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“Let me guess. You have a pros-and-cons list going,” Sunnie said, forcing a grin, trying to find a way to ease some of the tension that suddenly hovered over the table.
Landon smirked and started to deny it.
“Don’t kid a kidder, babe,” she said.
He sighed. “I have a list.”
She laughed. “I knew it. What’s on it?”
Landon clearly didn’t want to tell them. “Just the typical. Pros are new city, new opportunities, Allison.”
Sunnie didn’t point out that she thought Allison probably should have been listed first, but she held her tongue.
“And the cons,” Finn prompted.
“Leaving you guys.”
She waited for more, but she realized those three words probably encompassed it all. “You guys” meant more than just her and Finn, she knew that. It would include their mom and dad, Pop Pop, her cousins. Landon had been practically adopted into her family when he was just five years old and, like her, he knew that being a Collins meant something—meant everything.
“When is she planning to move?” Finn asked.
Landon looked down at his beer, rather than maintain eye contact with them as he said, “Beginning of March.”
“That’s next week!” Sunnie said, aghast.
Sunnie looked across the pub again. Allison and Yvonne were talking to Pop Pop at the bar.
Unlike Landon, there were no dark circles under her eyes, no signs of stress. She’d made up her mind and was looking forward to her future, to trying to make her dreams come true. Meanwhile, Landon was being torn in two.
Sunnie’s temper piqued toward the woman. She’d always liked Allison, always thought she was good for Landon, but that opinion was changing fast.
“When do you have to decide?” Finn asked.
Landon gave him a sad grin. “If I’m going, I have to figure it out this weekend, give Aaron my two weeks’ notice on Monday, then pack up my apartment, follow her later in the month.”
If I’m going…
Sunnie hated the sound of that. Hated the idea of living in Baltimore with one of her brothers—Landon was as good as the real thing—so far away.
As if reading her mind, Landon reached across the table and tapped her hand with his finger—two quick touches to get her attention. “You do realize that New York is only three hours away.”
It was far enough away that they wouldn’t be sharing Sweet Thursdays together anymore. The concept of Sweet Thursday was created by her uncles Killian and Justin, who’d instituted the tradition of kicking off the weekend one day early by sharing a Thursday happy hour.
It also meant no more weekly Sunday football games together in the Collins Dorm.
That brought up an even more horrifying concern.
“Jesus. You’re not going to start rooting for the Giants and the Yankees, are you?” she asked.
Landon visibly winced. “Are you insane?”
They all fell silent, and Sunnie realized there wasn’t anything else to say. Landon hadn’t made up his mind, and neither she nor Finn would feel right trying to talk him out of it. He was in love with Allison. They knew that, knew they had no right to stand in his way if his heart chose to follow her.
“You’ll call me the second you decide?” Finn asked.
Landon nodded. “Of course I will. I’ll call both of you.”
Finn cleared his throat, and Sunnie could only assume he had the same lump there that she did. He reached for their empty pitcher and rose. “I’m going to fight my way to the bar for a refill. Don’t let anybody take my seat. This place is crazy tonight.”
