Page 35 of Home Sweet Home

“I got the chills. Window’s open.” It was over eighty degrees outside, the still air providing no relief from the heat.

“Really?”

Without looking at Kayla, Evie busied herself with her baking tasks, but she could feel Kayla’s eyes on her. A few seconds later, as Evie pulled butter from the freezer, her phone rang. Her heart skipped when she saw West’s name on the screen.

“So I told my mom about your cookies,” West said.

She glanced out her kitchen window toward West’s living room, wondering if he’d seen her shudder like Kayla had. It was definitely possible, because he stood there, phone pressed to his ear as he paced the room.

“I canseeyou,” Evie said.

He swiveled his head and waved before sinking onto the couch.

“Why didn’t you just get up off your ass and walk outside?”

“You been out there? It’s hot. Besides, I thought this would be more fun.”

Evie turned away from the window so he couldn’t see her face anymore and leaned her back against the sink. “What do you want?”

“Right. Cookies. Mom was wondering if you could bake some for her Bible study group tomorrow. Some of the ladies get a little testy when they don’t eat, and let’s just say I’d be extremely concerned for her safety if you say no.”

“Sure.” Evie wanted to say no, but the favor he’d asked for was so reasonable.

“Great. And you can bring them tonight because she also wants you and Josh to come over for some ribs.” As if he could guess what she was about to say, he quickly added, “She’s not going to take no for an answer, so you might as well just say yes now.”

“You really are her minion, aren’t you?” Evie hesitated, the phone hovering near her ear. “Fine.”

“See you at seven.”

The line clicked off, and Evie’s stomach fluttered.

“So?” Kayla asked.

Evie stacked her butter on the cutting board to be cubed. “Della wants Josh and me to come over for dinner.”

Kayla took a long sip of her wine. “Dinner with his mom? Let me know when the wedding is. I’ll need a plus one, of course. Actually, he probably has hot friends, so let’s just forget about the plus one.”

“We work together and live next door to each other. That’s it.”

“You like him.”

“No,” Evie said, too fast to be convincing.

“It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. You used to like him. Wouldn’t be surprised if those feelings bubbled back up.”

As Evie cubed butter, which was softening too fast in the heat, she grasped for the right words. “I don’t not like him.”

“This isn’t the first grade. You’re allowed to like the dude.”

“Lots of reasons that’s not true.”

Kayla rolled her eyes. “Let’s hear them, then.”

“He’s only here for the summer.”

“Plenty of time to make sweet, sweet love to him. Definitely once. Preferably more than once.”

The back of Evie’s neck flushed with heat as she closed her eyes and imagined West’s hand grazing her bare arm.

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