Page 56 of A Brambleberry Summer

“Are you expecting someone else?”

His sister somehow managed to look coy. “Sounds like Bella is getting it. That will be Rosa.”

He nearly impaled his finger instead of a mushroom. “Rosa is coming to dinner, as well?”

He had been trying to stay away from her the past week, at her request. How the hell was he supposed to do that when his sister invited them both over for dinner?

“Yes. I happened to drop into her store today and mentioned Joe was going to grill tonight, and we had plenty. She seemed a little down and I thought it might cheer her up a bit. I hope you don’t mind.”

Why was she down? He wanted to rush out and ask if she was all right but made himself stay put.

“And you didn’t think to tell me until now that she was coming?”

“Does it matter?”

Yes. Most certainly. He would have refused Carrie’s last-minute invitation if he had known the dinner party included a woman who had specifically told him they should avoid spending more time together.

“I just wish you had told me.”

Carrie made a face. “I’m sorry. I just thought one more person for dinner wouldn’t make a difference.”

He frowned. This was the second time in only a few weeks that Carrie had invited them both over for a meal at the same time. That couldn’t be a coincidence, could it? She had already mentioned she thought he should think about dating her friend.

Did his sister suspect he was beginning to have feelings for Rosa?

If Carrie had any idea about the attraction that simmered between them, Wyatt knew she wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever she could to push them together as much as possible. She wouldn’t be subtle about it, either.

He wanted to say something but before he could, Rosa and Bella came into the kitchen, Bella chattering a mile a minute about their trip.

Rosa didn’t seem to notice him at first. She was listening intently to Bella’s story about the ghost tour they went on, and smiling at the girl’s animation.

The two of them shared similar coloring. The same dark hair and dark eyes. With their heads together like that, they looked as if they could be sisters, catching up after a long time away.

He frowned suddenly as a crazy thought flitted across his brain. No. Impossible. He pushed it away just as Rosa lifted her head and caught sight of him.

Her eyes widened with shock. “Oh. Wyatt. Hello. I did not know you would be here.”

If she had known, he had a feeling she would have refused his sister’s invitation. Well, they were both here. Might as well make the best of it.

“Hi,” he answered, just as Logan came in from the family room, where he had been playing a video game with Joe.

He, at least, looked thrilled about the other dinner guest.

“Rosa! Hi, Rosa!” he exclaimed. He rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her waist as if he hadn’t seen her for months.

It had only been a few nights ago when he had gone up to her apartment for another Spanish lesson and had come back down naming every single kind of fruit they had in their house in Spanish.

“Buenas,”she said to him. “How are you tonight?”

“I’m good. Guess what? We’re havingpiñaandfresastonight.”

“Delicious. Pineapple and strawberries. My favorite.”

“I didn’t know strawberries werefresas. I don’t think I learned that in Spanish class last year. How did you know?” Bella asked.

“Rosa’s teaching me Spanish so I can talk better to my friend Carlos.”

Carrie beamed at them and gave Wyatt a significant look. Yeah. She was definitely matchmaking, despite the way he had basically told her to stand down the last time.

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