Page 20 of Hart Breaker

She unbuckles and clears her throat. “I know it’s different when all three are in love. They’re not Mic?—”

“No, his name doesn’t get spoken. He’s Officer Foot Fungus from now on.”

She smirks as she opens the door.

As she slides out, I call to her, “Might wanna let that warm up, Syd.”

She tries and fails to open the door.

“Hit the remote start so it unthaw a bit, and let’s go grab some coffee at my place.”

I turn off my Jeep, climb out, and we head around the barn to get to my place.

As I tap my code into my door, Syd asks, “Have you two agreed on where you’ll live when you get married yet?”

I walk in and see a fire going in the fireplace. Thank you, Lo.

We both start removing our boots.

“He’ll come around to loving the silo, and then, someday, I’ll have to admit that it’s probably not big enough to raise kids in.”

“You’re getting married in just a little over a month; don’t you think it should be agreed upon already?” she asks as she steps out of hers and walks to the fire, holding her hands out to warm them.

“He’s got this semester and next, and I know everyone else has a problem with him living on campus until he graduates, but I don’t. He needs to stay focused. It’s law school.”

She sits down on my fabulous camel-colored leather couch, grabs my red and white Holstein-colored blanket, and yawns.

I do the same as I walk the ten steps to my kitchen. “You need coffee.”

“Maybe I need a nap.”

“Don’t you open soon?”

“I posted that we’ll open at three due to the weather.” She yawns again. “Might open at two on the weekdays and ten on the weekends. More than three-quarters of the business comes from online orders. With the new freeze dryers, it cuts down on time. I don’t need to be there as often all the time, just the busier season.”

“We’ve gotten more online orders lately, too.”

“Common denominator is Lo’s web designs.”

“She’d disagree.” I point out.

“She needs to acknowledge she has talent and accept a compliment.”

Pot meet kettle, I think, but don’t say because we both packed on a few pounds over the past few years. College will do that. I happen to love my curves; hell, I even love my little belly that now covers the little college athlete abs I had so painstakingly worked on creating. Syd, not so much.

I wanted to be softer on the outside, secretly hoping maybe one day I will be softer on the inside, as well.

I decide to forget the coffee and embrace the snow day feel we have going on. I head over to the other side of the couch and hunker down. Lord knows I couldn’t sleep last night.

Syd throws part of the blanket over me. “I miss this.”

“Me, too,” I admit.

“I told you she’s sleeping,” Lauren snarls.

I stretch as I sit up and look over the back of the couch at her, wondering what’s going on.

“Hey.” I yawn and stretch before sliding out from under the blanket. “You’re out early.” I cock my head to the side when I see Brett’s jaw tighten. “Everything okay?”

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