Page 20 of Just Screwing Around

“Actually, is the owner in today?”

The cashier gave me a very judgemental once over that made me think she was twenty years older than I’d thought, before nodding. “She’s in the kitchen,” she gestured over her shoulder with her chin. “She should be back soon if you want to wait.”

Chapter Thirteen

Charlotte

Keeping a professional smile on my face when I want to jump up and down and squeal like a cheerleader on game day was harder than I thought.

I was managing.

It was way too soon to judge the success of the bakery, but if how this morning had gone was any indication, I’d have that loan paid off in no time. There had been a line-up since before I’d opened.

Not just family and friends, either.

I’d had some great feedback about the location and the renovation. I was also already learning more about what would and wouldn’t sell. Overall, I finally felt like things were moving in the right direction.

I cleared the garbage off a recently vacated table and gave it a quick wipe before heading back towards the kitchen.

“Congrats, sis. This place is buzzing.”

I turned to see the smiling face of my brother. “Wouldn’t have happened without you.” I went on my tiptoes to give him a hug. I may be tall for a woman at five foot ten, but he still towered over me.

He pulled me to him but as soon as he let go his eyebrows dropped. “Is that a hickey?” His voice was entirely too loud given that my business was not very big.

I slapped my hand over my neck, but the damage had been done.

“Fucking hell, Charlotte, if you and Nick are-.”

I grabbed his hand and dragged him out the staff entrance and around the side of the building.

Once we were out of ear shot of my new customers I rounded on him.

Who the fuck did he think he was?

He was not my keeper. He was my idiot brother who hadn’t been able to get over a twenty-year-old feud with the guy that I was rapidly falling for. This conversation needed to happen. I’d known that, but being blissed out on orgasms changed a girl’s priorities. I hadn’t wanted to pop our happy, domestic bubble.

“Derek I’m going to tell you exactly three things about this situation and I hope you hear me.”

His nostrils flared but he kept his mouth shut for once.

“Number one, the girl you two idiots were fighting over back in high school didn’t pick either one of you. She doesn’t even live here anymore. I know that was just the start of it, but it’s long past the time you two got over it. Hell, maybe this is why you’re both single and forty.”

He pursed his lips.

“Number two, you two don’t realize how badly you’re sabotaging yourselves by fighting with each other. You’re both accepting more work than you can handle just to prove that you won over the other one. You should see how exhausted Nick is when he gets home at the end of the day. Not to mention that you both keep your quotes low to beat each other. You could be making a lot more money with a lot less stress if you just got along. You could buy material in bulk, or, I don’t know, move crew guys around between the two businesses to keep them getting paid. I’ve only been a business owner for a few hours, but it seems to me that getting along would save you both time, money and energy.

“And what’s number three?” He was scowling, but his shoulders had loosened. We fought, like all siblings did. But at the end of the day I did love the idiot. I knew he loved me, too. If anything could make him make up with Nick, it was me asking him to.

I ran a hand through my hair realizing that I really needed to wash it. “Number three is that I’m falling for the guy, Derek. Maybe I’m a traitor for saying that, but it’s true. All the things you liked about him when you were friends as teenagers are still there. His sense of humor, how much he cares about people. It’s all there. You just don’t get the chance to see it. I refuse to pick between you two. I refuse to be in the middle of a fight that doesn’t even make any sense. If I have anything to say about it, you’ll both be in my life and it would make everything a shit ton easier if you would just learn to get along.” My voice had gone soft as I said it and I could see Derek was actually listening despite his cranky face.

“Tell me this. Does he feel the same?”

I shook my head. “Honestly, I have no idea.”

“He does,” Nick’s voice cut through the alley and I turned to face him.

How long had he been there?

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