Page 102 of Kiss and Tell

“Oh?” Lucy asked.

“Half the family thinks you have the hots for Miles. The other half, Joey.”

Lucy forced a laugh, even as her heart split in two at the sound of their names. Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and forged on. “Who did you guess?”

Levi never missed a beat. “Miles.”

“Not Joey?” Lucy was surprised. After all, she and Joey had been flirty during their time here at the farm, so she thought he’d be the obvious choice.

“Caught you casting a few sideway glances at Miles while they were here filming. The more he kept his distance, the more you looked. Am I right? Because I’m in the minority, so my cut of the pot would be pretty sweet.”

Rather than respond, Lucy gave him a noncommittal shrug that he mistook for her being coy.

“Are you going to see them again?” Levi asked.

She shook her head.

Levi frowned, his brows furrowed with concern. “Lu, are you okay?”

Lucy swallowed deeply, anxious to get away. If she stayed here much longer, listened to the compassion in her cousin’s tone, she’d shatter.

“I better head to the brewhouse.” Lucy turned that direction. “I’m really late now.”

“Lucy,” Levi started. “Wait.”

She paused, surprised when he reached out and gave her another hug.

“I’m around if you ever want to talk about it.” He placed a brotherly kiss on her forehead and let her go.

Lucy wouldn’t be able to avoid the subject of Joey and Miles forever, but she wasn’t able to tackle that subject today any more than the one about her mother.

So she pulled on the mantle of numbness she’d been wearing since returning, hoping it would get her through.

Because it was going to be a long day.

And a long life.

Lucy stared at the ceiling, fighting to make herself get up. She couldn’t be late for work again. She’d already sucked enough at her job this week. At this rate, Sam and Theo were likely to fire her worthless ass.

She’d retreated to her room last night right after a simple dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup with her sisters, claiming she had a headache, which had been true. Too little sleep was taking its toll. When she paired that with the Scottie drama, the new information about her mom, and the broken heart she’d been stupidly trying to convince herself she didn’t have, it was safe to say she was completely overwhelmed and overwrought.

She rubbed her scratchy eyes, then looked up when she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

“You okay?” Mila asked, opening the door without waiting for an invitation. They were sisters, which meant those kinds of niceties were nonexistent. If Lucy or her sisters wanted privacy, they simply locked their doors.

“What are you still doing here?” Lucy asked. Typically by this time of the morning, she was alone in the house as all three of her sisters were already putting a dent in the list of duties around the farm.

“We were worried about you,” Mila replied.

“We?”

Rather than answer, Mila opened the door wider, stepping inside, allowing Remi and Nora to enter as well.

Lucy was shocked to see them. “You’re late for work,” she said stupidly.

Remi laughed. “That’s the best part about working on a family farm. No one can fire us.”

Lucy sat up, sitting with her legs crossed beneath the duvet as her sisters walked over and perched around her on the sides of her mattress.

---