The guilt ate me alive for a few seconds. I didn’t want to ask for help. God, I hated asking for help. I should have been able to handle everything, right?
“Can I start scheduling the groceries to be delivered for you?” I asked. “As in, someone will deliver them so I don’t have to.”
“Yes,” she said. “I mean, I like seeing you on Wednesdays. But we have Sunday dinners every other week, and I can always come into town.”
A small weight lifted off my shoulders. “Thank you. That would be helpful.”
“Good.” She put a hand on her hip, still studying me. “What else?”
“I think I need to hire a real bookkeeper,” I sighed. “Or have Avery and Dallas hire someone for their businesses. I hate asking?—”
“They’re adults,” she said firmly. “And they both make plenty of money. They can hire someone.”
I made a face, but she snorted.
“All right, sit down. I’m making some lunch for us.”
“I should probably head back into town?—”
“Sit.” She pointed at the barstool and I sighed, reluctantly taking it. “Just sit.”
I watched as she started unpacking the groceries. “I can help?—”
She gave me the Mom Look, and my words died on my lips. I sat on the stool as she put everything away, then pulled out a cutting board.
“When’s the last time you ate something with veggies?”
“Ramen has dried veggies in it,” I said.
Another Mom Look. “And the three people you’re dating? No one can cook? What’s the point of dating multiple people if not one person can cook?”
I started laughing so hard, my eyes teared up again. That was sneaky of her. I hadn’t told her about Evie, Matthew, or Nick. “I’m not dating Nick,” I said automatically.
She raised a brow. “Nick. The boy you used to fight with? I heard he’s back.”
“Yeah,” I said, rubbing my chest. “He’s back.”
“Hmm.” She chopped up cold veggies for a salad, tossing them into a big bowl. “So Evie, huh? I’ve been hoping for that for so long. And I’ve met Matthew, he’s so sweet. The cutest doctor Whynot has ever had.”
“He is,” I agreed.
“And you were gonna tell me about them . . . when?”
“Soon,” I promised. “I was going to have them over for dinner.”
“I need to buy more chairs,” she said immediately. “Maybe even a bigger table. Definitely a bigger table.”
I smiled to myself. “Yeah. I can help you find one.”
“Nope, I’ll ask Avery or Dallas.”
I scoffed. “Okay, but don’t completely stop asking me for things.”
“I won’t, believe me. But Avery has better furniture taste than you, honey.”
She had a point.
“So tell me about them. I love Evie. I’m so happy about all these little romantic developments. I’ve never seen your brother so happy in his life. June and Madi are lovely. And Avery is still glowing. Mateo and Levi have been so good for her.”
