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“I wish I could stay,” Katie said, “but I’m meeting Shane for brunch in twenty minutes, so you’ll have to tell me everything that happens, Jule.”
“Oh, I will. Call me later.”
“Can you two at least pretend not to be talking about him right in front of him?” Cindy asked.
Jace grinned as he leaned back against the counter and took a sip from his mug. “I was wondering if I was the topic of conversation.”
“Your name might’ve come up,” Julia said.
“Once or twice,” Katie added.
“They were just leaving,” Cindy said, giving them a “get the hell out of my house” look that made her sisters laugh.
“Why, do you have something—or someone—you need to do, Cin?”
Jace choked on his coffee.
“Get. Out. Now.”
“You bring a girl a muffin, and this is the thanks you get,” Julia said. “Jace, it was great to see you. I hope we’ll be seeing lots of you, and if you’re anything other than sweet and kind to our baby sister, we will kill you.”
“Julia!” Cindy glanced at Jace. “Don’t listen to her.”
“Yes, listen to her,” Katie said. “She means it, and she’s speaking for both of us. Well, all of us.”
Jace extended a hand to Cindy. “You ladies—and your sister—have nothing to worry about where I’m concerned.”
With knees gone weak from the way he looked at her, she took his hand.
“I want only the best of everything for her,” Jace added, his gaze set on her face, which instantly heated.
“Well, I’d say we’re not needed here, Jules,” Katie said, taking Julia by the arm to lead her out as Pupwell trotted along behind them.
“If this love shack’s a-rockin’,” Julia said over her shoulder, “don’t come a-knockin’.”
“Oh my God,” Cindy said, mortified as Jace shook with silent laughter. “I’m sorry about them. They’re incorrigible, especially Julia. Every thought she’s ever had comes out of her mouth.”
“They’re awesome, and you love them.”
“I love them, but sometimes I also want to kill them.” As soon as those words left her mouth, Cindy wanted to take them back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Don’t do that. You were joking, and I knew it.”
“Still, that’s not something I should joke about with you.”
“It’s fine. I swear. I’m glad you had a nice visit with them, but was someone sharing our secrets by any chance?”
Cindy did her best to act like she didn’t know what he meant. “I would never do that.”
“Haha, right. Did they get all the dirty details or just a few?”
“They only got the gist, no details.”
He put his hands on her hips and rested his forehead against hers. “What grade was I given in this gist you gave your sisters?”
“Stop! I didn’t grade you.”
“But if you had, how would I have done?”
