Tanya had packed her Kindle with her, so she read her latest hockey romance while I had my headphones on. And the entire time we read on the couch by the huge window, our legs tangled, I thought how nice it was to share my hobby with someone else…how I could get used to this.
Later, I assumed Tanya was going to her room, but she followed me to the bedroom I picked for myself. I lifted the covers without saying a word, and she got under them. I turned off the lights and slid in next to her. Once I had both of us covered, she snuggled her tempting body tightly against me. After the long day, we fell asleep fairly quickly.
And now, I’m up before her, planning what to eat for breakfast. It’s been around an hour since I woke up and let Tanya stay in bed. I’ve had my first two cups of coffee and go through the cabinets, noticing how empty they are.
I’m about to dash to the closest shop to get us breakfast when my phone rings. I lock the front door behind me and answer the call from Eve, my youngest sister, while walking toward the truck.
“Morning, my favorite brother!”
“I’m your only brother,” I deadpan.
“So you’re automatically my favorite, duh.” She giggles. “Anyway, I thought I would call since you haven’t sent us any updates after the hospital. How’s your head?”
I climb into the truck and roll my eyes. “It’s all good. The stitches itch like a bitch, but nothing I can’t handle. The headache is almost gone, too.”
My sister lets out a sigh of relief on the other end. “Damn, Eddie, you got so fucking lucky! Imagine what could have happened. And you walked away with a few stitches and nothing else.”
“I don’t know if twenty stitches is afew, but I get your point. I had a guardian angel looking over me that evening.”
“You definitely did. So, I talked with Mom last night—” Eve says, and I know where this is going “—apparently, you’re on a road trip with a woman you met in Tennessee. Is that right?”
“Yup.”
“Is that all you have to say?”
Playful annoyance that only my sisters seem to have mastered colors her words, and I can’t help but chuckle while driving toward the market. “Yup.”
My sister snorts. “And here I thought now that you’re closer to forty, you’d act like a grownup, not like a teenager with his first crush.”
“We both know that was never going to happen. But to answer your question, I don’t have much more to share. It’s all very new, and we’re enjoying the trip together.”
“Is she at least nice and, dare I ask, pretty?”
“The nicest and the prettiest.”
“Ooh, look at that; you really have a crush!”
I’m glad my sister can’t see me as I feel my cheeks heating. “Maybe, but let’s talk about something else.”
“Why?”
“I’m already overthinking everything when it comes to Tanya, so I don’t need more of that,” I admit as I park the car.
“Well, you know you can call any of us if you need to talk.”
I love having my sisters in my corner, even though they are sometimes too nosy for their own good. “Thanks, Eve. I appreciate that. But I’m going to let you go now, because I’m at the shop to pick up breakfast items.”
“Make her those cheesy omelets of yours, and she’ll like you even more,” she says, her voice light and teasing.
“Okay, thanks for the tip,” I say before our goodbyes and get out of the truck, making a mental list of what’s needed for my famous cheesy omelets.
When I return to the house forty minutes later, Tanya is still asleep. I start making us breakfast and put another pot of coffee to brew, trying my best to be quiet so she won’t wake up.
I’m about to add the eggs to the preheated pan when I hear rustling behind me.
“What’s that amazing smell?”
I almost drop the bowl I’m holding as her voice is closer than I expected. “That’s our brunch. Cheesy omelets with veggies, served with turkey bacon and toast.”
