Page 44 of In Plain Sight

“Would you shut up already?” Lily scolded Kelsey. “I told you that in confidence. What is wrong with you?”

Clara giggled. “Sorry. It’s the painkillers. I’m sure she doesn’t mean it. It’s been a lot like having you around all morning, Lil—no filter!”

I laughed because it was true. Lily never sugarcoated anything. She was as transparent as a person could possibly be.

“Well, you guys are welcome to all the babies. I will gladly spoil rotten any and all nieces and nephews, but I am definitely not ready for kids,” Lizzy said. “Maybe it’s selfish of me, but I don’t really care. I waited a long time for my happily ever after and I just want to enjoy my mate for now. Sure, I’ve had fleeting thoughts of kids, but after the misery we suffered all those years, Cole and I still have a lot of making up to do.”

Clara rolled her eyes. “And they do, several times a night.”

Lizzy actually blushed as we all laughed.

“How about you, Clara?” I asked.

She shrugged. “Eventually. Gage and I are still adjusting and trying to figure out what our life looks like now. I think we’re both getting a little stir-crazy around here and anxious for a new assignment. Honestly, as bad as it sounds, I’m glad your house flooded, Lizzy. Gives Gage something to do while we’re home.”

It was Lizzy’s turn to roll her eyes. “I’m glad my misfortune could help you.”

The morning passed quickly as we talked about anything and everything. It was rare that my sisters and I opened up in this way, though it was becoming more common.

As noon approached Clara asked me to run over to the diner and pick up lunch for us all. Peyton was working and had it ready. Of course I said yes. When I arrived, I was surprised to find Bran there having lunch with Wyatt.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” he asked, rising to give me a kiss when he saw me.

“I took the day off, or at least part of it. The girls are over at Clara’s entertaining Kelsey, or I suppose she’s entertaining us as Clara has her high on painkillers.”

Wyatt chuckled. “We don’t even want to know.”

“Yeah, probably best. I’m just picking up lunch for everyone.”

Kate, Wyatt’s mate and owner of Kate’s Diner, came out to see him. They were too cute together. Bran and Wyatt had seemed to hit it off well and I made a mental note to invite them to dinner sometime soon.

“Peyton’s in the back working on a cake. Asked if you mind hanging out for about an hour.” Kate said.

I sighed. I had thought I was just swinging by to pick up our food.

“How long do you have left for lunch?” I asked Bran.

“I’m meeting up with Mr. Draper at two, so I have a few hours to blow,” he said.

I beamed. “Then I guess it’s my lucky day.” I took his hand and pulled him up. “We’re going to go check in with Peyton and give you two a few minutes alone.” I looked around the diner, noting there wasn’t an empty seat to be found. “Well, sort of.”

Bran and I headed back into the kitchen but didn’t see Peyton amongst the hustle of lunch hour.

“Looking for Peyton? She’s in the back kitchen,” one of the chefs informed me.

“Thanks,” I said as Bran and I danced our way through the madness, trying to stay out of everyone’s way.

The back kitchen was a small room with a stove and oven set up, a prep table, and a table that generally sat two, but could expand to accommodate up to eight people. It could be booked for special occasions with a chef assigned to prepare food right there as a unique dining experience. Collier didn’t exactly have many special date night sort of places, so Wyatt had built that on to the back of the diner to offer something extra to the place. It was booked nearly every night of the week, and months in advance for holidays. Peyton was most often the featured chef and jokingly claimed the kitchen for herself.

“Hey P, Clara said lunch was ready, but Kate said you’d be another hour or so?”

“I’m so sorry. I was trying to get everything in order, but we’ve been slammed since breakfast. I just wanted to bake a cake for Kelsey.”

“That’s so sweet. Is lunch ready? I could always come back and pick up the cake in an hour,” I offered. “Otherwise I’ll be forced to hang out with this guy and ignore our poor sisters.”

Bran scowled. “I thought that was already the plan.”

“Yeah, but I was going to drop their lunch off first,” I said.

---