Page 53 of In Spades

“I don’t think they’re ready to get engaged yet,” I said, laughing as I scooped up the pile of envelopes that were, unfortunately, addressed to me. I took a seat at the table and sipped my coffee, wincing at the bitterness. “They’re talking about it, though. She said he asked her about the type of rings she likes.”

“Aww,” Kylie said, smiling wistfully as she turned back to her biology notes. She didn’t have a boyfriend, as far as I knew. Thank goodness for that.

I didn’t know if I could handle the older two dating yet.

I worried about Logan. About a year ago I sat him down and fumbled my way through some semblance of the birds and the bees. I was relieved when he reassured me that he knew the mechanics.

I could talk about safe sex until I was blue in the face, but I would rather jump in a kiddie pool filled with fire ants than give my little brother sex tips. Then again, it wasn’t like I had a ton of experience myself.

He told me over and over again that there wasn’t anyone he was interested in, and honestly—I believed him. He seemed disconnected and had very little interest in any kind of socializing. Hormones be damned.

Kylie was another story entirely. She was boy-crazy in all the worst ways. Lucky for her, I was the product of a cautionary tale about what happens when you don’t use protection. Our current living situation was pretty effective birth control in itself.

I pulled the electricity bill out of the envelope and stared at the minimum amount due. I kept my expression unbothered in front of Ky and Lo, but inside I was teetering between scared shitless and a blackhole of endless despair.

My phone vibrated beside me on the table. It lit up with Will’s name front and center. I couldn’t pick it up quickly enough to keep Ky and Lo from seeing it. Shit.

“Who’s that?” Kylie asked, eyebrows raised.

“Um, he’s, uh,” I stammered, sliding back from the table with my phone. What possible explanation could I give for a guest from the inn calling me at home? “He’s a friend.”

Kylie shot Logan a grin. “Sure. A friend calling you this late at night?”

I swiped the screen to answer the call, pointed at the two of them and mouthed, “Homework.”

The rusted sheet metal door slammed behind me as I stepped into the chilly autumn air. I pressed the phone to my ear, peering over my shoulder to make sure no one followed me out.

“Hello?” I answered the call in a hushed tone. It’d be just my luck for blue-haired Ms. McCafferty to be outside for her nightly cigarette. She’d have tongues wagging before sunrise if she overheard anything juicy.

“Hey, Sunshine.”

“Hi.”

“You’re wondering why I’m calling, aren’t you?” There was a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Maybe a little,” I admitted. I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

After such a busy weekend at the inn, then taking the day off, I hadn’t heard Will’s voice in a while. I missed it. Hearing him over the phone for the first time stirred a lot of emotions. This felt big.

“I figured,” Will said. The rumble of his laugh soothed me like a warm hug.

“I mean, you told me to call you.”

“Well, were you going to call me?”

I cringed. “Uh?—"

“Be straight with me, Sunshine.”

“No, I wasn’t going to call you,” I mumbled, working the lines of stress on my forehead with my fingers. “I just got home and needed to get some things done before I hit the hay.”

“And that’s exactly why I called.”

“To distract me?”

“Because I knew you would make up excuses as to why you couldn’t call. I want to talk to you.”

I sighed. “Will…”

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