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“Definitely. Couldn’t miss it.”

“I think it’s great how supportive you are of Brewser,” she says.

“Ditto,” I tell her. “I know you two have a great relationship, and I am so glad he told you about all of this.”

She sets the big bag down and shrugs out of the sweater she’s wearing.

I swallow as I take in the sight of her in a long-sleeved tee that hugs her curves, and the short plaid skirt on top of the leggings.

“I didn’t really give him an option,” she tells me with a smile. “But yes, I’m glad he has a couple of us that he can talk to about it right now.”

There’s something in her face, and the way she runs a hand up and down her opposite arm as if she has a chill, makes me ask, “Are you okay?”

She lifts her gaze to mine. “The last time someone I loved got a devastating diagnosis, it not only ended her life, it ended my whole family.” She takes a breath. “Do you know that I have a half-sister and half-brother?”

I frown. “I think I heard that. I don’t know much about them.”

“I don’t know much about them either.” She gives me a smile that is, in no way, happy. “My mom wanted another baby after Mara died. My dad absolutely did not. He hated the idea of replacing her. My mom insisted it wasn’t that. She just wanted happiness and life again.” Sutton sighs. “Anyway, all of that broke my parents up. And my mom got together with my sister’s oncologist.”

My eyes widen. “Wow.”

“Yeah. And then they had my little sister and brother.” She looks incredibly sad suddenly. “Who I barely know. They live in Minnesota and…it’s really hard not to feel a little like they’re supposed to be replacements for Mara.” She takes a deep breath. “Which is horrible, because it’s not their fault. At all. They’re still so little. Three and two.” She shakes her head. “Anyway… everything with Mara was devastating. It’s why Beckett is the way he is—overprotective of me, avoiding our half-siblings because he can’t stand the idea of having two more people to protect and possibly fail, and then always trying to be the life of the party because that was his role when Mara was sick.” Her next sigh sounds completely exhausted. “It’s all been so hard. And I’ll be honest—I’m having to tell myself over and over that this thing with Brewser is different. That it won’t be devastating. That it won’t ruin all of the relationships around me at the same time it hurts him.”

My heart clenches so hard in my chest, I have to force myself to stay where I am rather than stalking across the room and pulling her into my arms. The need to comfort her is suddenly a physical ache, though.

I had thought today would be flirty and fun. I’d planned to tease her. See if I could talk her into telling me she is the one bringing food over.

This is…not that.

And suddenly I’m fine with this instead.

She takes a couple of hesitant steps forward. “Tell me what it was like with your sister,” she says. “Unless you can’t talk about it. I get it if you can’t. But with your sister, I’m sure it was really hard and scary, but she survived, and your family stayed together, and she’s good.”

Fuck it. I cross the distance between us, wrap my arms around Sutton, and pull her against my chest.

She doesn’t even stiffen. She doesn’t act a bit surprised. She immediately leans into me and wraps her arms around me too.

“I can definitely talk about it,” I tell her. “And I would love to tell you about my sister and how she has recovered and lived her life.”

Sutton squeezes me tighter, and the scent of cinnamon sugar floats up. “I’d love to hear it.”

I hug her back, then reluctantly let her go. She takes a deep breath and smiles up at me.

I want to hug her every day. Forever.

I clear my throat. “I was only seven. But I still remember a lot about it. I wasn’t right there when the stroke first happened, but I was in the house,” I start. “I was in the living room watching TV. She was upstairs with my mom. I remember my mom screaming, and my dad running up there. There was a flurry of activity. The ambulance came. I definitely remember being at the hospital with them for days.”

Sutton crosses her arms against her body and nods. “I hate hospitals. We were there so much, I’m actually worried about Brewser having to go.” She hugs herself tighter. “Of course I’ll go. I would never not go. But I hate hospitals.”

I give her an encouraging smile. “I think that’s really normal. And I get it. Completely. We’ll go together, okay?”

She offers me a small smile. “Deal.”

“So,” I say, deciding to go ahead with an idea I had prior to her asking about Lydia. “Do you want to come into the kitchen for a little bit while we talk?”

Because she is definitely not a sneaky, stalker type, no matter how hard she tries, she looks down at the tote bag she set by the door before meeting my gaze and nodding. “Sure.”

I hide my smile. I would bet a thousand dollars there’s a casserole and baked goods in that tote bag.