“Nope,” he said to her as she walked over.
“What?”The fake look of innocence was a real kicker.
“You know what I mean, and nope,” he said again, like that would make it truer.
“Whatever.”Chloe rolled her eyes as she sat down.She looked Beau up and down.“You look like shit.”
He laughed.He couldn’t help it.
Chloe had always been the no-nonsense type.He appreciated her for it because it meant he always knew where he stood with her.Everyone did.There was no guesswork when it came to his sister.Beau was still getting used to having one of those.
“Thank you…?”he said.It was more of a statement than a question.
“Can’t blame me for calling it like I see it,” she said.
Ivy laughed.The humor broke through the heavy cloud that had been sitting thickly in the room.It was a welcome relief.
“Do you want to tell me why you’re refusing our help?”Chloe asked.She’d always been one to get right to the point.“Or should we just stay quiet and offended?”
8
One container housed enough food to feed a small army.Ivy filled two plates before placing the lid back on the container.The smell of eggs, bacon, and breakfast hash filled the air.Her stomach growled as she set the plates on the table and then retrieved forks after being pointed in the right direction.
By the time she joined Chloe and Beau at the table, Kade walked back into the room.
“Can I join everyone, or am I still banished to the office?”he asked.
“Come sit,” Chloe said as Beau nodded.Then, she pointed to the plate in front of Beau.“You need to eat.If your skin turns any whiter, I’ll start wondering who bit your neck.”
A warm blush crawled up Ivy’s neck because she’d thought about kissing Beau’s neck more than once.She hoped no one could see the telltale crimson.How many times had her father told her that her face gave away her thoughts?
“Hudson texted that he’d be here later once they returned from Oklahoma,” Kade said as he studied the screen on his phone.
“Conrad has to stay with Nikki,” Beau said firmly.
Ivy made a mental note to ask him about that later.
Heads nodded.Kade’s glance shifted to Chloe’s stomach.What was that all about?
Beau didn’t notice.He was already taking another bite, eating like he hadn’t for days.How long had it been since they’d had a meal?She couldn’t recall when she’d had one as good as this.Why did food taste so much better when you were starving?
“This is amazing,” she murmured.
Chloe practically beamed.“I made that.”
“Hats off to you,” Ivy said with a smile.
“It feeds a lot of people and it saves well.”Chloe’s pride in her cooking was the cutest thing.
“This is about all my sister cooks,” Kade said, teasing.
Ivy’s heart squeezed.Despite Eric’s special needs, the two of them had shared many wonderful moments.Maybe not like this, but they’d had their own special language, and she’d been making progress with improving his communication skills.
Missing her brother was an ache that could never be soothed.Being with Beau had made her feel like she might actually be able to move on from her grief at some point.Maybe not now, but someday.Maybe she could open her heart again somewhere down the road.The seed of possibility planted deep inside her that she might not hurt this much every time she remembered what her family had once been.A growing piece of her reminded her that her mother wouldn’t have wanted Ivy to be estranged from her father, especially when he was the only family she had left.
But how was that possible when she didn’t even know him anymore?Not really.They never talked about anything important.She didn’t know what was on his mind the times they got together for dinner or coffee.They only spoke about surface-level topics, such as how hot it was in Austin or whether electric vehicles were the answer to gas-powered ones.
In that moment, she realized just how much she missed her family and how often she felt alone.A crushing weight sat on her chest as she finished eating and then cleared the table.
