"I know that," I say. "But I also know you are only here for a few weeks. And I don’t know if I can do temporary."
She takes a slow breath. "What if I told you I don’t know if I can do temporary either? At least not with you."
My heart does something painful in my chest. "You don’t know me well enough to say that."
"Maybe not," she admits. "But I know enough to want to find out more."
The honesty in her voice nearly undoes me.
Before I can respond, my phone buzzes on the counter. I glance at the screen and see my brother's name flashing. Of course.
"Do you need to get that?" Piper asks.
"Absolutely not," I say, but the phone keeps buzzing.
She grins. "Answer it. I’ll give you some privacy."
"There is no privacy with Jace," I mutter, but I hit accept anyway.
Jace fills the screen in what appears to be a dance studio. He is shirtless, naturally, and covered in a light sheen of sweat that suggests he just finished teaching a class.
"Dylan," he announces loudly. "I sensed emotional turmoil and needed to check in."
"I’m fine, Jace."
"Are you? Because Mom texted me that you have a woman in your bakery and you’re acting like a nervous teenager."
I close my eyes. "I’m going to kill Mom."
"Don’t blame Mom. She is excited. We are all excited. Is she cute?"
"Goodbye, Jace."
"Wait, wait. Real talk for a second. Are you doing okay? Like, actually okay?"
The shift in his tone surprises me. For all his chaos, Jace knows when to be serious.
"Yeah," I say quietly. "I think I am."
"Good. You deserve good things, man. Don't let fear keep you from them."
"When did you become wise?"
"I've always been wise. You just don't listen." He grins. "Now go flirt with your festival girl. And Dylan? Be brave."
He ends the call before I can respond.
I set the phone down and find Piper watching me from across the kitchen, a curious expression on her face.
"Your brother?" she asks.
"Unfortunately."
"He seems fun."
"He is a walking migraine," I say, but there is affection in my voice.
She laughs and walks back toward me. "So, where were we?"
