“It’s a boy,” Jude replies firmly as he slides into the driver’s seat of his Tesla. I open the door and jump into the passenger seat. Sprinkles leap from the donut and cascade around the car, mostly between my seat and the console.
Jude glares at me. I smile. “Sorry. You know kids are messy. You should get used to it.”
“You’re not a kid anymore. Stop eating my food, messing up my car and demanding I chauffeur you everywhere,” Jude grumbles and starts the engine. He pulls out into San Francisco traffic and I take another big bite of donut. I’m begrudgingly careful with the sprinkles this time.
“How are things going for the charity event Friday?” Jude wants to know. “Please say it’s not going to be some big, long thing.”
“Short and sweet,” I promise. “Cocktails and bidding. A little mingling. Should be over by ten.”
He looks relieved. I bite back a smile because thinking of the charity event makes me think of Eli. My phone buzzes in my purse, so I dig it out. I have ringtones for just about everyone, so the minute the first strands of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” start, it makes my smile grow.
“Who do you hate enough to give them that ringtone?” Jude asks.
“Never you mind,” I mutter, still smiling as I silence it and glance at the text.
Good Morning. It’s so cold out. Can I use your thighs as earmuffs?
Before I can respond, Eli sends a photo of his very naked, very sculpted torso lying in bed and the sheet clinging precariously low on his hips. Sweet God. He’s been texting me every day since I called him about the silent auction, every text more suggestive and flirty than the last, but this picture takes it to a new level.
“Donut!” Jude barks and I look at my hand, which is accidentally tilting the donut. Some sprinkles have landed on his gearshift. Oops. I quickly turn my phone screen down in my lap and pick up the sprinkles with my fingertips. I smear them onto my napkin and grab my phone again, making sure to angle it away from Jude, who has a habit of glancing over at stop signs or red lights, and quickly text him back.
If I said you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?
How did last night’s game go?
I shouldn’t be asking him about his games, but for some reason I can’t help myself this morning. He answers just as I swallow down the last of my donut.
Fine. I didn’t go down in history but I will go down on you.
This boy. Oh boy…
“Who the hell are you texting with?” Jude voice is almost menacing. I glance up and find him wearing his best overprotective brother face.
“Nobody you need to know about,” I reply flatly, because I know if I say it’s work or one of our sisters he won’t believe it.
“Are you dating someone?” He says it like the idea is as likely as a UFO landing, which is mildly offensive.
“No.” I glare at him.
He turns to stare at me, arching an eyebrow and glaring at the same time. Damn it. Why can’t he be a dumb jock? “I’m just going to get it out of Sadie or Winnie. And if I can’t, Zoey will.”
“My sisters don’t know about any imaginary boyfriend, because he’s imaginary,” I explain. “As in he lives in your imagination.”
“You’re smiling like a cat on catnip, and your face is like glowing or something,” Jude says.
“Cats don’t smile. Even when they’re on catnip,” I reply, but his description is kind of on point. This ongoing, escalating text flirtation with Elijah Casco makes me feel pretty high. “Also, if I wanted to date someone, I don’t have to clear it with you. I don’t even have to tell you.”
“Who are you dating?” he demands, completely horrified and not even trying to hide it. “And yes, you do have to clear it with me. You’re the baby, and Mom and Dad would want me to look out for you since I’m the only one living here with you.”
I roll my eyes, huff and tip my head back. “Well, you won’t be the only one shortly. Soon the whole family will be here.”
He doesn’t answer that, but a cloud of darkness seems to fall over the car, as it always does when we talk about our family…at least since Dad was diagnosed with ALS almost two years ago. He’s been steadily declining in recent months.
Dad, Mom and my sisters are all still living in Toronto, where we grew up, but with Zoey pregnant, and Dad needing more help and a place to live that doesn’t involve stairs, like our family home, he decided he wanted to move here. My mom already quit her job and my sisters did too, because they want to be where my dad is. I am of two minds about the move. On one hand, it’s going to be great to have my whole family so close. I’ve missed them desperately and haven’t lived near my sisters since before college. On the other hand, I’m sad that it’s happening because it means my dad is getting sicker.
“You know there’s room for you in the new place,” Jude tells me for probably the tenth time since he bought our parents a condo in the city. “You can get rid of your apartment, save some cash and spend time with Mom and Dad.”
“Do you remember the last time Winnie, Sadie and I were under the same roof?” I ask him and give him a pointed stare. He’s fighting a smile, which means he remembers that we tend to fight like cats and dogs when we’re confined together for too long. “Besides, I’m a grown woman and I need my space.”
