Page 17 of Love In The Spotlight

“Don’t cut your finger off,” Talia said. “We know being in the kitchen isn’t your thing.”

“It’s not my thing when I’ve got twenty other things to do. I can manage to cut vegetables and put a salad together.”

“You can,” her mother said, holding up two carrot sticks. “But you’re just doing it any which way it happens rather than making sure it’s perfect.”

“It’s food that goes into our mouths. It tastes the same whether one stick is thicker than the other.”

Talia started to giggle and Laken looked at the smirk on her younger sister’s face.

She knew her sister was taking the carrot sticks into a sexual thought but wouldn’t comment with their mother in the room.

“Grow up, Talia,” her mother said. “If you’re comparing what I think you are to a carrot stick then you haven’t been with the right man.”

Her jaw dropped. “Eww, Mom.”

“Hey,” her mother said. “I’ve got eight kids. Do you think I haven’t seen a...carrot stick a time or two in my life?”

She held her hand up to her mother’s laughter to cut it out. Even Talia was laughing too.

“You two are gross.”

“Don’t be a prude,” Talia said.

“I’m hardly a prude.”

Just because Laken didn’t date much and couldn’t remember the last time another body was in a bed with her didn’t mean she was a prude.

It was more like she had no time.

Could be why her brain was on overdrive thinking of Jamie though.

“When was the last time you went on a date?” Talia asked.

“Laken is too busy conquering the business world,” Abby said, coming into the kitchen. “I’m so jealous of her and her drive and wish I was more like her.”

“Don’t be jealous of Laken,” West said behind his girlfriend. “Not everyone is meant to climb the ladder like Laken. You have to do what makes you happy. What makes Laken happy is getting more out of her big brother.”

She laughed and winked at him. “This new acquisition is a lot of work and you know it.”

“I do,” West said. “Once you get started.”

She sighed. “Next week I’m meeting with Jamie to sit down. You know, Abby, I could use someone like you on my team. HR experience and hiring, the policies and procedures to manage. Just say the word.”

Abby smiled but didn’t say much. She probably shouldn’t have put her brother’s girlfriend on the spot like that.

She knew West wanted Abby to move closer and Abby didn’t want a charity job.

This wouldn’t be one. Never.

This would be building her team with strong players just like Jamie had said.

“Speaking of work,” her mother said. “I was talking to my brother the other day. Phoenix is struggling with his business, it seems.”

Phoenix was her mother’s brother’s oldest of nine kids.

Having a lot of kids ran in the family.

Laken supposed she should be lucky that her mother didn’t have multiples like her Uncle Austin did. Aunt Carolina and Uncle Austin decided to be cute and named all their kids after cities.

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