Page 6 of One Short Summer

Well, who am I to say no to that? Lucky for me, my best friend is one of the best bakers in the world—as I’m sure every customer she’s ever had in her bakery here in town would attest to. So, when she spins around to march off, I silently follow her.

Charlie and her little daughter, Mirabelle, have been living with Hudson Mitchell for a little over a year now. Hudson is not only one of the hottest rockstars on this planet, but also happens to be Gabe’s brother as well as Charlie’s new fiancé. He just got finished with all the major touring last month after striking a more lenient deal with his music label. Now, he’s only doing a few special gigs a year, taking Charlie and Mira with him whenever he can. Other than that, he’s now a full-time resident of Brooksville, and everyone is over the moon to have him around more, especially his family.

When Charlie shared the news of being engaged and pregnant with me last month, I was thrilled for her. She’s been my best friend since we were little and only deserves the very best. Thankfully, Hudson knows that too, and treats her like the sun rises and sets with her. They are so sickeningly cute together, it keeps the sting in my own heart from seeing them at bay. Mostly.

It’s not like I’m looking for something anyway. I’ve learned my lesson. Fair and square.

When we make it to the kitchen, I stop in my tracks and gasp, the right words momentarily slipping my mind. “What on earth happened in here? It looks like a tornado blew through your house.”

“Yup, pretty much.” She lets out a sigh, propping her hands on her waist. “And her name is Mirabelle.”

Disbelievingly, I shake my head. “Mira did this?”

She nods and walks around the large kitchen island, picking up random things on almost every possible surface. “Welcome to the terrible twos. It looks like I hosted a party for ten rambunctious children, but in reality, it’s only been one little, crazy girl. Add my utter exhaustion to the mix and being tired of cleaning up after her all day long, andvoilà. Welcome to our home.”

I want to laugh because I still have a hard time believing that one little child can make such a mess. Not to speak of being the cutest one ever. Instead, I bite my lip to keep it in, seeing that Charlie is already stressed enough. “Why didn’t you say anything? I could’ve come to help. And why the hell did you want us over for dinner today if you’re that exhausted? You’re crazy. You guys should’ve come over instead.”

“Oh goodness, no. You guys leave for your trip tomorrow, and I wanted to have you over.” Her eyes go wide. “Plus, at this point, I’m not sure I’ll ever take Mira to anyone else’s house ever again, or anywhere else, for that matter, unless she’s buckled in safely.”

“Are you sure we’re talking about the same child here? The Mira I know is a sweet two-year-old who loves to sing and play with her cars.”

“Yup. Same child. Just seems to think she turned into a little defiant sixteen-year-old overnight. She wants to do everything herself and gives you a bad attitude if you tell her no. Then, she gets mad and things start flying left and right. It’s like someone put a little Hulk inside my toddler that comes out at random times.”

Charlie dumps a bunch of toys into the big toy box at the side of the open living room area before she goes back to pick up more.

“Well, at least she's not going to be a pushover. Gotta look on the bright side, right?” I grimace and shrug my shoulders, ignoring the dirty look she throws my way. Then I help her clean up. “Where is little Hulkine anyway?”

“Hudson took her to pick up some takeout when I decided I wasn't going to cook today after all. I hope that's okay with you.”

I blink my eyes at her. “Are you kidding me? Don’t ask stupid questions. You know we love takeout.”

Charlie cracks her first real smile since she opened the door for me. “I thought that stemmed more from your inability to cook.”

I put my hands on my hips. “Hey! I can cook.”

“Says the woman who almost burned down Gabe’s whole cottage last year when she tried to make popcorn.”

I throw my hands up in the air. “That was an accident. The oil shouldn’t have caught fire that quickly. Besides, the medicine wasn’t supposed to knock me out.”

Charlie points a finger at me. “Maybe. Just don’t ever do anything like that again. You could’ve gotten seriously injured, Mo. You scared me half to death.”

I stretch to touch her hand. “I’ll be more careful, okay?”

The memory of the embarrassment I felt when Gabe and I stood on the lawn, watching the firefighters put out the fire in his guesthouse is still fresh. It was the guesthouse I’d lived in for a few months and actually really loved. It was my little home, the four walls I felt safe and comfortable in after my accident. All it took was one little mishap and poof, it was gone. Well, partially anyway.

For some reason, Gabe never got it fixed, and whenever I asked him about it, he told me it would be easier for me to stay at the house with him anyway.

Gabe not only helped me get out of the guesthouse unscathed, but also took me under his wing, offering me yet another roof over my head. Apparently, he was ready to save the day in every possible way, and I had to put my foot down when it came to our living arrangement. We fought about it for what felt like forever, and Gabe finally agreed to let me at least pay for my share of the food. I wanted to pay my part for everything, but he wasn’t having it. In the end, I was happy we found a way where I wasn’t completely living off of him, because that was the last thing I wanted.

I built up a healthy nest egg over the years, the contract with my dance company paying well. I was more than grateful for having it and able to live off of it for a while, even though I wasn’t planning on having to use it after getting into an accident and breaking my leg.

If it wasn’t for my savings and Gabe, I couldn’t have taken so much time off without any income. But that will have to change soon. I’ve decided to go back to work this fall with my dance team, one way or another. If I can’t actually dance, I’ll be working behind the scenes. At least, that was the offer I received from my manager.

Charlie seems to be happy enough with my response and nods, thankfully dropping the topic after that. It’s not like we haven’t talked about it before anyway. “So, coming back to you and Gabe. Are you good to go on vacation together? I mean, I know you’re already sharing a house, but doesn’t it feel different to go to yet another place together with just the two of you? And remember not to distract him, do you hear me? I need him to finish his book.”

A snort escapes my mouth at the slightly crazy look she’s giving me. That woman loves Gabe’s fantasy books, treasures them even. “I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise. Plus, you know I’ve been after him to finish it for weeks now.” Even though I still haven’t read them, I still want him to succeed because I know how much it means to him.

We finally get most of the toys put away and walk over to the kitchen island where I pull out one of the barstools and sit down.

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