“I’m not drunk. I’m hungover.”
“You were drunk last night when the two of you marched through the vineyard rocking all the wrong words to old Half-Cocked Heroes songs.”
“We did that on purpose,” Cricket calls. “In honor of the penis game.”
I look at the bathroom door, suddenly irritatingly aware that I need to take a piss.
I blow out one long, slow breath, then push to my feet.
Not quite steady, but I think I can make it upstairs and get myself food and coffee.
“Heath?” Cricket adds.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for a fun day yesterday. I’m glad we both woke up with clothes on.”
“Are you hungover?” I ask her.
“Nope. I have a liver of steel. Best thing ever passed down from my family.”
“Fuck,” I mutter again.
Gotta get all of myfucks out before I see Lav again.
“Coffee’s already on upstairs,” Mabel says. “Had a feeling you’d need it.”
“Why’d you give the toffee to the bears?” Pip asks.
“Aunt Pip.Upstairs. Thecoffeeis onupstairs. Let’s go. Give Cricket some space.”
“And Heath too?” I mutter, annoying even myself by talking about me in third person like I’m someone else.
Right now, I’d like to be someone else.
Someone who didn’t consume a year’s worth of wine in one day.
And wake up in bed next to a woman who’s growing on me by the day despite my best efforts to not like her.
But yesterday—yesterday was fun.
Possibly exactly what I needed.
With exactly who I needed it to be with.
“Once I personally witness you walking steadily or going back to bed, you also get some peace,” Mabel says.
“Lav—” I start again.
She grips my arm, steadying me as I pass through the doorway to the stairs. “Lav’s having the time of her life helping Samantha and Olivia bake this morning. We’ve got her. You take care of you, yeah?”
“The project?—”
“It can wait a few hours for you to feel better first.”
“Thank you for everything, Mabel,” Cricket calls from the bathroom. “You—you’re the best sister I’ve ever had.”
Mabel blinks fast, but I still spot the sheen temporarily coating her eyes. “Then you must have really sucky sisters.”
