Page 44 of A Protector For Phoebe (Love will OUT 2)

Chapter 19

Laughter and bacon makes everything better. Just don’t forget the bacon. ~ Phoebe’s rules for becoming a better person

When I walk out of Hailey’s childhood bedroom into the kitchen, I’m surprised to see Hailey and Suzie sitting at the kitchen table whispering while drinking coffee.

“I didn’t know you could whisper,” I tell Suzie.

Hailey raises her hand for a high-five. “That’s what I said!”

Okay, it’s time to give this high-five thing a try. The Phoebe who doesn’t high-five has left the building. I lift my hand and aim to smack Hailey’s. I miss her hand almost completely. Instead of the sound of hands slapping together, there’s a totally lame brushing sound as my hand glides off hers. I fail my first high-five test.

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Hailey says like it’s no big deal a thirty-one-year-old doesn’t know how to high-five.

My eyes fall upon the kitchen counter and widen at the plethora of breakfast food laid out. Good grief, there’s more food here than a breakfast buffet at the country club. “Um… did the breakfast genie visit?”

Hailey joins me, grabs a plate, and starts piling it ahigh with pancakes, sausage, eggs, and waffles. “Pops cooks to show his love.”

“Show his love?” What is she talking about?

She hip-checks me. “He’s concerned about you.”

Wait. What? “This is for me?”

Suzie joins us. “Well, it sure ain’t for me. Not a donut in sight.”

Hailey hands me the plate. “Here. Go sit down. I’ll bring you coffee.”

I nearly drop the heavy plate. “This is for me? I can’t eat this much food.”

“Maybe not. But you’re going to try.”

“I am? I’m going to try to fit all this food into my body?”

Suzie wrinkles her nose. “Haven’t you stuffed your face before?”

“Ladies don’t stuff their faces. In fact, we starve ourselves.” Will I ever get the Wicked Witch of the West – aka my mother – out of my head?

“Screw that. Food’s awesome,” Suzie says and stuffs two pieces of bacon into her maw.

“She’s not wrong.” Hailey hands me my coffee and motions to the table. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

I take a seat and watch as Hailey and Suzie join me. I look at the clock. It’s nearly four p.m. I must have slept most of the day. “Shouldn’t you guys be at work?”

“Nope,” Suzie says letting the P pop.

“Um, it’s Wednesday. Isn’t the office usually open until 5:30?”

Hailey lays a hand over mine. “This is what girlfriends do.”

There’s no sense holding back the truth. They know about my past now anyway. “I’ve never had girlfriends. At least not girlfriends who cared about me.”

Suzie snorts. “Yeah, we kind of figured considering your great reveal and all.”

Great reveal? Leave it to Suzie to make me tearing my heart out and telling my deepest dark secrets into something trite.

“She doesn’t mean to be an idiot. It just happens.”

“I’m not the idiot,” Suzie argues. “Who was the one who didn’t have the first clue how to comfort a girlfriend?”

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