Page 71 of Home Sweet Home

“Goddamn,” he said, crumbs falling out of his mouth as he shoveled in another bite before he’d even swallowed down the first one. “Happy birthday, Evie.”

“Happy birthday,” Josh said.

Evie’s dad smiled at her. “Happy birthday.”

As everyone enjoyed their slices, Evie thought this was the best birthday she’d had in a long time. They ate greedily and quickly, and soon, the cake was finished. Everyone was full, and nothing was left to do but clean up. Evie got up from the table to gather the empty plates, but West held out his hand to stop her.

“I’ve got it, Peach.” He collected the plates and made his way to through the back door to the kitchen. Evie tried to remember the last meal she had in her house that she hadn’t been the one to clean it all up.

“I’ll go help him with the dishes,” her dad said, following West into the kitchen.

Evie watched him go, and when the door swung shut behind him, she turned back to the table. Josh was staring at her, for so long and with such intensity, Evie wondered if he’d heard some of what she’d said earlier.

“What’s up with you two?” he asked.

“What are you talking about?” Evie said.

Josh rolled his eyes. “I’m not stupid. I see how you are around each other. Here and at practice. We’ve literally all seen it.”

“I thought teenagers were supposed to be wrapped up in their own worlds,” Evie said, hoping to deflect the question, but Josh raised an eyebrow. “It’s…” She didn’t know how to explain what was happening with her and West, so she stuck to what she did know. “I like him. I’m sorry if I’ve embarrassed you in any way, shape, or form.”

Josh shrugged. “It’s not that. You’ve just been happier. And the cake was really good.”

“Yeah?”

A genuine smile stretched across Josh’s face. “Yeah.”

While Evie resembled their father, Josh was the very image of their mom, and for a second, it wasn’t Josh’s smile, but their mother’s. It made Evie’s heart skip a beat.

“Let’s go leave some fresh flowers tomorrow?” Evie said. “You and me. After practice.”

Josh nodded. “Sure.”

Movement from the kitchen window caught Evie’s attention, and she looked over to see West standing there, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze hard, while her father’s arms waved animatedly. She narrowed her eyes, trying to read his lips. He was probably telling another one of his crazy stories, except West didn’t look amused. She was about to get up from the table, to see what they were saying, but they disappeared from view. A few seconds later, the back door opened, and they walked out.

“I don’t know about you two,” her dad said, sinking into a chair and clutching his belly. “But I couldn't eat another bite.”

“Thanks for grilling, Dad,” Evie said.

Her dad smiled at her, his eyes crinkling in the corners, and for a moment, she was seven again, waiting on the front porch for his van to pull in. “Anything for my best girl. Now, this old man needs a nap.” Halfway to the door, beer in hand, he turned and raised the bottle like he was giving a toast. “Nice to meet you, West.”

“You too.” West waved, a hint of something hard in his gaze.

Evie tried to catch his eye, to figure out what had changed, but once her dad went inside, any tension disappeared. West clapped his hands against his knees. “What’s next, Josh? Grab some mitts and play some catch? Or if you’re sick of baseball, we can go play some 64.”

Josh looked at Evie as he stood. “I have work to do.”

Evie raised an eyebrow. “What kind of work? Like in the salt mines?”

“Very funny,” Josh said, but he didn’t answer her question. A few seconds later, he was gone, the back door swinging shut behind him.

“And then there were two,” West said, a glint in his eye. Despite the fact that he’d eaten enough to feed a family of four, he looked hungry.

“That was on purpose,” Evie said. “Josh knows. Apparently, they all do.”

“Well, shit. I thought we’d been sneaky.”

They looked at each other for a long time, and Evie found herself desperately wishing they could be alone. Her knee brushed up against West’s underneath the table.

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