Page 102 of Just a Little White Lie

He gets out and walks around the back of his car, eyeing me up with a slight scowl.

“Morning, bro.”

“I know I should ask how your night was. The whole dancing thing for the kids, but I’m afraid, because I don’t want to know what you got up to after that.”

I look down at Jack’s T-shirt with an impish grin, my bare toes curling on the concrete. “I had a really good time.”

“If your blush is anything to go by, I can see you had areallygood time, and I don’t want one single detail, or I may just have to slit my throat.”

I laugh, threading my arm through his and walking into the house with him. “How was Mallory’s?”

“Good.”

“When are you going to move in with that girl?”

He pauses, studying me carefully before dropping his keys into the bowl on the kitchen counter. “We have a plan.”

“I bet you do.” I bulge my eyes at him. “Is it a ten-year one or a five-year one?”

He blushes and mutters to the ground. “Both.”

I start to laugh. “Don’t tell me, there’s also an annual and bi-annual plan as well.”

With an indignant throat clear, he eyes me sideways, and I can’t help skipping after him.

“There is! Oh my gosh, you’re hilarious.”

“Hey, at least I have a plan, and in the next two years, all going to plan, I’ll ask Mallory to move in with me.”

“That nexttwo years!Dude.”

“What?”

“I just thought that if you love her… I mean, don’t you want to start living together now?”

“It’s not fiscally responsible. Jack’s rent is really helpful in paying off the mortgage, and when she moves in, we want the place to ourselves.”

“Wow. Okay.” I cross my arms and lean against the wall.

He studies me for a moment, then nods. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but I’m sure you can work it out by now.” He points at me, and I raise my eyebrows, waiting for the rest. He sighs and rests his hand on his hip. “You’ve got two years to get your life sorted.”

“Two years.” I hold up two fingers and struggle to hamper my laughter. “Good to know. Thanks for the advanced warning.”

“If you start teasing me about this, I’m making you clean the house on your own.”

I raise my hands as two white flags. “I didn’t say a word.”

“You better not.” He grunts and storms off to his room, returning a few minutes later.

I’m sipping coffee at the dining room table, still in Jack’s shirt because I can’t quite bring myself to change out of it, and attempting to read a book I got out of the library. April made me do it.

I mean, I used to love reading, but I think I’ve forgotten how much. I’ve stuffed my life with high-energy entertainment, and it’s hard to just sit and be still sometimes. But I’m trying. Because reading is free, and it’ll make the hours tick by until Jack returns home.

“I wasn’t joking about the housework, by the way.” Luke strolls into the kitchen, and I look across the dining room at him.

“Huh?”

He’s rolling up his sleeves and smiling at me. “Housework. I want your help. But I won’t make you do it on your own.”

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