Page 43 of Craving the Player

Chapter Nineteen

Sierra

"Auntie!" My niece rips open their front door and rushes towards me, hugging my thighs with atight squeeze. Her bursting energy has me smiling softly when Ireach down and plant an exaggerated kiss on her head.

"Hey, kiddo. Have you been behaving?"

“Of course!" She flashes me atoothy grin, her left hand planted on ajutted hip. Wearing apair of dark blue jeans with iron-on patches across the knees and ashirt with abeagle eating adonut triple its size, she couldn’tpossibly be any cuter.

"That'swhat Ilike to hear. Now where'syour momma?" Ireach up to smooth the hairs that have blown out of place by the wind outside. When my fingers get caught in agiant knot, Iknow that it’salready too late to salvage it. Leaving my hair down after my shower seemed like agood idea at the time, however that may just have been because Braden didn’texactly leave me much time to get ready after sneaking in the shower and eating me for breakfast.

Liz turns towards the back of the house and raises her small hand to point in the direction of the patio door. "The backyard. We’re raking leaves!"

"Let'sgo then. We're wasting daylight," Itease. The young, spitting image of my sister bolts towards the door. Ipull it open for her and watch, amused, as she sprints off to one of the three piles of orange, brown, and yellow leaves. Clare stands with arake in her hand, adding to the already giant third pile.

Iwhistle to grab my sister’sattention and wave when she lifts her head, smiling so wide her white teeth shine in the sun. She throws the rake in the pile of leaves without hesitation, pats her hands on her coverall-clad thighs, and sidesteps the battery operated, hot-pink childrens car resting on the grass before walking over to me.

"What are you doing here? Not like Imind the surprise visit." She pulls me into atight hug. She smells like the pumpkin scented candles she always has burning inside. My sister is afirst class candle hoarder, always burning afew at atime that match the current season. It makes gift gifting easy.

"Iwas in the neighbourhood. Figured Imight as well visit my beautiful sister while I'mhere.”

"That'swhat Ilike to hear. Come inside. Ihave iced tea in the fridge. Liz, come inside when you’re done playing in the leaves!"

Ahand clamps around my wrist as Clare pulls me inside, aslight bounce in her step. Her beaming attitude isn’texactly arare sight, but it still has me curious. She'susually happy, but not this happy. Imean, happily raking the leaves? With today’swind? No, not achance.

Isit down on one of the bar stools lining the small kitchen island as she grabs the pitcher from the fridge and pours me alarge glass. Placing the dew-covered glass in front of me, she flops down beside me.

"You're starting to freak me out," Isay, raising my brow. "What'sup with you? You look like you just got lai—" Oh. "You got laid, didn'tyou?"

"That obvious?" Her blue eyes sparkle with happiness, telling me everything that Ineed to know.

"Oh yeah.” Isnort. "Who'sthe lucky guy?"

"His name'sJoel. He works at amechanics shop only afew blocks away. Isn'tthat amazing? We've been on afew dates already."

"Afew? And I'mjust hearing about him now? You break my heart, Clare."

"Oh, shut up." She swats my arm. "Ididn'twant to say anything unless Ifelt like it could really be something. He wants to meet Liz." Her features stiffen as the conversation becomes more serious.

Itry to keep my feelings from showing on my face, but my surprise is evident when Iask, "He does? So, it'sactually serious then."

She nods once, suddenly stiffer than aboard. "Ithink so. Idon'twant to rush into it, though. Not when Liz is involved. Plus Ihave no idea how Max will react to another man in his daughter'slife. It'salways been just him."

Hearing the name of her ex-husband is like nails on achalkboard.

"He doesn'treally have asay in your love life, Clare. Not completely, anyway. It'skind of inevitable that you would both find other people. I'msure he'shad his fair share of women over the past three years."

Ever since my sister separated from Liz'sdad three years ago, Idon’tthink Clare has even thought about dating anybody else. Iguess in her own way, she was holding out hope that they would end up working out their issues and find their way back to each other—but that'sjust not how life works. Not in my experience, at least.

Max and Clare were always the couple that Ilooked at and fawned over, hoping that that would be my future one day. They met in high school and dated all the way through college before getting married the year after graduation.

When they got married, everyone thought they would be together until they died. But the reality of life got in the way. It twisted and pulled apart their ideal future until it cost them their memorable love story.

"Iknow," she breathes, swallowing thickly.

"Isay go for it. If you're ready, that is. Don'trush into anything you're not ready for."

"Idon'treally have time to take things slow, Sierra. Idon'treally have men lining up on my doorstep. Nobody seems to want to date athirty-year-old divorced single mom."

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