“Ialways want to gobble you up,” I say playfully to Kinsley as I bounce her carefully in my arms at our table in the Sugar Cube. “I can’t handle all your cuteness.” Her wide, brown eyes, bright and full of curiosity, blink up at me through thick lashes, reminding me of a baby deer.
“How is she two months old already?” Sutton asks me, blowing on her full mug of decaf coffee.
Kinsley wraps her small hand around my fingers and tugs, pulling on my hand and my heart all at once. “Swear she grows so much every time I see her, and I basically see her every other day,” I say, laughing.
“Yes, she can’t go long without seeing her Auntie Lainey.” Sutton smiles at her baby girl.
“I’m not so sure you should be calling me that to her, Sutton,” I admit shyly.
“Seriously? Why the he—ck not?” She catches herself before she curses, and I smirk at her.
“I am not married to your brother, so technically I’m not her aunt,” I state.
Sutton rolls her eyes at me. “Lainey, please. Y’all livetogether, love each other. You’re end game. For the love of all things, you watched Kins beborn. Youareher aunt, end of story. And I guarantee a walk down the aisle is coming.”
“I’m not sure I want that.”
“What?!” Sutton’s face pales.
“I mean the whole big wedding thing,” I clarify. “Marriage, yes. All that attention, a couple hundred people in a big venue, no thank you.”
“Thank God,” Sutton murmurs.
“What? Why? You thought I didn’t want to marry Remington?” I put Kinsley up on my shoulder when she starts to fuss and pat her on the back trying to get her to burp.
“For a second there you had me sweating, yeah. He needs to lock you down. For good. You’re stuck with all of us forever.”
“No place I’d rather be,” I tell her with a grin.
“This is nice,” Sutton says. “It feels good to get out of the house. Fresh air, other humans. I think that I am ready to start going back to the store some days. My team does a good job, but I miss being there.”
“Really? I think that’s great, Sutton. You love Brooks and Books, have put so much of yourself into the store. I know that you have a really excellent team in place to help you run the store, but I’m sure all the customers miss seeing you as well,” I say with encouragement.
“The best part about being the owner is getting to do what I want, so I plan on setting up an area for Kinsley and bringing her with me. I just, I can’t be away from her right now, but I also need to get out of the house a little bit.” Her frown makes me think she is doubting her plans.
“You deserve to do the things that make you happy, Sutton. Being in the store, working to create a space that is welcoming, and showcasing the local talent that you haveworked with, like Kendra, it’s important.” I hold my hand out to her, which she takes.
“I’m not sure I will ever truly be happy again,” Sutton blurts out. “Does that make me a horrible person? An awful mother? I love Kinsley, but it is so hard without Derek, doing this alone was not the plan.”
“You are the strongest person I know.” I squeeze her hand when I feel her try to retreat into herself. “I am not lying to you or trying to just make you feel better. I really see it. Even before Deck was taken I thought that, and now it’s been amplified. It’s okay if you don’t feel strong, or even happy. You are going through so much, so many changes. All you have to do, Sutton, is wake up every day, put your feet on the floor, and try your best—and every single day that is going to look differently.”
“Lainey, how’d you become so wise?” Sutton chuckles as she swipes a tear away.
“An awful family and a shit ton of therapy are apparently paying off.” I shrug. “It’s also a lot easier for me to help other people and encourage them than it is to apply that same voice and kindness to myself.”
“We can work on it together.” Sutton smiles at me and then looks to Kinsley sound asleep on my chest. “You have the magic touch.” She nods.
“Anytime you need help,Aunt Laineyis ready,” I reply with a wink.
Expecting a grin or a laugh from Sutton, I am disappointed to see her look of shock.Did she change her mind already?
“What’s wrong?” I breathe.
“Cora.” Sutton’s gaze is locked on the window to the right of us over my shoulder, looking out over the street.
Sure enough, Cora is right there, plastered up to the window snarling at us. Her dark hair looks messy and unwashed. She is wearing jeans and a tight, ill-fitting creamsweater that makes her skin look sallow. There is no more haughty glow of confidence around her, just a pulse of anger and disgust, and it’s all aimed directly at me. According to the restraining order she can’t come into the Sugar Cube right now because I am in here. She also should not even be on the other side of the glass leering at me. It’s creepy and unsettling.
I hold Kinsley tighter and look at Sutton. “Call Remington, he needs to know.”
