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cheesecake. That was great too. He’ll never believe I made it.”
“Is that the same cousin who visited you last week?”
Juliette nodded as she popped the last of her cake in her mouth and cut another equally small sliver. “He’s only about two hours away. Curt and Taylor will probably bring Reese with them when they come. She’s Taylor’s niece. I think she’d get along well with Tiegan. She’s… I’m not sure how old she is, but she’s around Tiegan’s age.”
Come to think of it, she didn’t know how old Tiegan was either. If she had to guess, she’d say eleven or twelve, but it was possible the girl was simply tall for her age. “How old is Tiegan anyway?”
“She’ll be eleven next month.” Candace took another bite of cake before she spoke again. “Does Reese live with her aunt?”
“She lives with Taylor and her grandmother next door to my cousin. That’s how Curt and Taylor met. But when they get married, Taylor and Reese will move in with Curt. As far as I know, Taylor has been Reese’s guardian since she was a baby. Reese’s mom, Taylor’s sister, is not exactly mother material.” She saw no reason to go into the unpleasant details.
Candace gave a little sarcastic laugh and reached for the knife. “Yeah, some people should not become parents.” She cut a not-so-little second slice of cake and added it to her plate. “My ex-husband is one of them. Tiegan hasn’t seen Eric in almost a year. And I don’t think she’s talked to him since Christmas.”
Growing up, Juliette had seen her father more or less every day except when he traveled for business, or she’d attended boarding school. And when she had been away at school, she’d talked to both her parents on a weekly basis. Even now, she saw them frequently and spoke with them often.
“That’s too bad. Does he live nearby?” Not that it would excuse his behavior, but if he’d moved to the west coast or something because of work, it would make regular visits difficult.
The other woman stabbed her cake with a little more force than necessary. “Who knows? The handful of times he’s sent child support, the postmark on the envelope is from a different place. He bought an RV right before he left Avon, and he’s been traveling around the country with his new girlfriend. Even before the divorce, Eric worked remotely, so I’m sure that’s what he’s still doing. And I don’t know much about his girlfriend, but I know she’s—” Candace stopped abruptly and cleared her throat. “She doesn’t need to work.”
Her new friend sounded a little bitter, and Juliette didn’t blame her one bit. It was bad enough her ex-husband didn’t play an active role in his daughter’s life. But the least the creep could do was send child support payments.
“It’s part of the reason why Tiegan and I are living here with Aaron.”
She’d wondered why they called Aaron’s house home but hadn’t wanted to pry. She hated it when people poked their noses into her life. She saw no reason Candace would feel any differently about it.
“Before the divorce, what I made substituting at the schools and teaching dance was enough, since Eric worked full-time.”
During a previous conversation, she’d learned Candace worked almost every day as a substitute in the town. While she preferred to work in the elementary school, she worked in whatever building the district needed her.
“Even if Dance Dynamics hadn’t closed, what I brought home wasn’t enough to pay the rent on the apartment we lived in and cover all the other expenses. I thought about quitting school again, so I could get a second job at night waitressing or something.” She paused and sipped her tea. “Let’s just say Aaron didn’t like the idea. He’s always been an overprotective big brother. He suggested we move in with him at least until I finish my bachelor’s degree.”
Candace had mentioned before she was taking night classes, but Juliette didn’t know what she was studying or where.
“At first, it was a little odd not only living with my brother but also in the house I grew up in. But it works out pretty well for everyone. Since Aaron works mostly from home and Mom’s right next door, when I go to class, there’s always someone around for Tiegan to stay with. My brother refuses to let me pay rent, so I pay the electric bill, and I do most of the cooking and cleaning.” Stepping back, she opened the refrigerator and removed the pitcher of iced tea.
Not only was the man handsome, but by the sound of it, he valued family. She couldn’t say the same about most of the men she’d been attracted to, including Daniel. No question about it: she was attracted to Aaron.
Every time she saw him, and she’d seen him several times now, she had to remind herself she wasn’t here to get romantically involved. And each time it took a little more convincing, because literally all the man had to do was walk in the room and her pulse rate went up a few notches—something she had to admit was a unique experience. Usually, it took a hell of a lot more to get her excited. Heaven help her if Aaron ever did any of those things to her.
“Got to love overprotective brothers.” She adored Scott and couldn’t ask for a better brother, but he had his moments.
“Is yours older or younger?”
She’d assumed Candace knew all about her family. The people she normally associated with always knew precisely who lingered on the many branches of her family tree. “Older. I also have several male cousins who act almost as bad. I also have an older sister.”
Candace nodded as she refilled first Juliette’s cup and then her own. “She married J.T. Williamson. I saw the pictures on the cover of Today Magazine last month. Your brother got married last year, didn’t he?”
Scott’s wedding hadn’t attracted quite as many headlines as Courtney’s wedding, but it certainly hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Yep. And he and his wife are expecting twins in June.”
“Speaking of brothers, Aaron is single.”
Juliette racked her brain for an adequate response to the out-of-the-blue statement. Before she thought of one, Candace spoke again.
“And I don’t think he’s been on a date since I’ve been living here.” She put the pitcher back in the fridge before she returned to the barstool near the counter. “And yes, I’ve seen the way you look at him when he’s not paying attention.”
She thought she’d done a better job of not staring during dinner. If she joined them again for a meal, she needed to be more careful.
“I know I’m a little biased, but Aaron’s a great guy. I think you should ask him out for coffee or something.”
