Page 111 of Spurred On

Clearly Cade was delusional.

“You have no idea what she did.”

“As wound up as you’ve been lately, all she probably had to do was crook her finger.”

Pretty much.

“And now, we’re in the stew,” Lisa said. She plopped down at the kitchen table with an expression of defeat on her features.

“Wait. What?”

She shook her head and sighed. “It’s only a matter of time before you break her heart and she leaves. Oh, this is a tragedy.”

“I’m not breaking her heart.” Didn’t they see? This was the next step in their relationship. This was it. This was when they finally came together, completely and irrevocably.

Judging from their expressions, Cade and Lisa didn’t believe him.

But it hardly mattered. Cody knew what it was, what it could be. What it would be. He and Sidney were a couple. Together now and—if the gods were in his favor—forever.

And enough of this crap. It was annoying and a waste of time. “Come on,” he said. “We have a big party this weekend and we have a lot of work to do.”

With heavy sighs, they nodded and plodded from the room.

Cody stared after them.

They didn’t understand. They just didn’t.

He had breached the final barrier between himself and Sidney. It was all smooth sailing from here.

***

The party that weekend was a welcome one, and while Sidney enjoyed all her tasks, she enjoyed them even more when she was prepping an event for her friends.

This party was to celebrate Diane Wilder’s birthday and because of that, Hanna, Amy, and Porsche would be coming. Claire and Sidney chatted about the activities they’d planned as they made the beds, dusted the rooms and inventoried supplies. Claire didn’t mention Cody, or her budding relationship with him, but Sidney couldn’t miss those sidelong glances . . . or Claire’s occasional dour expressions.

Finally Sidney couldn’t take it anymore. She sighed and said, “Okay, out with it.”

Claire blinked. “Out with what?”

“You know.”

Her friend sighed and flopped down on a bed, one they’d just made, unfortunately. “I’m worried about you.”

“About me? I’m tough as nails.”

“I know you are, but . . .”

“But what?”

“What is going on with you and Cody?”

Sidney leaned against the doorjamb and tossed the dust rag over her shoulder. “I should think that was obvious.”

“Nothing is obvious with you.”

“Okay.” Might as well just blurt it out. It was hardly a secret anyway. “Your brother and I are having a . . . thing.”

For some reason, this didn’t ease Claire’s distress. “A thing?”