Page 20 of Darn Knit All

True. But I like not walking home in vomit

Theo

One example. Big deal

Mai

And the cow incident

Theo

Could have happened to anyone

Mai

And yet it happened to you… and me. You know I lost money when I sold that car

Theo

So… is this a no on the favor?

Mai

It depends. Are you expecting any form of bodily fluid to be involved?

Theo

I'll ask someone else

Mai

Good thinking

Asea breeze ruffled my hair, carrying the salty tang of the sea. Waves crashed rhythmically against the shore, the sound at once familiar and soothing.

In the distance, seagulls called to each other, searching for unattended scraps as young parents played in the sun with their kids, making the most of these last days of warmth before the autumn storms rolled in.

I loved Capricorn Cove, with its wild coastline and dramatic seasons. As much as small-town life sometimes chafed, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

“What’s going on between you and my sister?”

I turned away from the view to see Ren stabbing a stray tomato piece with his fork. We’d met for lunch in a local park on one of Ren’s rare days off. The guy worked for the local fire department—a department that currently faced a near chronic shortage of staff. If I didn’t have an overwhelming fear of heights, I’d be tempted to join just to help remove some of the shadows from under his eyes.

Not that I’d pass the physical. The fire department wasn’t exactly looking for a guy with a prosthetic leg.

“What do you mean by ‘going on’?” I asked, making quotation marks with my fingers as I shifted on the bench seat of the ancient picnic table.

“You know what I mean.” Ren stabbed another tomato. “Are you dating?”

My eyebrows lifted. “Dating?”

Ren’s dark eyes met mine. “Stop answering my questions with questions. You heard me. Are you dating?”

One couldn’t miss the family resemblance between the siblings. From their dark eyes, button noses, and black hair that held the same adorable cow lick, one glance could tell they were related.

Only, I wasn’t attracted to Ren. My attraction to his sister, however… well, she was a whole other story. And one I didn’t let myself dwell on for too long.

“Dating,” I murmured, tasting the word on my tongue. “Are we dating? I must have missed the memo.”

---