Page 32 of Rosie and the Beast Next Door

Her nostrils flared and she pulled out her phone. I stepped back half a step, prepared to knock the phone from her hand if she tried to take a picture. More than one person had a broken phone, compliments of me.

Instead, it rang, and a moment later, a man’s voice answered on speakerphone. “Hey, Rosie. Lia and I are just heading out the door. Can I—”

“Haydn,” she cut in sounding a whole lot like my coach after we lost a game. “Am I a nurturing woman?” She stared at me in defiance, and I had to reluctantly admit my curiosity was piqued.

“Ummm. Why do you ask?” That was a hedging tone if I’d ever heard it.

“Just answer the question.”

“Well, I mean, your type of nurturing is unconventional—”

She ended the call and pulled up another number. While it rang, she said, “And that was the brother who likes me the best.”

I locked my jaw and refused to break her stare.

The ringing stopped and an irritated voice barked, “What?”

“As if I’m interrupting anything.”

“You are.”

“What? Work?”

“Yes, Rosie. Work.” The more irritated the man sounded, the happier Rosie’s eyes seemed to get.

“This’ll take a second, Jules. Am I a nurturer?”

The man—Jules—snorted. “Do you have any other delusional questions to waste my time with or …”

She hung up on him and stuck her phone in her back pocket. “That’s the brother I’m actively working to marry off. Not because I’m nurturing him”—she put that part in air quotes—“but because my life will be improved with sisters. He’s pretty peeved with me, but I got him to agree to go on the first date he’s gone on in almost a year because I’m persuasive and I know what I’m doing. We can’t call my third brother because he’s out at sea today without reception, but I assure you if he listed my many, many strengths, nurturing would not be one of them.”

I held up both of my hands. “I stand corrected.”

She stood and made for the door. “Post a picture on social media of you reading something from my shelf.” She bowed sarcastically. I didn’t even know someone could bow sarcastically until then. “You’re welcome.”

Lily’s mailbox was sprawledagainst the dirt. I went to lift it, but Charlie’s voice stopped me.

“Don’t bother,” Charlie called as she backed her car out of the driveway. “It’ll just wind up on the ground again.”

“Where are you headed?”

“Work. I saw your post. I love that romance series.” She waggled her eyebrows.

I’d found a random book on Rosie’s bookshelf with a hockey stick on the cover and took a selfie of me pretending to read it. It was a romance? Of course it was.

I checked my notifications, and saw I had a bunch. Many of them with chili peppers and kissing emojis.

“I’m heading in to work, but Lily’s home.”Good luck, she mouthed as she pulled away. That didn’t bode well. But I had to see my sister at some point. It might as well be on my terms.

I knocked, and Lily opened the door with a sour expression. “The prodigal returns.”

“How’ve you been?”

“Just fine.” She kept me standing outside the door like I was trying to sell her something. “I’m right in the middle of something.”

“Just wanted to say hi.”

“Checklist complete.” She gave me a bitter twist of her lips.

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