Page 32 of Come Back to Me

The snippy tone has my brows skyrocketing.

To me, Zee explains, “She loves me, but not enough to cook for me.”

“She’ll expect a gift,” Tee warns. “Seeing as you haven’t been around in ages.”

“We can buy that when you drag me shopping then.”

That has Tee sniffing, but it improves her mood.

I stare at Colt, who appears to be as bewildered as I am.

It’s a state, I realize, we need to get used to.

As much light as these two women bring to the Seven Cs, there’s no denying they’re batshit crazy.

Tee

“You’re only saying this dress because it’ll look better on you and then you can borrow it.”

I plaster my hand to my heart. “Do you think so little of me, Parker?”

Via video call, our BFF snorts. “Hell to the yeah.”

I rub my nose with my middle finger and flip her the bird.

“I can see that.”

“You were supposed to.”

“Can we stop bickering?” Zee whines as she plucks at the ruching around the waist. It’s borderline giving ‘90s prom,’ but itisgreat at giving my skinny BFF some hips.

Through osmosis, Parker and I agreed to lighten Zee’s mood. Not only does she hate shopping, she hates clothes shopping even more. Throw in the fact that she’s about to become a recognized face in the press… Zee is not a happy camper.

“You can always say no to this,” I tell her softly, spying the discontented moue on her lips as I curve my arm around her shoulder.

Parker chimes in, “Their family, their problem.”

Zee turns into my hug. “They’re my family too now.”

“Sure they are, but if this is something you can’t handle, then Colt will fix it. You know he will.”

I’d already overheard him giving Callan shit when Zee rescheduled our shopping date for the, wait for it,seventhtime. In a single day.

That master class in eavesdropping is one of the reasons why I forced Zee out today. A part of me knew she’d put up with the PR stuff to protect the family, but also because I saw the schedule Callan had come up with.

There’s an interview with the press, but there are charitable galas, private functions, some political fundraisers, and even a movie premiere. Her wardrobe wouldn’t get her through one event in Pigeon Creek, never mind this fancy stuff. And as much as I have a lot of LBDs that I used to wear on stage, my dresses would drown her skinny butt.

Thus far, the meager offering of clothes she’s purchased won’t get her through the week either.

Crisis mode activated.

Zee stops plucking at the ruching. “He did fix it.”

“How?”

“Told me I didn’t have to do anything.”

Parker clicks her fingers. “Knew I liked that man. So, why are we shopping in this snooty store?”

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