortified barriers if he caught her a little off guard. The last thing he needed was her asking about it.
“I’ll be here, April. I promise.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but her eyes filled with tears. The sudden onset of emotion left Liam clueless. “Aren’t these the cutest sheets you’ve ever seen? Look at those tiny little bunnies.” She swiped at her eyes. “Stupid hormones.” She laughed through the tears. “I’m so ready to have this kid out of me.”
Tessa reappeared in the doorway. “I’m gone for two minutes and you already made her cry?” she teased.
April sniffled. “I like her.”
Tessa helped April with the tiny mattress, covering it with a sheet splattered with pink and yellow bunnies.
“Aren’t you afraid she’ll betoogirly?” Liam teased.
“I already have one very boyish boy.” April looked at Tessa, and added, “Owen is five. He would play in the dirt all day every day if we didn’t make him come inside. He already loves fishing more than his mama.”
Liam gave April a side hug. “That’s not true.”
“It’s all he’s talked about since the moment Miles went back up to the North Slope for a month.”
“North Slope?” Tessa questioned.
“Prudhoe Bay,” Liam answered. “Miles works on the oil fields. He’s an electrician.”
“I’m ready for him to come home,” April mumbled.
Liam could read between those lines with little difficulty. “I know you guys’ll have your hands full. I’ll take him fishing, get it out of his system.” He looked over at Tessa, wanting badly to invite her, but not knowing if she’d even still be here. The girl he used to know would try anything . . . but would the woman?
“It’s not fishing, but my sisters and I are digging up clams on Friday. I have a four-year-old niece. Maybe Owen would like to come, too?”
