Page 123 of Falling for my Brother's Best Friend

She laughs. “Not the sexy-time make up. Just when you guys finally get your heads out of your asses make up.”

“My head is out of my ass.”

“So we’re good, you’re saying? You want to hear a story about Mr. Bailey and me? I was a poor girl and Mr. Bailey’s family had a lot of money. I never would have dreamed he’d love me—”

“Yeah, thanks and all, but I’m good. You can save your wisdom for the next Bailey.”

She slouches.

In a moment of weakness, and because I owe her a lot—Savannah never would have moved in with me if not for Dori pushing her—I say, “Actually, I’d love to hear it.”

“Really?” She doesn’t wait for me to agree before she starts out about her ice skating on the pond where the elementary school is now. She goes off on a couple tangents about Mr. Bailey being a fisherman, but she felt like she wasn’t what Mr. Bailey’s parents would have hoped for because she didn’t come from much.

I get what she’s saying, but as egotistical as it sounds, I think her son and daughter-in-law would have liked me being with Savannah. It’s me who has to believe I’m good enough for her.

We arrive at Savannah’s, and it’s dark.

“No one’s home,” I say.

“She’s probably up in her room.” Dori digs through her purse and holds up a keychain with a bunch of keys. “I have a key.”

“What are all those keys for?” We climb out of my car and walk up the path to the front door.

“All the houses, but that’s a little secret between you and me.”

“As long as my key isn’t on that ring, your secret is safe.”

She mocks offense. “Sure, let’s pretend it’s not.”

For some reason, it warms my heart that she actually might, but I’ll still be changing my locks come tomorrow.

We enter the house, and it’s quiet and dark.

“They did a great job. She practically redecorated it herself,” I say as we enter.

I haven’t been here in a few weeks, but my vision is only to find her, so I walk around, looking in rooms, climbing the stairs to check bedrooms. I lose track of Dori at some point. I’m in the master bathroom when Dori’s scream rings out.

I run down the stairs, paranoid because she’s screaming, and follow the glow of a light to find her in a doorway.

“You found her?” I ask.

“No, but look.” She steps back, and I smile at the same orange, yellow, and green floral wallpaper that Austin and Holly tore out of the family house. “Why would she put that in here? It doesn’t go with her gray-and-blue pallet.”

I put my arm around Dori’s shoulders. “Because she wants to remember her childhood.”

Dori seems confused, but I’m not.

“Let me drive you back home. I’ll find her on my own,” I say.

“Thanks, Liam.”

She locks up Savannah’s house and is quiet for most of the ride to Northern Lights. “You’re a good egg.”

I chuckle. “Thanks?”

“Like when you crack one open and you get double yolk. That kind of an egg.”

I nod a few times. “Thanks, Dori.”

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