Page 11 of When Love Comes Home

"I can't talk about it over the phone," I say, glancing around as if someone might overhear. "Is Laila home?"

"Yes," she says. "We just finished breakfast."

"With Adam?" I ask, the pang of exclusion hitting me squarely in the chest.

"Yeah?" Loren murmurs, the word drawn out like she’s bracing for my reaction.

"You didn’t think to tell me?"

"Katherine," she sighs, "we all know how you feel about him. We didn't think you'd want to be here."

"You guys should’ve still asked me," I say sharply, even though I know she’s right. "Granted, I would’ve said no, but still."

"I’m sorry," Loren says after a beat. "Let me find Laila. What time should we be there?"

"I’m leaving the office at two," I reply. "I’ll see you at the house."

"Okay," she says. "We’ll be there."

As I hang up, I sink into my chair, pressing my palms against the cool surface of my desk. I can't help but wonder why, despite my frustration, I can’t seem to stop thinking about Adam.

***

I set the table with a bowl of guacamole, salsa, chips, and spinach artichoke dip accompanied by slices of baguette. A quick check in the freezer confirms that my favorite ice cream is still on hand. Whenever my sisters come over, I can almost always count on us indulging in snacks, watching a movie, and eventually falling asleep in the living room.

"I had to cancel a date, Katherine," Laila says as soon as I open the door. "This better be worth it."

"It's good to see you too, Sis," I reply, pulling her in for a hug.

Loren walks in behind her, giving me a scrutinizing look. "It sounded urgent," she says.

After I pour each of us a glass of lemonade, we take our seats. My sisters sit in silence, waiting with bated breath for me to speak.

"Did Adam's living arrangements come up during breakfast?" I ask, assuming they hashed it all out behind my back.

"We talked about medical school," Laila says. "My favorite topic."

"And about the wedding," Loren chimes in. "He's going to be one of Justin's groomsmen."

"Really?" I say.

"Yeah, Justin is going to ask him to—"

"Not that," I say, cutting her off. "My name didn’t come up?"

"Not once," Laila replies. "The universe doesn’t revolve around you, Sis. It revolves around me!"

We all burst into laughter. "Spoken like a true baby of the family," Loren says, shaking her head.

"So you don’t know?" I say, the blank looks on their faces confirming they have no clue. "Get this. Adam owns this house. He’s moved back to Cold Spring with plans to stay. And Dad’s bright idea is for him to move in with me."

"What?!" Laila shrieks, her voice echoing through the room.

Loren stays silent, clearly dumbfounded.

"Since when is it okay for a man to live with one of Dad's daughters?" Laila says. "If Justin and Loren decided to live together before getting married, Dad would kill Justin and disown Loren."

"Exactly!" I say, dipping a chip into the salsa. "He would never allow it."

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