Page 26 of Three Rules I'd Never Break

Once the store looked spotless and ready for business, I turned off the lights in front and walked back to the bedroom. As I changed out of my work clothes into leggings and a t-shirt, my phone buzzed.

Eli was making use of my number.Do you have any siblings?

Two half-sisters. They’re quite a bit younger than me. I gave him the concise version, not the full sad story. That wasn’t something I shared with many people. Even Tessa had only heard bits and pieces.

I wasn’t very close to my sisters. They were ten and twelve years younger than me, and I’d always felt like I was an extra in my dad’s second family, his happy one.

Are you on shift tonight?I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

His reply popped up right away.Yep.

Be safe. When he worked nights, I didn’t sleep as soundly. It wasn’t so much that I worried, but every noise woke me.

He sent a thumbs up.

I slipped on my now-clean tennis shoes, thinking about where I should grab dinner. Having a kitchen again would feel like a luxury.

Why don’t you come over? I made meatloaf. Tessa’s text was proof that she never rested.

I tapped out an answer as I ran toward the back door.Sounds delicious. On my way.

When I arrived, I knocked as I pushed open the door. “Your timing was perfect. I was just thinking about what to eat when you messaged.”

“Good. Have a seat. I can’t eat all of this by myself. How did last night go?” Poor Tessa had been waiting for an update. Her shop had been too busy this morning for us to talk.

I loaded food onto my plate. “He asked for my number.”

Smiling, she lifted her eyebrows. “Has he made use of the number?”

“He texted me a few minutes ago. It’s not much, but it’s something.” I took a bite and sighed. “This is so good.”

“Glad you like it. Eli likes you. That I know. Give him time.”

All my attempts at pushing the relationship forward hadn’t worked out that well. “Yeah. How do you have time to make doughnuts, run the shop, and make dinner?”

“You’ve just described my entire life. It’s easy to do all that when I have nothing else to do.”

“Maybe Eli has a friend.”

Tessa shook her head. “I like the way things are right now.”

While we ate, we chatted about plans for summer, how my house was coming along, and bits of local gossip. After dinner, I helped her clean up before heading back to the store.

My phone rang as I walked in, but I didn’t let it distract me from turning off the alarm. “Hello.”

“Hi. Delaney. Just calling to check in. We haven’t talked in a while.” Hearing from my dad was a nice surprise.

I tossed my purse down and flopped across the bed. “I’m good. Business is going well. Work on the house is progressing. How is everyone there?”

“Busy, as you can imagine. Lucy is rehearsing for a ballet performance, and Lacey is involved with art camps. She has a gallery showing at the end of the month.”

“Wonderful.” I loved that my sisters were happy and doing well. “Have you given anymore thought to coming for a visit when the house is finished?”

“I want to. We’ll have to see if schedules will allow for it.” He sighed. “I miss you, Delaney.”

“I miss you too. I’ll keep you posted on the house progress. Hopefully, it works out for you to come.” If I didn’t expect it to happen, then maybe I wouldn’t be too disappointed when he said he couldn’t make it.

“Well, I’m being paged. I should go. Love you.”

---