Page 64 of Sinful Skulls
“I’m good,” she assures him. “So, Daisy, how long are you here for?”
“Forever,” Brody answers on my behalf, not giving me time to respond.
Rachel laughs. “You sure you can put up with him that long? Because I’ve got stories.”
“She knows I’m a handful.” He winks at me with an ornery smirk on his face.
I kick him under the table at his naughty inuendo.
Jackson throws his head back and barks out a laugh. “Oh god, I’m so fucking glad you’re back, brother. I’ve missed you.”
Rachel stands up. “We’re having supper at the warehouse tomorrow with my brother and his family before the usual Saturday night party. I expect you to be there.” She points at Brody.
He salutes her.
After they get out of earshot, Brody tells his friends how he and I broke into their house and frogged it.
Both of them laugh, and then Jackson’s humor turns serious. “Fuck, she’s going to blame me for this.”
“That’s the plan,” Brody tells him. “But honestly, I want her to have some fun, you know?”
Jackson nods. “She loved our shenanigans, even if she’ll never admit it.” He stares at his mom as she talks with Elizabeth. They both glance back at us as if they know we’re talking about her. “I’m thinking about putting together a little run with the old ladies in a week or two. I want to give mom one last ride. She’s getting weaker by the day.”
“Fuck yeah, let’s do it.”
Willow visibly pulls away from the conversation, so I try to distract her. “I’d love to see your nursery. I overheard someone say there’s a mural painted on the wall.”
Brody squeezes my hand, thanking me for noticing her distress.
Her face lights up. “Oh my gosh. You’ve got to see it!” She hops from the table and grabs my hand, dragging me inside with her.
When we step into the nursery, I smile. It’s amazing. I walk over to the mural. “Incredible,” I say, taking in all the details. It’s like being inside the canopy of a tree. There are birds, squirrels, and bugs scattered amongst the branches.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
I glance at her over my shoulder. “I just put you and your brother’s names together. They’re both trees.”
“Our dad loved nature, and he had a sense of humor.”
“My parents named me after a flower, so I get it.” I walk around the room, stopping to look out the window. “What a wonderful place to grow up.”
She nods, joining me. “I know, right? When I first found this place, I thought I’d discovered a scene right out of a storybook.”
We sit down across from each other in the window seat. The breeze blows in from the windows, carrying conversation and laughter from below.
“Brody’s told me so much about everyone. I feel like I already know you. You have an incredible story,” I tell her.
She laughs sadly. “Don’t we all?”
I remain quiet as she assesses me. “Brody told Jackson about the condition he found you in.”
“Yeah, I hadn’t had much sleep. I lost my mind for a bit.”
Her hand rubs over her stomach. “If you’re running from something, I can vouch that this is the best place to find yourself.”
I turn away from her.
“Lexie talks fondly of you. She showed me the painting you did of her and Ash. It’s amazing.”
