Page 114 of Is It Casual Now?

“Hmm, seems we’re not all that different then.” Siena smiled, then she used the top of her foot and slid it along the back of Jamie’s calf. This could all work out exactly how they needed it to.

thirty-six

“Hey, Harley!” Jamie grinned as Harley opened the front door. She’d only just barely knocked, which meant that Harley must have been waiting for her. As soon as she stepped inside, Harley wrapped her arms around Jamie’s leg. Wait… arms? “Did you get your cast off?”

Jamie bent down so she could look Harley over. Sure enough, the cast that had encased her arm the entire time Jamie had known her was completely gone.

“Yes!” Harley giggled and raised her arm above her head before attempting to stretch it out. “But I can’t straighten it yet.” She pouted. “Mommy says I have to go to PT. What’s that?”

“It’s a doctor that helps you move your muscles better. It’ll be fun. Sometimes they make games that you can play.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.” Jamie patted Harley’s shoulder before standing up to her full height. “Did you get to keep the cast?”

“No! It was so stinky! I nearly threw up.”

Jamie laughed. She remembered that from when she’d been a kid and had broken her arm on a trampoline. Thatwas something she’d never wanted to do again, so she’d never stepped foot on one of those contraptions after that. And she still wouldn’t, no matter how hard someone tried to make her.

“Yeah, they can get pretty gross. Where’s your mom?”

“Kitchen.” Harley took Jamie by the hand and led her toward the kitchen, but she didn’t let go of Jamie’s hand when they got there.

That had been one of the hardest things for Jamie to get used to. Harley was so affectionate with other people, physically affectionate in ways that Jamie had never been growing up. Her parents had always held her and Jessie at a distance, their father especially. And seeing Siena and Harley together was really the first time that Jamie wondered if it truly was just her family that was like that.

She’d have to look into it more and talk to Jessie about it.

“Hey there,” Jamie said, catching Siena at the stovetop, cooking something that smelled delicious.

“Hey.” Siena grinned broadly. “She was watching from the window.”

Jamie chuckled. “I figured.” Moving in, Jamie leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to Siena’s. It was a quick kiss as something crackled in the pan on the stove. She glanced down at it and was impressed that Siena was cooking. “I love that you can do that.”

“Cook?” Siena looked at her in surprise.

“Yeah. My claim to fame is ramen in the microwave.”

“This explains so much,” Siena teased as she went back to preparing the meal.

“How was your new job?” Harley asked, her chest puffing out with how thrilled she was to be able to remember something important.

“It’s good.” Jamie bent down and picked Harley up, popping her on her hip for a quick hug before setting her backdown. “I bet not as good as finally being able to scratch your skin.”

Harley giggled. “It’s so good!” She waved her hand in the air again excitedly. “Is your new boss mean?”

“My new boss is Ingrid.” Jamie glanced at Siena. “Do you know her?”

“Mommy’s friend.”

Jamie nodded. “Yeah, so she’s pretty nice.” So far anyway, but Jamie hadn’t really been there that long yet, which meant she still had time to piss off the boss and run into problems of her own making. Although this job already felt far calmer than any other she’d had so far. Something about the office was odd, but she just put it down to the newness.

“Harley, would you go set the table, please?” Siena asked.

“Sure thing, Mommy!” Harley immediately raced to the cabinet where the plates were, skidding to a halt in her socked feet on the tile floor.

Jamie leaned against the counter, eyeing Siena over. She’d missed spending one-on-one time with Siena, but she also loved this feeling that came over her. It was so…settled. That was the word. It brought a sense of joy into her life, and she wouldn’t give that up for the world.

“What are you smiling about?” Siena asked as she plated the chicken and scooped some of the juices onto the plate with it.

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