“But—” I started.
Leah shook her head. There was no compromising with her. “It’s done. Kyle can watch the kids. It won’t be a tough sell to get my kids to your house anyway. They found out you had an inground pool from Ryla this week.”
“What if I don’t want to go?” I hedged.
“You’ll love the book! I picked one of my all-time favorites. It’s a slow burn grumpy sunshine about a vegan professional football player who pays his ex-assistant to marry him so he can stay in the country. He’s from Canada.” Leah snapped her finger. “Ha! You’re already intrigued, I can tell. Come on, you can bring all the iced coffee you can drink, what do you say?”
I sent her a reproachful glare. “You could charm the skin off a snake.”
“Attagirl! You can take the girl out of the South, but not the South out of the girl. You’re just one y’all away from eatin’ grits in the mornin’!”
I groaned. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?”
“Nothing ventured, and all that. Now let’s talk about that book you were listening to . . .”
CHAPTEREIGHT
JACE
Talking about my love life with my mother was as helpful as googling symptoms when feeling sick. I’d only end up feeling worse.
Piper Sheldon,Stranger Than Fan Fiction
“Aww, look at you, baby brother. You look like an actual man!” I swung my head from where I’d been sitting at the bar and did a double take. My sister, Sarah, was walking toward me. Her hair had always been a longer version of mine, down past her shoulders, but now there were large sections of bright pink scattered amongst her dark brown curls.
“I’ve always been a man,” I grumbled as I got up from my chair to give her a hug.
I’d been ready to pick her up from the airport when she’d texted me that she was getting her own ride and would meet me at the Front Porch to keep me company when I waited for a table.
Sarah grabbed my cheeks and smushed them together, moving my head back and forth. “Of course you are.”
I scowled then scooped her up, spinning her around. “Could a teenager do this?” I grinned down at her after putting her back on her feet. “It’s good to see you, Sarah. You look beautiful.”
“Always the charmer,” she said as she took the seat next to mine. “I’m sure you’ve heard about the absurd idea of Momma and Daddy moving to Florida?”
“I’ve been so informed.”
“This is all Kent’s doing. I heard he’s struggling to get sales. It’s not gonna happen. There is no way. I love him, but Daddy moves slower than molasses. It took them ages just to get cell phones.”
I inwardly shuddered as I took a pull of my beer. My unofficial role at home was also helping my parents with every single piece of technology in the house, including setting up their Wi-Fi. It’s a lesson in patience each time. Pop still thanked Alexa whenever he asked her a question and he frequently asks how she’s been.
“What are you gonna do if they move?”
I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye. “Do you mean, am I going to stay in Green Valley?”
“Come on, Jace. You’re so young. Don’t you want to travel, see the world? You don’t have a career, or strings, to hold you here anymore. You’re free!”
“If I wanted to travel, Sarah, that’s what I’d be doing.”
As a rule, I’m not against travel. I went on a handful of trips with Sam and our buddy Owen over the last few years, but it never caught my interest. Give me the clean, sweet mountain air of the Smokies and I’m happy.
“Are Momma and Daddy still giving you shit about not having a job?”
I covered my heart. “You wound me. I have several jobs.”
“I mean a “real job”,” she explained, making finger quotes as she spoke.
“Golly, gee, Sarah. Do ya mean one of them fancy jobs that pays you in real money?”
