AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“None of this bothers me.”
“No, of course not.”
I glanced at Clara. “Do you know why?”
“I can only imagine.”
“Because we’re just friends.”
“Right.” Brad nodded. “Just friends.”
Clara bent down and picked up the pink poodle I’d put out a few weeks ago, and my brows knitted together in concern.
“That’s not the right home for that.”
Brad looked around. “For what?”
“The pink poodle.”
“Money is money,” Brad muttered.
“Not like this.” I shook my head as she took it to the counter.
I walked over and smiled at Clara. “I’m sorry. That’s not for sale.”
She looked puzzled. “It’s on the floor with a price.”
“Sorry.” I shook my head. “It’s just a mistake.”
“But it would be perfect for my family’s white elephant party.”
I gasped at the thought of the poodle becoming a joke. “Someone else already bought it. Sorry.”
Clara tilted her chin and glanced at her son. “Okaay.”
“Sorry about that.”
“That’s fine.” She shrugged, touching a necklace my sister had just put out this morning. I wanted to grab it away from her too, but I held back.
And then I realized it.
The bits of jealousy nipping at me were only going to get worse until I confronted the truth about what Lucas meant to me.
Chapter Twelve
Lucas
I’d ordered the pizza and was just picking up some tea and dessert at the grocery store when I looked up and saw Emily’s brother.
He looked over at me but didn’t smile.
Seemed about right.
“Hey there, Brad.” I lifted my basket. “Just grabbing some stuff for Mimi and everyone.”
Brad looked surprised. “Yeah?”
The incessant beeping from the self-checkout peppered the awkward silence as Brad made his way over.
