“So what you’re saying is my experience at being a relentless pain in the ass will be an asset in owning my own business?”
“Very much so, ladybug.” I smiled at his chuckle in my ear. “Love you.”
“Love you too,” I said, pressing the end button on my screen.
“I thought I heard Aunt Claudia.”
Peyton’s loud whisper drifted from the staircase, followed by Keely’s sweet little giggle. She shot me a wide grin when she noticed me and held out her arms.
“Aunt Claudia didn’t get any sleep, sweetie pie.” I scooped Keely out of Peyton’s arms and buried my head into her neck to blow raspberries across her cheek. She laughed and kicked her chubby feet against my hip.
“So, you’re really going to do it? You’re going to buy the bar?” Peyton’s brown eyes were wide and bright when they met mine.
“I think so. If the bank approves my loan. I’ll stop by to see Larry again later to make sure I have all the details right. Since you sleep with a contractor, maybe he can give me a good price for renovations.”
“Oh, stop,” she said, shaking her head at me.
“Well, from what I hear at night sometimes, you really don’tsleep, but you know what I mean.” I sat on the futon and set Keely on my lap. “I can say that since you don’t know what that means yet.” I pressed my finger to my lips.
“Jake would absolutely give you a good deal on renovations. And I’m sure Davis would jump at the chance to help.”
I glared at her raised brow.
“Yes, you mentioned how my fake boyfriend who hates me likes the distraction of renovations.”
“Um, nothing looked fake about how pissed he got when you were talking to Larry.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “He couldn’t even hold a conversation with us because he kept looking back. In his defense, it seemed intense between you and Larry, not knowing what you were really talking about, so I can’t blame him.”
“Blame him? He told me he wanted to pretend to date me so he wouldn’t have to dateanyoneand get people off his back. You’re projecting again,” I sang as I bounced Keely on my lap. “I thought we’d had a moment, a few moments, but he didn’t say a word to me when I came back to sit with all of you, and he barely said goodbye.”
“Were you not listening? He was jealous. It was so obvious that even Jake noticed and kept asking him what was wrong. We half expected him to charge up to the bar and drag you away.”
“He was probably worried about his dad or something. And how my fake lover and I feel about each other is going to have to be a thought for another day. I need to finalize this plan and figure out financing before I ponder the intentions of hot and confusing cops.”
I smiled when Keely cuddled into my neck, her blue eyes searching my face before she reached out her chubby hand to pat my cheek.
“Thanks, K.” I kissed her forehead and swept my gaze around my makeshift bedroom. “Who knew I’d start a new life in your basement?”
“Hey, I started a new life living in my uncle’s basement when I first got here. Call it a Kelly Lakes rite of passage.”
“My father is even on board,” I said, standing when Keely squirmed in my lap. “He said I sounded like his Claudia again. I guess I was too complacent in my shitty life to realize just how much it sucked.”
“I am so damn excited you’re going to stay, but I had a feeling you would end up here.”
“Dad said the same thing. So how about a little coffee before I start the unofficial first day of my permanent country life?”
“I can even make breakfast for us. Jake is out at an early job, and Mike won’t be up until eleven, most likely. So it’s just us girls.” She wiggled her finger under Keely’s chin to tickle her neck. “It may be the start of a new life for a few people today.” She clicked her tongue against her teeth and headed up the stairs.
I couldn’t think about Jude or why he might or might not have been jealous or the heat crackling between us whenever I pushed the game of pretend.
Country life wasn’t as simple as it seemed when you made it real.
11
JUDE
“Too bad Ican’t take this home,” Dad said as he pushed the shopping cart through the market. “Better than the damn walker. Maybe they’ll let us.” He craned his neck to where I stood behind him, the hopeful glint in his eyes reminding me of roles reversed thirty-something years ago when I’d beg for two boxes of Devil Dogs in this very same market.
“The carts lock if you try to take them out of the parking lot. And it wouldn’t fit into my truck anyway. Sorry, Dad,” I said, coming up next to him to survey what he’d thrown in the cart so far.
