Page 80 of Sunshine
“But maybe give me a little more notice next time?” she says.
Chord gives her a cool glance, but at the short squeeze of Violet’s slender fingers around his bicep, he sighs and nods. “Noted.”
Charlie’s smile is over-the-top sweet. “Thank you.”
“Dad?” Violet says. “Can you join us?”
“I’d love to, Blossom,” he replies, earning a beaming smile from his daughter.
“You can count me out,” I say, snorting a little when Chord tries to bully me with his trademark frown. “Glare all you want, bro. I’ve got the restaurant to run and a little girl who has school and a schedule. It’s impossible. I’m sorry.”
Chord stares for a heartbeat, and I stare right back until he shakes his head. “Fine.”
“AndIcan’t go,” Daisy says, throwing up her hands when Chord frowns with disappointment. “What? I’ve got trail rides all weekend.”
“Oh, please come,” Violet says. “I miss you when I’m in the city, and I could really use the girl time.”
“But the horses—”
“I’ll stay and take care of the horses,” Finn interrupts in his rolling rumble. “And the trail rides.”
Daisy cocks her head suspiciously. “You will? Why?”
Finn shrugs, arms folded over his chest, and I get the feeling he’s deliberately not looking my way. “I don’t mind, and you heard what she said. Violet needs the girl time.” His eyes cut to Chord. “And I’m not up for the people. Sorry.”
“No problem,” Chord murmurs, but his brow creases with thought.
Finn’s eyelid twitches, mirroring the tic on his mouth as he says, “And I bet Dylan would love a couple of days with the house to himself.”
He meets my eyes for the briefest moment, a twinkle of mischief glinting ever so fast before he glances away like it never happened.
I don’t know whether to hurt him or hug him because when the fuck will my siblings stay the hell out of my love life? But also…
Two days with the house to myself? It’s giving me possibilities.
“Yay!” Violet claps her hands. “It’ll be fun. I promise. We can go to a spa on Sunday morning for massages and facials and breakfast cocktails. The four of us. You, me, Charlie, and Poppy.”
“Me?” Poppy glances around the table as if she’s waiting for the punchline, a befuddled smile plumping up her pretty cheeks.
Fuck. Look how she glows at the idea of being included. The urge to kiss her here and now swells again, stronger this time. More insistent. Like holding Poppy in my arms is the correct order of things and keeping my hands off her is unnatural.
“She can’t,” Daisy says, and the urgency in her voice surprises me.
When similar looks of confusion cross other faces around the table, Daisy casually flips her hand. “I mean, if Dylan is here with Izzy, then Poppy needs to be around to help. Especially if bothCharlie and I are out of town and Finn’s taking care of the trail rides.”
Daisy inelegantly kicks Poppy’s ankle under the table—we all see it—and Poppy rolls with it, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and meeting my eyes for the briefest moment before she offers Chord and Violet an apologetic grimace. “Thanks for the invitation. Another time. I promise.”
“Maybe Poppy can crash here while you’re gone?” Finn adds flatly, capturing Charlie and Daisy in his fleeting look. “You know. To make things easier on Dylan.”
Poppy’s eyes grow distant, she starts blinking way too fast, and her next breath goes in but doesn’t come back out again.
“Good idea,” Daisy agrees. “Dylan’s been working late this week to get the restaurant ready for expansion. If Poppy’s here overnight, he won’t have to worry about being home for Izzy. He can work as late as he wants.”
I trip over the odd emphasis Daisy puts on the idea of my working late as my little sister gives me a satisfied grin, and Poppy sits beside her with a face that’s much too smooth. I wonder what Daisy thinks she knows. Not the truth, that’s for sure. She’d never keep her mouth shut if she thought I was sneaking around with her best friend.
But she’s up to something. Do I want to know what it is, or do I want to do things differently for once? Live with the mess. Thrive in the chaos. Be the adventure.
I sneak a glance at Poppy—and choose chaos.
