Not yet.Sadie leaned over the table and lowered her voice. “Conner kissed me last night.”
Haylee threw both hands over her mouth, apparently too stunned for words. But her wide eyes implied a number of possible reactions—shock, confusion, mortification.
“You can say something,” Sadie hissed quietly.
“I’m just so . . . shocked.”
“Why?” Sadie couldn’t help the squeeze of insecurity that admission gave her tattered heart. One that was well on its way to healing, but still plenty vulnerable nonetheless. She was afraid whatever was transpiring with Conner was too good to be true. A little reassurance that it wasn’t would be nice. “Is it so hard to believe that he likes me?”
“Of course not,” Haylee said, dumping a creamer packet in her half-consumed coffee. “I’m just surprised because I didn’t know you guys were on that level. You went from a crush you didn’t want to have to kissing the man. That’s a big gap that I apparently missed out on.” She raised an eyebrow at Sadie, the simple gesture demanding details.
“Marc doesn’t know.”
“You think that’s wise?” Haylee tilted her mug up to her lips, emptying it. She frowned at the mug and shoved it off to the side of the table. “I mean, after last night—”
“I apologized to him. This morning.”
Haylee stared at her as though she’d grown a second head. Maybe even a third. “Who are you and what have you done with my bratty sister? She’s a redheaded pain in the—”
“I remembered what happened.” Sadie stared into her soup bowl, using her spoon to chase chunks of carrots. Willamina’s soup was not only delicious, it was legendary. People came from all over the state to try it. But she wasn’t all that hungry. “I found Rebecca. On Facebook.”
Slapping her hand against her forehead, Haylee shook her head. “First of all, I thought you were off Facebook. You know. Because of Voldemort’s twin brother. Second, leave this alone. You think Marc’s mad now. Just . . . don’t go poking a stick into a hornet’s nest. Or you know, into the belly of an angry grizzly bear.”
Before Sadie could admit she already sent a message, her phone pinged with an incoming email. She’d changed the tone last night to keep the sound from instantly turning her blood cold. Eventually, she needed to change her number again. But she didn’t want to admit to her family why. Admitting it to Conner had been hard enough, even as easy as he seemed to make everything. The task could wait a few more days. At least until after the news about her unexpected relationship with Conner—or whatever they were—was public knowledge. “It’s from the apartment complex,” she told a nosy Haylee who was leaning far over the table to see. No doubt expecting some lovey-dovey text from Conner to spy on.
“And?”
Last night, somewhere between the hours of one thirty and two thirty, Sadie decided to contact the apartment complex to see if they’d be willing to make an exception for a large breed dog. The open unit was on the second floor and offered a killer view of the bay. It wouldn’t last long. She’d been saving for months and had the deposit ready to put down. But she didn’t want it if Boomer couldn’t visit. Or if she couldn’t adopt a brother for him to play with.
“They recently changed their policy!” Sadie gushed.
“And?”
“They don’t have a weight restriction anymore.” She set her phone on the table and looked at her sister. “Want to help me pick out a dog from the shelter this weekend, after the Blueberry Festival’s over?”
“You’re serious.”
“Yes!”
“Did you get the apartment, then?”
“I’m going to fill my application out after lunch.” Wait. New Sadie didn’t worry about personal business on her brother’s dime. Well, not exactlydimeconsidering her offer to work for free and his definite lack of mentioning a paycheck. But still. “After work. I’ll fill it out after work.” She reached for the check, but Haylee grabbed it from her.
“You’re not the only one who can pay, you know. Idowork.”
Sadie held up her hands in surrender. “I’m not going to argue.”
“Good. Because I’m totally using this to redeem a sleepover when you get moved in. One that’s kid-free.”
Sadie’s heart was full in that moment. Not quite bursting at the seams, but as close as it’d been in a long time. How many times had shewishedshe had moments like these with her sister? Or a man in her life who not only helped her through anxiety attacks but didn’t try to tell her she was faking them for attention? Even things with Marc had hope for the first time in forever. “You don’t have to bribe me, you know. You can come over as much as you want.”
“You think Mom would keep Melly until she’s like . . . I don’t know . . . eight? Or at least until she’s out of the world’s cutest terrorist phase?”
As they laughed together, her phone pinged again. This time, itwasConner. Instantly she filled with giddiness. All million and one butterflies in her stomach fluttered to life, whisking her off to Cloud Nine. It felt so good to feel happy without waiting for the other shoe to drop. Was this what love was supposed to be like?
“Look at you light up like the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. What does Romeo have to say?”
“He’s taking me fishing tonight.”
