Page 75 of Blue Jeans in Low Beams

“Clearly not very hard, from what I can see.”

Yup, there it is.

“We’re squeezing in a quick breakfast before Mell starts her shift and I have to be over at the drugstore,” I jump in. “We haven’t gotten to spend as much time together this summer as we had planned.”

Willa’s face softens, a knowing grin taking over. But not just any knowing grin. That Hayes smirk. It’s slightly different than Milo’s and still, just the same. Like she sees right through what I’m saying and knows a secret no one else does.

“Plans have a way of changing like that, don’t they?” she quips.

I laugh. “Yeah…”

“Well, I better get. We’re on a timeline—it’s the first day of school for Sylvie, and it’s tradition that we take her to breakfast before class, but as the teacher, she can’t miss first bell. But I’ll see you Sunday for family dinner, right?”

“I’ll be there.”

“Good.”

Hugging me again, she gives Mell a curt nod, then gracefully slides between the closely placed tables to the booth that her friends are in. I breathe a sigh of relief, all my insides relaxing, muscles I didn’t realize I’d ever tensed letting up.

A bell dings, and Mell’s head perks up as two plates full of food slide into the window from the kitchen. She pops up, grabs them, and is back to our spot, handing me mine, before I can blink.

“Your future sister-in-law is scary.”

“She’s not my future sister-in-law.” I don’t think…

I laugh off the comment, like it’s the most ridiculous thing in the world. Because it is.

Sure, Mell was right when she said that Milo and I haven’t been hiding whatever this is between us, per se. We’re also not shouting anything from the rooftops, or talking about it with others. Because whatever this is doesn’t have a name. Or a definition. It…just is. That’s part of what makes it so wonderful. So magical. We’re letting it happen. Naturally. On its own.

Not having a name or a definition also makes it easier when it comes time for it to end. And it will end. I have no idea what my future holds. Where I’m going to end up. Even if I end up staying here, the little sister of his best friend and business partner is probably not who Milo sees spending the rest of his life with. Something I suspect is a major reason neither of us talked about—or really even considered—telling my brother about our…fling, for lack of a better world.

Even if my heart is a lot more than fling level invested.

Shit, my brother!

Safety check. Anton had just thrown a peach at my head.

ha ha, sounds like I missed a good time.

Go back to studying, or breakfast, or whatever I’m disturbing. Tell Mell I say hi. Love you.

Love you too.

Phew…bullet dodged…

“Everything okay?” Mell asks, mouth full of pancakes, her question pulling me back to the moment.

“Ummm, yeah. What were we talking about?”

“Willa Hayes being your future sister-in-law. Although by the time you’d be Brenna Hayes, I guess she’ll be Willa Keller.”

Brenna Hayes…that does have a nice ring to it…

“It’s not like that.”

Mell rolls her eyes. “It’s okay to admit that you like him. Like that. At least to me.”

“There is no denying that he will be the one that I compare all men to from here on out. But…” I trail off, wanting to choose my words carefully. “I’m also not looking to never be able to recover. You know?”