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DREW
We spent Monday morning sitting through an emergency Valor King committee meeting. I told Kobie, in front of Eloise Malone, so Kobie wouldn’t have to negotiate with the septuagenarian bully, that I would only do this if Sadie got to join me for all of my required duties. The exception being anything where I had to be on stage at the festival. But otherwise, she got full backstage access everywhere else. Just because it was time to step up for the town and come out of the shadows didn’t mean I wanted to waste any of the precious time we had left together. The festival started on Friday and ran through the following weekend. We hadn’t had any kind of discussion about what would happen between us once it was over.
Kobie agreed easily, and Eloise begrudgingly, as long as Sadie promised not to include any of the inner workings of their secret committee meetings in her article.
“Sure thing,” she told them before she leaned in and gave me a conspiratorial whisper. “Kobie has already told me so much history that my article for the festival is almost done. All I need to do is snap a few photos and I’m all set.”
I spoke out of the side of my mouth so Eloise wouldn’t catch me not paying attention and throw a paperweight at me. That woman was terrifying. “Good. The less time you have to spend writing, the more time I get you to myself.”
The meeting dragged on for an eternity. It was clear to me that no one outside this room would care about the details of their secret meeting. They’d spent the last thirty minutes debating which of several cloaks I should wear for the festival’s opening ceremony. Meanwhile, I lamented the other ways Sadie and I could have spent this time together, and then tried not to get a boner in front of the room full of old-timers.
I dropped a pen on the floor, then I leaned over to pick it up so I could get close enough to Sadie without Eloise overhearing. “I’m going to leave to go to the restroom.”
“Okay,” she whispered in response. “Why is this a secret?”
“Because a few minutes after that, you’re going to get a phone call you need to take. Outside. And you’re going to come meet me.”
Her eyes got that sex-glazed look I loved that happened whenever I stripped my shirt off in front of her. She bit her bottom lip and nodded, then dug her phone out of her purse and turned the ringer on full volume.
Forty minutes later, we slunk back, looking disheveled but sated, and I was much more willing to sit through the rest of this boring-ass meeting. Kobie rolled her eyes while grinning at us. Eloise and her husband, Jasper, were still arguing over fur versus feather trim, and which cloak would make my eyes pop the most—Eloise’s words, not mine—and hadn’t even noticed our prolonged absence.
The meeting wrapped up around lunchtime. While I couldn’t get out of the room fast enough, Sadie lingered in the door as we were leaving.
“What’s up?” I grabbed her hand and linked our fingers together, ready to drag her back to my house. Hell, the truck would do if the parking lot had cleared out.
“There’s a wine-tasting event tonight that’s part of the fundraising series for the festival.”
“Uh-huh…”
“I sort of promised Kobie I’d help her out with setup.” She rushed the words out. “I agreed a few days ago, but maybe I could get out of it.” She glanced over her shoulder at Kobie packing up her things from the meeting. Guilt and desire warred on her face.
“How about if I grab us lunch and meet you afterward? I’ve been meaning to stop by the diner and see my sister anyway.” I ignored my own guilt at having not talked to Val in person in so long and reminded myself it was time to start fresh.
A wide smile broke out across her face. “Look at you, all volunteering to go out in public.” She pinched my cheek. “How about if I meet you there? Kobie said the setup should only take about twenty minutes with the two of us.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I gave her a kiss that crept out of PG-13 territory and into NC-17 until Kobie cleared her throat behind us.
After saying my goodbyes to Sadie and Kobie, I whistled all the way back to my truck.
Fucking whistled.
* * *
I satin my truck in the parking lot across the street from Maisie’s Diner. This was stupid. It was no big deal to walk in, chat with Val, and get some lunch. I took a deep breath and held it for a second, closing my eyes.
What if she’s busy?
What if she’s pissed?
You’ve acted like she didn’t exist for the last five years and now you want a heart-to-heart with her while she’s at work?
The muscles in my shoulders knotted up, and I couldn’t quite catch my breath, but I swung the truck door open and shoved myself out. Sucking in deep breaths of the brisk air, I strode across the street toward Maisie’s. I smothered my nerves as I pushed in through the front door of the diner.
The Please Seat Yourself sign was out, so I looked for a booth near the edge of Val’s section. I was making a public appearance, but I didn’t want to sit right in the middle of the lunch crowd. One of the high-backed booths in the front corner was open, so I headed that way.
I didn’t even make it all the way to the table before my sister tackled me in a hug from behind. “What are you doing here?” she squealed.
My anxiety melted away. “Getting lunch and saying hi.” I laughed as I turned awkwardly into her hug. She smashed her face against my chest and hugged even harder once we were facing each other. How much I’d missed her hit me like a ton of bricks. “Watch it, I think you cracked a rib.”
