Page 15 of Peaches and Cream


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This was news to Adley, and she found herself almost entranced by the words her sister was saying.

“He does his own thing with his own friends. We hardly spend any time together. He doesn’t ask me about work. He hardly notices me anymore…” Her voice trailed off, and Adley knew by her sudden swallowing that she was close to tears. And seriously, how did somebody not notice Brody? She was gorgeous. Fun. Kind. Nathan was a lucky man, but if what Brody was telling her was true, he didn’t know it. Or he knew it and just didn’t care.

“So…what are you gonna do?” she asked, stirring the fig compote as it simmered on the stove.

Brody inhaled, then blew it out. “I don’t know.”

“Are you in love with this Paul?”

“I don’t know that either.”

Adley nodded. “Fair enough.” She took the pot off the heat and set it on a different burner to cool. “Have you talked to Mom and Dad about it at all?”

Brody’s snort was loud and almost comical. “So Mom can tell me I’m being selfish? No, thanks. I can do that all on my own.”

Adley nodded, knowing she was right about their mom. “Is there something I can do to help you?”

“Tell me about you. Take my mind off this.” Brody glanced at her watch. “I have about twenty minutes.”

“Okay. So, I’m doing something weird,” Adley said, then glanced over her shoulder to see Brody’s reaction.

A tip of the head and a narrowing of the eyes, a small chuckle. “All right. What’s weird?”

And she spilled. Like an overly full bucket of water, she just tipped a little and it all came pouring out. Meeting Sabrina, kissing her within the first fifteen minutes of talking to her, subsequent making out after that.

Brody sat quietly, but with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. When Adley finished talking, she simply said, “Holy shit.”

Instead of feeling judged, it made Adley laugh. “I know, right?”

“Wow, Ad, this issonot you.”

“Oh, I know it.” She went back to stirring the fig compote—which didn’t need any more stirring—just to give herself something to do with her hands.

“And no work talk?”

She shook her head. “We are both stressed by our jobs, and wejoked that first night about not talking about them, and it’s just…stuck. Which is kind of refreshing, if I’m being honest, because I worry enough during the time I’m here.” She set the spoon down and met her sister’s gaze. “It’s kind of nice to set it aside in my free time, at least for a while.”

“You know, I can see the benefit in that. Also, if her tongue is in your mouth, you can’t do much talking anyway.” Brody shot her a look and waggled her eyebrows, and that made her laugh, and she suddenly felt lighter, like Brody got it and it was safe to talk more.

“My God, Brodes, she is so fucking hot. I’ve never met somebody that can turn me on from across the room the way she does. It’s nuts.” She brought her fingers to her mouth and stared at her sister, slightly shocked that she’d admitted such a thing out loud.

Brody looked at her for what felt like a really long time before she said softly, “And you’re okay with this…casual arrangement?” She took another bite of the ice cream, clearly over the possibility of getting sick, then watched Adley as she swallowed it. “Because I know you, little sister, and casual has never been your thing.”

“Well. Maybe it is now.” She lifted one shoulder. A half shrug. Yup, totally nonchalant.Casual…see?

Brody did not look convinced, but she held up a hand, palm forward. “Could be. Okay. I’m just looking out for you. You know that, right?” She waited for Adley to nod, then she gave her a tender smile and in a soft tone said, “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, that’s all.”

Adley knew that. She did. Her sister was always on her side. From the time Brody was two and Adley was born, Brody had been her own personal protector. All through school, when she came out to their parents, the first time she had her heart broken, Brody was always there, arm around her, keeping the world at bay, and telling Adley everything was going to be okay. So it was no surprise that her situation with Sabrina concerned Brody.

“I know. I appreciate that.” Another thought occurred to her. “And Jesus, please don’t say anything to Mom and Dad.”

Brody snorted a laugh. “And don’tyousay anything to Mom and Dad aboutme.”

“The Purcell sisters, covering each other’s asses for the past thirty-four years.” Their gazes held for a moment before they both burst into laughter. “You know, for something wild and kind of secret, I’ve toldboth you and Scottie about Sabrina when I didn’t actually intend to tell anybody.”

“I haven’t told a soul about Paul.”

She decided telling Brody that she’d mentioned her dalliance with Paul to Sabrina probably wasn’t the best course of action in that moment, and instead, she shifted the topic back to ice cream and business and stupid Sweet Heaven and their stupid new ice cream shop.