I sip my coffee and bask in their usual brotherly bickering.
My gaze pings back and forth between the Kincaid brothers.
This is so similar but so different from what used to be the norm.
Gabe has a singular-minded focus, interrupted only when he glances over at me.
Greyson casually leans against the opposing side of the island counter, watching us both with more ease than I could ever manage.
I sneak in and steal a fresh piece of bacon and smile at them.
Greyson pins me with his gaze as I crunch through it.
“So, your gut?” He pushes off the island and comes to lean against the counter beside me, brushing my hair from my shoulder. “You’ve already made your decision. You’re just not ready to listen to it yet.”
I hate that he’s probably right.
I don’t actually want to go back to the city.
I realized that last night while Jennifer and I talked.
Pinebrook has grown since I’ve been gone—and grown on me since I’ve come back.
But does that mean there’s anything here for me. Really?
Obviously, Greyson and Gabe are here. Adam’s here.
Daisy and Mom and Dad. But…what will I do?
Host little town events? Turn this place into a bigger tourist attraction?
That will change the town even more, and I’m not sure I want that either.
Still, a spark of an idea comes to life in the back of my mind.
One that might blaze if I don’t smother it with my ability to overthink things.
Gabe grumbles as he plates the food—scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast. “Leave off her.”
Watching them clean up and maneuver me to the other side of the island, handing me a fork and flanking me on either side, I’m reminded of how different the dynamic in this house is now that their parents are living in Florida.
I’m reminded of Colleen at the deli and the changes she’s made.
The improvements and new traditions that Alice Wardorf has created in this town.
How many of the kids I went to school with have stayed in Pinebrook to make it their own?
Can I do the same?
Do I want to?
Greyson refills my coffee, and I smile at him through my mouthful of toast. It’s like he can see my brain working.
Gabe tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear before it gets caught in my mouth with my forkful of eggs.
I wish I could blend my two worlds together.
My heart sinks a little. There’s no way Pinebrook would ever become a hot stop on any author’s literary journey.
