Page 13 of Only One I Ever Wanted

“Could be.” I raised my glass. “To starting over in Indigo Valley.”

“To starting over.”

We clinked glasses.

At least I had one familiar face in my life.

And I tried not to think about Sullivan as the other. He was definitely not supposed to be on my list of reasons to stay.

Chapter5

Sullivan

I staredat the dishwasher part on the dash of my truck.

I needed to go inside of Nora’s and install it.

These were the days I wished I had one of my other brothers around to do this kind of thing for me. Not because I didn’t want to see Nora, but because Iwantedto. Far too much.

“Just get it over with,” I muttered as I opened the door. I grabbed the part, and my toolkit then I headed up her walk.

She swung the door open before I could ring the bell. “I was wondering how long you were going to sit out there.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She left me to follow her, and I tried not to stare at her ass. The ancient cutoffs made it very difficult. Especially since her legs were tanned and toned.

I’d always been a sucker for denim cutoffs on women—Nora was far worse for my psyche. She always had been.

A quick flashback of us at Saratoga Lake with the rest of our friend group during the summer slammed into me. I could have sworn they were the same cutoffs back then. Add in the little yellow bikini top she’d worn, and I’d had to jump in the lake to cool off and hope my best friend didn’t notice I was looking at his girl.

The kitchen was way more decorated than the last time I’d been there. White curtains fluttered, thanks to an open window. April was always a mercurial month in upstate New York. One day was thirty, the next was eighty.

A few appliances had been added to the countertops, as well as a decent-sized round table in a honey tone with four chairs under the window.

“I’ve got some cold brew or iced tea if you like.”

“Cold beer?”

She laughed. “No, high-octane cold coffee.”

“Oh. I’ve never actually tried it. My mom is a pretty hardcore coffee queen, but she prefers hot even in the summer.”

“Then coming up.” She turned to the fridge and bent forward to get it, and I forced my eyes away from her.

I pulled my tools out then I smiled at her when she handed me the tall, frosted glass. She had her own, hers with a sparkly purple straw. “Where’s mine?”

She grinned. “You didn’t seem a straw guy to me.”

I took a sip and gave her a surprised look. “That’s good stuff.”

“Want that straw?”

I shook my head. “No, you’re right about the straw.”

“Careful, cold brew will sneak up on you. It’s like three regular cups of coffee.”

“Then I’m going to have to start making some of my own.” I set my glass down and opened the dishwasher. “I should be out of your hair in less than an hour.”

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