I want to be good for Mack for a long time to come. But I’m going to have to do that from the position of a friend. I can’t get romantically attached to someone I like because I have other things to worry about. Their names are Noli and Rose Kasper.
I stick out my tongue at Noli while also trying to use my eyes to tell her to cool it.
“Watch the licking, Boo.” Mack pokes me in the side, and I yelp and nearly drop the phone. My entire traitorous body starts buzzing at his touch.
“Um, excuse me, Poppy, can you control yourself? I’m trying to talk to Mack here.”
I right the phone and scowl at Noli. “Sorry.” I swivel the screen in Mack’s direction.
“Mack! Hi!” Noli beams. “Tell me, is Poppy obsessed with Rose’s life, or does she save her special brand of overprotective big sister for me?”
I scoot closer so I’m in the frame with Mack. I’m invading his personal space, but that’s been my favorite place to be lately, so I’m not mad about it.
“I resent that,” I say to Noli.
“Yeah, yeah.” She rolls her eyes.
Mack cuts a look in my direction, silently asking me what’s going on. I lean back so I’m out of the frame again and mouth, “She loaned Nelson more money.”
Mack keeps his face neutral like a champ, but on the phone screen, Noli starts swishing her finger between the two of us. “Hey, no. Not fair. Leave it to you two to already be able to talk without words. But none of this communicating behind my back in front of my face. If you’ve got something to say, say it.”
I sigh and lean closer to Mack again, drawing patience and resolve from his strong presence. “We’ve been over this, Noli. I don’t like to see you getting taken advantage of, that’s all.”
“I’ve told you, Poppy. I know what I’m doing. I trust Nelson. It’s fine. Mack”—she shifts her gaze to him—“please talk some sense into my sister. Tell her she does not need to move back to Pensacola for me.”
“I’ve already told her that,” Mack says evenly.
He has. A number of times. We joke about it constantly. But he knows that I have to go.
I roll my eyes at him now.
“See, Poppy. Listen to your friend.” Noli puts a heavy amount of emphasis on that word,friend.
Mack puffs up his chest, and I wonder if he noticed what Noli was implying.
“Yeah, Poppy. Listen to me,” he says.
I nudge him in the shoulder. He sways away from me, but when he comes back to a resting position, he lands closer to my side. Our shoulders are pressed flush now, and I could think of worse ways to spend a Saturday night in early August.
“Seriously, Pops. You love it there. You’ve got a great job. You can’t stop gushing about how gorgeous it is in town. And then there’s Mack.”
Mack cocks his head to the side.
Before he can ask Noli to please elaborate, I rip the phone back in my direction and stand up. “Okay! Well, I’m going to go.”
I walk away from the fire pit and drop my voice. “Would you cut it out? I don’t need things to be weird between Mack and me because of all these hints you’re dropping.”
“Don’t be so sensitive! I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sure Mack knows that.”
I glance over my shoulder, and Mack’s watching me. I shrug my shoulders as if to say,Sisters, am I right?He smiles at me, and I feel it in my core.
“Whatever. Stay in touch, okay?”
Noli sighs. “Okay,Mom.”
I make an exasperated face.
“Quit worrying about me, and go have some fun. I know how hard you’ve been working.”
