Page 67 of Cloud Nine Love

“Isn’t that cheating?”

“No,” he replied. “How’s your mom feeling?”

“Better.”

He set the candy down and pulled me into a one-armed hug. “I’m glad you decided to stick around for a little bit.”

It was going to be more than a little bit, but I wasn’t going to tell him that until after I spoke to Ruby.

“Me too.” I patted him on the back as Ruby came down the stairs.

Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, she had on a red skirt with a poodle on it. She had a white shirt that had a red R and a megaphone on the chest.

“A ’50s girl,” I stated the obvious.

“I’m Good Sandy. From Grease.” Ruby spun around.

Kane wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. “You can be Bad Sandy later.”

“Okay, okay, she’s still my sister.” For the most part, I was okay with their PDA, but sometimes it crossed the line. This was one of those times.

Ruby giggled as Kane lowered her down to the ground.

“Where’s Harp?” I asked.

“With her mom. They’re meeting us here in about ten minutes, and then Tay is going to trick or treat for a half hour before she has to go to work.”

Yes. I tried to hide my enthusiasm that I’d be seeing Taylor tonight. I hadn’t seen her since Harper’s birthday, and I was having withdrawals.

Kane’s phone rang, and he went into the kitchen to take it.

“Hey, can I talk to you, real quick, about Mom?” I figured this was as good a chance as any and every second that passed that I had information my sister didn’t was a second too long.

Worry clouded Ruby’s eyes. “Sure.”

I told her everything. That I’d found her unconscious. She’d discharged herself against doctor’s orders. She had Lupus and a secondary heart condition, which she’d known about since the summer. She hadn’t wanted to tell Ruby because she didn’t want to ruin this time in her life by making it about her. And, finally, I was moving home, and would be making sure our mom had the best medical care available, and she would no longer be working at The Spoon.

After I finished telling her everything, Ruby asked, “So, is she going to be okay?”

“I mean, Lupus isn’t really something that is curable. It’s an autoimmune disease that can create a lot of different issues, including the one with her heart. But, I think, if she gets rest and the right nutrition and doesn’t have to stress, I think she’ll be okay.”

“And you’re really moving back here? For real?”

“Yes.”

Ruby threw her arms around my neck. I could hear that she’d started crying as she said, “I love you, Bubbas. You are the best!”

I patted her back. “I love you, too.”

“Everything okay?” Kane asked as he walked back into the front room.

Ruby took a step back and wiped her face. “Yep, just stuff with my mom. She’s got—” Her phone buzzed, interrupting her explanation. She looked down. “Oh, Taylor and Harper are heading down here.” She sent a message back and then handed me a bag that was sitting beside the stairs. “Here!”

“What’s this?” I asked, looking inside.

“Your costume.”

“Why did you get me a costume?”

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