Page 113 of Snowed In With the Mountain Man
“Fine. Did you need something?” Daisy asked.
“No, just… checking in.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. We’re good. Things are… they’re okay.”
“Okay”?Dahlia straightened, her mom radar on full alert. An “okay” from Daisy was a “terrible” from anyone else. “Are you all right? Do you need to talk ab—”
“Nope. I’m all good.”
If that wasn’t a clear shutdown, Dahlia didn’t know what was.
“Okay, well, I won’t keep you, then.”
Daisy covered the receiver, but Dahlia still heard her snap at someone, “I said I’m coming!” To Dahlia, she added, “Yeah, sorry, sis. It’s just super busy right now. I’ll call you soon, though, ’kay?”
“Okay, b—”
Daisy had hung up before she could even say bye. Taking a big bite of her sandwich, she moved on to Rose.
“Hey, Dahlia!” Rose, at least, sounded happy to hear from her. “We were just talking about you.”
“We?” She took another bite. It would either be Dex, Emma, or Lizzy. They were the people Rose hung out with the most.
“Me and the guys,” she said.
Ah. Or “the guys,” which were the group of old men who seemingly resided at the coffee shop.
“They were just asking me if you’d be back for the wedding.”
“Um, I’m not sure yet,” she hedged.
Her belly formed knots faster than she could take a deep breath. All mention of Emma’s wedding made her think of JJ. Of that conversation.
Of how she’d just… left.
She squeezed her eyes shut. “It’s just… work’s pretty chaotic, and I’ve already had so much time away.”
Rose’s voice grew quiet. “It’s only a weekend, Dahlia.”
“I know, but I can’t afford to get stuck there again.” She swallowed a hysterical laugh at that understatement. She wasn’t sure she’d survive leaving JJ a second time.
“Dahlia, if this is because…” Rose sighed. “Never mind. I’m still putting your name on the list, just in case you change your mind. Emma is completely fine with that.”
Dahlia smiled. “That’s nice of her.”
“But I hope you’ll make it,” Rose added.
“Duly noted. Now, tell me everything about you and the baby,” she commanded. Then she took a big bite and settled into her seat to listen with a smile as Rose regaled her with all the latest.
She could feel the baby kicking now and was over the moon about that. And then there was the fact that Dex had mentioned marriage.
She’d known this already because Dex had called the week after she’d returned to New York to get her permission. Which had left Dahlia torn between being enraged at the archaic patriarchal custom while also making her weepy with relief that her little sister had found someone so old-fashioned and sweet.
“What’s the latest on that?” she asked.
“We’ve come up with a compromise.”
Dahlia could practically see her sister’s beaming smile as she spoke.
