“I’m so happy for you,” I said.
“Thank you.”
She glanced toward Toby and Seth, her smile turning sly.
“How about you?”She tilted her head subtly toward them.“Which one is yours?”
“Why does she have to choose?”Seth asked.
“Seth!”I gasped.
Janice laughed.“Well, I’m the last person to judge you.”She leaned over and bumped her shoulder with mine.“You’re my family.You know that?”
“What?”That took me by surprise.
She tilter her head slightly, a knowing look in her eyes.We were people who grew up without family.Felt the loss and learned how blood family could mean nothing but found family was everything.
“And as your older sister, I know they’re your family too, no matter what form that is.”She lifted her drink and carefully sipped it.“And now I know that young man there is Seth.Who is this other one?”
“Toby,” the man in question said, sending her a lighthearted wink.
Janice looked between the two of them, not a drop of judgment coming from her.“Good.You guys will do.”
“Will do?”Seth asked.
“Taking care of Cadence.I can tell.”She stood up.“I need to go check in to the hotel, but I’ll see you again tomorrow?”
“Wait, no, stay for dinner,” I said.
“I’d love to, but there’s some tournament in town, and I don’t want to risk not having a place to sleep tonight.I’m long over having to sleep in my car.”
“Stay with me,” I blurted out, surprised the words had even left my mouth.
“What?Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”I waved my hand.“It’s only me in this big house.When I actually stay here.”
Seth snorted at that, drawing a snicker from Janice.
“If you’re okay with that.It’ll save me money.”
“Yes, I’m sure.Bryan put in this big fancy alarm system, so you know you’ll be safe.And Seth is always feeding me, so you won’t go hungry.And I’ve gotten good at paying my bills on time, so you’ll be warm.”
Janice took in a breath and then laughed.“What the hell.Who lists basic needs as a way to entice someone to sleep here.”
“Well, if I remember correctly, both of us have had to sleep out in the middle of a field once or twice.”
“What?”Seth practically snapped.
“You went camping?”Toby asked, sounding a little confused.
Janice and I both glanced at each other.
“They didn’t camp because they wanted to,” Seth said, staring right at me.
Feeling a little bad, I took a drink and tried to savor the rich chocolate.It didn’t help calm my nerves, but it was enough to give me time to think.
“Sometimes, Lindie brought back men who made me uncomfortable enough to sneak out.I usually stayed out as late as I could, hoping they’d be gone when I got back home, but sometimes, they stayed all night.So I stayed out all night.”I shrugged.“But I didn’t really have anywhere else to go.”
