Page 2 of No Place Like Home

When I heard the heels, I knew Freya, the newest hire and our boss's now bestie, was the one who had walked in. She was the only one in town who always looked ready to walk a runway. She looked like a model – slim, big eyes, and luscious brown hair – and Quincy noticed because that was the type of girl he liked. Girly-girls. Girls who were the exact opposite of me.

He was right about one thing. Hewaseveryone's type.

Freya greeted us, then proceeded to lock herself in the office.

"Any ideas on the senior prank?" Q asked.

I was surprised by that as well. No one ever asked me any school-related questions. Not my mother, certainly not my father. Not when the seniors all picked a shirt to wear on spirit day (I wasn't told about it), or when they played a game of tag in the halls (I wasn't included), or when they had a mini-assembly in the auditorium. I was part of the graduating class, yet it was like I wasn’t even there.

“Something epic,” I replied and hoped like hell I got to be a part of it.

* * *

Two monthslater

"Jessa—"

"Shut up." I glared at Blake Carson before he could say another word.

It wasn't that I didn't like my name. I just wasn't a Jessamine. That was a feminine name. It sounded weak and so unlike me. I was Jess. Something short, dull, and boring.

A lot of things had changed in the last few weeks. And I do mean alot. Like most people, I hated change, but Rosie embraced it.

With those new changes came our new neighbor, Juliet. I liked her, and that was saying something since I disliked many things. She was pretty and poised with the gorgeous red curls, again a one-eighty from someone like me. Juliet was kind to my sister and me. It was probably why I grew attached to her so quickly, because she genuinely cared for Rosie.

The only downside was that with Juliet came the Carsons. Jake, Juliet's boyfriend, had a family that didn't know the meaning of personal boundaries. Don't get me wrong. For the first time in my life, I felt a sense of belonging, but they were justtoomuch.

The weather was lovely, which was rare for the annual Sunny Pines tree lighting. The weather tended to be overcast and snowy on the day the whole town gathered by the kiosk on Main Street to light up our big Christmas tree.

Since my boss, Emma, didn't believe in unfairness, all employees took shifts working her coffee shop booth. We served cookies, hot chocolate, and the most requested coffees.

If I wasn't in the booth, I might have hit Jake's younger brother Blake – or “Cubbie,” as people called him because, for some reason, they called Jake “Bear.” As I said, that family was nuts.

"Quincy, can I have a cookie?"

I glared at my little sister and her sweet voice. Juliet and I specifically told her that she couldn’t have sweets until after lunch.

“Don’t you dare,” I mumbled as Q gave Rosie a grin, the type of smile he gave all the girls at school. The type of grin that made you weak in the knees.

“You know I can never say no to a pretty face,” he told me.

I didn’t know why that comment made the pit of my stomach sink, but it did, because I was no one’s idea of a pretty face. Hell, I didn’t even like looking at myself in the mirror, because every time I did, I saweverythingI tried to hide beneath the dark makeup and baggy clothes.

“Come on, Rosie Posie. Let's spend some money,” Blake said as he reached for my sister's hand.

Most people would be protective before letting their baby sister leave with a guy they just met, but this was Sunny Pines, and nothing bad ever really happened here.

Not that I had just met Blake. This was a small town. We’d been in the same classes since grade school, but before Juliet started dating his brother, Jake, we never had a reason to talk.

“Stay with Juliet,” I told both Blake and my sister.

Juliet was too awestruck looking at Jake to hear me yelling her name.

“We’re not cockblocking.”

Just as I was going to scold Blake for saying that, my sister asked, “What’s a cockblocking?”

“It’s just a saying when someone doesn’t let you do something fun.” I rushed the explanation before Rosie could ask louder.

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