Page 20 of Sugar Coated Secrets

I’m sure I saw him. I think. Argh. I press my hands to my head, my bruises barely hurting thanks to the Advil. Why can’t I remember better? What’s wrong with me?

My breathing grows loud and my heart pounds against my ribs. Calm down. Calm down. It’s okay. You’re fine. Everything is fine. No one is stalking you. That’s ridiculous. Absurd.

My phone rings. I squeal. Seriously, I need to get control of my emotions. Without Easton here distracting me and keeping me company, I’m in bad shape.

I check to see who’s calling. Everleigh.

“Hey!” I put on a perky voice.

“Hey,” she says tenderly. “How are you?”

“Good. You? The baby?”

She giggles. “We’re good. It’s still weird to say that. We’re. Because I’m two people right now.”

“That is weird.” I smile, having never considered that.

“Easton says you’re almost ready to leave and you’re driving instead of flying?”

“He called you?”

“Daire’s been checking in on him constantly for updates.”

“Oh.” That must not be fun for Easton. No wonder he’s on edge. He has Daire riding his ass about me for Everleigh, and he has me to deal with.

“Is he helping?”

“Easton? Yeah. He’s been great. He’s a good distraction. He’s been taking care of everything, too. It’s weird. Dash never really helped. I never expected him to. Could have been part of the problem. But Easton just gets things done.”

“He didn’t use to, according to Daire. But he is changing. I’m glad he’s helping.”

“We’ll be at the farm by tonight,” I say to ease her worries. She always worries about everyone else before herself. “How are the renovations going?”

They’re turning part of the estate into an inn for farm guests. After Everleigh and Daire’s wedding in the barn there, she decided to turn it into an optional wedding venue. I loved the idea. Her wedding was so beautiful. Then she got the idea of adding a place for people to stay and either relax, learn about pecan farming, or to get married. Another brilliant idea. Daire cherishes everything she comes up with and makes it happen. Everleigh’s biggest concern was offending Mrs. Livingston by turning her former estate—which she and Daire inherited from his parents—into an inn, but her mother-in-law loved the idea. I don’t know how Everleigh handles herself so well around her mother-in-law. The woman makes me feel not worthy. She’s always kind. It’s a me problem.

“The bulk of the renovations are over,” Everleigh says. “No more dumpsters or major construction. It’s all interior work now and still scheduled for completion before the baby comes.”

“That’s important.” I pull out a barstool and sit at the counter.

“It’s weird how different the house is, basically two homes now divided in the middle but connected. What do we need all this space for, anyway? Even with the estate split, our side is huge.”

“And guests can’t access your side of the house, right?”

“No. There is an entrance hidden behind a bookshelf that we know about and have control of locking from our side. It’s where the old butler’s pantry used to be, if you remember.”

“Maybe.” That place is huge, and I was only there a handful of times. I didn’t roam the house, either.

“We were going to redo the house anyway, as you know. Daire’s mom encouraged us to make it our own, although I know she hadn’t expected us to do this.”

“It’s who you are, Everleigh. You’re a giver. You always have been. I’m so happy for you.” I’ve told her that at least one thousand times in the last year.

“And I’m so happy you’re coming to stay for a while.”

“About that…” I rub the soft leaves of a nearby plant between my fingers.

“Oh no.”

“Nothing bad. It’s just I don’t like the idea of crashing your house. I mean, you and Daire have only been married a year, and now you’re pregnant, and you have so much going on. I’d feel like a third wheel in your home.”

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