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“No, not really. Sorry.” I met Daphne, Chloe, and Maddie this morning for breakfast, but my mind keeps going back to the haunted look in Cooper’s blue eyes before he went for a run. Whatever dream he was lost in before I woke him up had to have been a nightmare. “I missed it. What did you say?”
The girls all shake their heads. “Nothing important. I’d say you’ve got the market cornered on the crazy life at the moment.” Chloe steals the cherry from my plate of waffles, then ties the stem in a knot with her tongue and throws it at Maddie. “How was your date the other night, Mads?”
“Boring,” Maddie pouts. “Not a single spark. I didn’t even bother letting him walk me to my door. Of course, I doubt he even wanted to, considering Brandon was looking out the front freaking window, watching like a weirdo. I love my brother, but I don’t know how much longer I can live with him.”
“How was your first night in the lake house, Carys? Did you and Coop christen every room in the place?” Chloe elbows me as she wiggles her brows like a creepy cartoon character.
“No.” I push my waffles around my plate, thinking about the way Cooper was thrashing in his sleep. “I think Coop’s trying to avoid dealing with everything that happened. But he won’t talk about it. And I’m worried.”
“It’s only been a few days. Give him time. My brother has never dealt with anything by talking about it.” Maddie looks across the table with sad eyes. “I’m not saying that’s the best way of dealing with things, just that he still may need time to process everything.”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.” Deciding I need a change of subject, I point across the street. “Do you guys know what’s going in the empty shop next to Sweet Temptations?”
“Sam bought that shop.” Daphne points further down the street. “And the two next to it. He wanted to make sure he had control over who moved in next to his wife. We all joked at the last family dinner that they should make the one right next door a day care they could put the kids in.” She sips her orange juice, then coughs. “He didn’t like that idea very much.”
“Do you know if he wants to keep it empty?” My mind starts whirling with ideas.
Chloe shifts in the booth next to me. “What are you thinking, Carys Murphy?”
The waitress drops the check off at our table, and we each throw down a twenty, then scooch out of the booth. “I’m thinking, why don’t we open our own boutique?”
Chloe pulls me behind her through the door of the Busy Bee. “There’s no one in there, Chloe. Where are we going?”
Maddie and Daphne follow us through the door as Chloe leads us across the street. “We’re going to talk to Amelia because you, my business partner, are a freaking genius.”
* * *
I called Emerson on my way back to the lake house a few hours later to check in and tell her everything that was happening. Her mom is already driving her crazy, and she’s ready to visit, just to get away after only forty-eight hours.
“You got this, Em.” I pull into our driveway and see my mom and Callen standing by the front door. “Hey, Mom. What are you doing here?”
“Carys,” Callen yells, then barrels toward me at full force.
I kneel down to brace myself for impact, just before little arms tackle me to the damp grass.
“Watch her head, Cal,” Mom calls out to us.
“Carys, I missed you.” He plants a sloppy, wet kiss on my cheek and squeezes me as tight as his chubby arms allow.
“I missed you too, bud. I didn’t know you were coming over today.” I look up at my mother, who’s hovering with a reusable grocery bag in her hand.
Mom shrugs. “I was out getting some things for dinner tonight and picked up a few things for you. But we were just about to leave. I guess I should have checked to make sure you were home first.”
“Cooper’s not here?” I left three hours ago. He can’t possibly still be running.
She shakes her head and hands me the bag as I stand up. “He didn’t answer the door.” Mom takes Callen’s hand in hers and looks around the outside of the house, taking it in. “This is lovely, Carys. Do you think you guys will stay here long?”
I unlock the door and lead them into the kitchen. “I’m not really sure what we’re doing yet, Mom. Cooper and I have to figure out a few things first.”
“Is something wrong?” Mom asks as she empties the contents of the bag onto the counter.
I’m not sure how to answer her, but I have a weird feeling in my gut. “No. I don’t think so. I just don’t know where Coop is.”
She finishes putting the containers in the fridge and hands Callen the empty bag. “Alright. Well, will we see you tonight?”
“Yup. We’ll be there. What can I bring?” I hug her and then blow a raspberry against Callen’s neck.
“Not a single thing. Just you and Cooper.” She kisses my cheek. “Love you, honey.” My mom holds my face in her hands for a moment, just looking at me, before she picks Callen up and carries him through the door.
