Knowing the answer and saying it out loud are two different things entirely, so instead of giving it any more thought, I grab the presents and wrapping paper I stuffed in my closet and get to work.
14
PHOENIX
“Since you’re helping tomorrow.” Aspen throws a shirt at me as we stand in her kitchen, and catching it with one hand, I open the black fabric revealing the Taste of Magnolia logo on the breast pocket and also stretched across the back.
“Does this make me official?”
“Officially at my beck and call tomorrow? You bet,” she confirms, and I snicker as my phone starts to vibrate.
“It’s your brother,” she says, looking down at the device from the other side of the counter. “You know, for two people who are supposed to be on vacation, they’vechecked inan awful lot.”
I snort and nod to the phone. “Answer it and put it on speaker; my hands are covered in…” I look down at the white powder that’s literally coating every surface within a fifty-foot radius—myself included.
“It’s powdered sugar,” she says as she hits the button and Talon’s voice fills the line.
“It’s about time, man.” He laughs, and I roll my eyes as I go to the sink to wash my hands. Something tells me I won’t want this conversation broadcasted much longer.
“You’re supposed to be on vacation.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to how things are going.”
My eyes snag on Aspen, her hands stilling as she meets my gaze. “They’re good.” Her blush is sexy and I like that she’s letting me in—giving me a chance to make up for lost time.
“Guess all you needed was me to dare you to be nice, huh?” He chuckles and keeps talking, but I can’t hear a thing because in the same breath, Aspen’s face falls and then she’s busying herself with stacking the containers on the counter.
“I have to go,” I bark at the phone, slamming a wet finger on the screen without bothering to dry my hands.
Because it doesn’t matter—and I won’t have my brother’s stupid comment derailing the progress Aspen and I have made over the past week.
“Hey, can you pass me the chalkboard signs? I think I can fit them in this bag.” Her request is directed at the bag in question, and she makes it a point to avoid my gaze.
Locating the box on the counter, I round the island and hold it out to her, but I don’t let go when she reaches for it.
“It’s not what it sounds like.”
“I’m sure it’s not,” she says evenly as she tries to tug the cardboard from my grasp.
“Aspen.”
She huffs, releasing her hold and crossing her arms over her chest. “I can still be pissed that it’s stillsomethingeven if it’s not what I think it is.”
Dropping the box onto the counter, I try and reach for her but she takes a step back. Running my hand through my hair, I cringe as I realize I’m probably using that damn sugar as some sort of styling product.
I’m gonna kill my brother.
Which sucks because he and Cora are so happy together.
“Talon was ragging on me about being nice while they were on vacation. I said I would but he didn’t let up and eventuallysaidI dare you.” Theto be niceis implied but I want to spell it out for her anyway. “He was bein’ a dick, and I told him I’d never do anything to jeopardize your business and that I could, in fact, conduct myself like an adult.”
“Fine,” she says, swiping the box and fitting it into the bag.
“I’m sorry. I know it sounded shitty out of context, but it was a dig at me not you.”
“I said it’s fine.”
I swallow back my frustration, because there’s never been a single woman who was actuallyfinewhen they said they were. “Aspen?—”
