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“Aurora, that’s not—”
“Please,” I say, first to Kinley, then to Willow and Grandma Rose. “Let me get this out before I chicken out.”
Grandma Rose nods. “Go on, we’re listening.”
“I was late getting back for my shift and speeding like an idiot. Garrett pulled me over. Turns out I had a warrant out for my arrest.” I chuckle, amused at their reactions. “I mean, it sounds cooler than it really is. I didn’t like murder anyone. It was an unpaid parking ticket I honestly didn’t know was an issue.”
“You didn’t call any of us to bail you out,” Willow says, her tone confused.
I shrug. “I had one phone call, so I called Freya to cover my shift. We were short on wait staff. That seemed more important.”
“Who bailed you out?” Willow asks.
“Garrett’s sister.” I learned the truth when I tried to pay Jade the remaining three hundred bucks. But Garrett asked me not to say anything to prevent any conflicts of interest. Though trouble tends to follow me, I’m not trying to invite it in. I agree to keep it our little secret. Hard to resist a man when he’s asking a favor with his tongue between my legs.
“I went to Anchorage last week for court. Everything’s cleared up now.”
“Any more secrets you want to spill?” Kinley asks, arms folded as though she’s offended she’s been left on the sidelines or something. Never mind that between Rowan and their new restaurant venture that she’s hardly ever around to even ask about my life. Now that I know what it’s like to be hung up on someone you love, though, I don’t resent her for her absence.
“I want to take over the diner someday. When you decide to retire, Grandma Rose. I love being there. I love that it’s a family business. I want to continue the legacy.”
Kinley and Willow look at each other like they’re trying not to burst out laughing. I’m two seconds from really giving them a piece of my mind when Grandma Rose pipes up.
“That’s been my plan all along, Aurora.”
“What?” Both my sisters share my shock.
“You’ve been proving yourself since day one. You didn’t guess that?”
“No.”
“I let you take over the scheduling, the hiring, and the grocery order.”
“You got to put in a grocery order?” Kinley scoffs. I have to admit, that little bit of malicious satisfaction feels good. But I keep it in. I’m not trying to rub salt in the wound. I just want my sisters to take me seriously.
“Don’t look so hurt. I screwed it up and forgot to order eggs.”
“And you immediately found a solution. I didn’t have to refuse a single order. You really proved yourself that day, Aurora dear.” Grandma Rose crosses the threshold, putting her hands on my forearms. “I’m proud of the young lady you’ve become. And I’d be proud to hand over the diner to your capable hands one day.WhenI’m ready to let it go.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Grandma Rose wraps me in a hug. “Until then, I’m promoting you to manager.”
I expect my sisters to scoff and stomp off, but to my surprise, they step into the room and create a group hug with me in the center. There’s laughter, joy, and a few tears.
A gentle knock on the door jamb grabs my attention. But it’d be impossible to be in the same zip code as Garrett Bradley and not be aware of his presence. “Am I interrupting, ladies?”
“Not at all,” Grandma Rose says, breaking up the gaggle. “We were just congratulating Aurora on her promotion.”
“Oh?” Garrett stands just outside the doorway because with all four of us women in my soon-to-be old bedroom, there’s not much room for him to squeeze in. It takes my sisters a moment, but they seem to get the hint.
“We have a celebration party to plan, don’t we, Willow?” Kinley says to our oldest sister.
“We do! Grandma Rose, you’ll help us, won’t you?” Willow says.
The three of them scramble from the room, leaving me alone with the sexy police chief. He struts into the room and closes the door behind him. I’m not shy about looking him up and down like he’s a dessert. Though I love him in that uniform, I’m glad his shift is over. Because I’m ready to get home and get him out of it.
“You keep looking at me like that, Gray, and we’re not going to make it out of this room.”
