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“Pretty well, I’d say. How’s the morning sickness by the way?”
“Sometimes it comes in the afternoons, but I’m okay. How about you? How’s living with Viper?”
I grinned and took a sip of my beer. “Fun.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded.
“You guys settled?”
“Well, the rest of our furniture arrived a few days ago, so that’s good. Still trying to remember where I put things. It’s an adjustment, but it’s kind of amazing. A real house.”
She nodded. “I get it. I so get it. This is the first nice home I’ve ever lived in. It makes all the difference, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it does.” I grabbed the second bottle of beer. “Let me give this to Viper and then I’ll come back and help you.”
I dropped off the beer to Viper, who was sitting in a chair, smiling—actually smiling—while Savage talked.
When I returned to the kitchen, Willa had a glass casserole dish on the counter.
“I already peeled the potatoes, but will you slice them for me?”
“Sure. What are we having?”
“Grilled salmon and potatoes au gratin. When Waverly was a kid, she called them lava potatoes.” She grinned and shook her head. “Even though she’s not eating here tonight, I’m still making enough for her to have leftovers.”
“Sweet,” I said.
Willa handed me a knife and a cutting board and then set the bowl of peeled potatoes in front of me.
Duke returned just as we put the casserole dish into the oven. He kissed his wife, grabbed a beer, and then went out back to hook up the propane.
“Have you been by Darcy’s this week?” I asked.
Willa shook her head. “No. But I’ve called. You?”
“Not yet. I thought about dropping by, but I don’t want to intrude, you know?”
The truth was, I didn’t know what to say to her. I didn’t want to ask her how she was doing because it was such a bullshit question.
Hey, how are you doing after your husband just died and left you a widow with two small children who are both emotionally crushed by the loss of their loving father?
I was also having trouble hiding how happy I was about the changes in my life. It felt wrong to be around Darcy and shove that in her face, and I knew it was best if I stayed away.
We ate dinner in the living room, so Savage didn’t have to get off the couch. Conversation was easy and light. While we were in the middle of dessert, the front door blew open and Waverly stormed inside.
“Hey,” Willa called to her sister. “You’re home earlier than I thought you’d be.”
Waverly stopped, her angry expression clearing. “Oh. Hey. Sorry, I won’t interrupt. I’ll just head out to the guesthouse.”
“You okay?” Willa asked with a frown.
“I’m fine,” she clipped and then marched through the house. The back door slammed shut.
Silence permeated the living room.
“She doesn’t seem fine,” Savage said. “What happened?”
