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Her lips turn up and her face brightens. “All right, then.”
“Hmm, Mer, have you ever had a piggyback ride?” She just ate her weight in crepes and we have a mile walk to the Bike-A-Lot. I’m afraid she’ll be exhausted by the time we get there.
One of her brows arches. “I have not.”
“Are you up for it?”
“Are you?”
My eyes drift closed with my nod and I stuff down my chuckle. “I am. Can we pass up the opportunity? Youarein pants today.”
“Well, that’s true.”
I am craving Mom’s coconut cherry cookies by the time we get to the shop. Having Meredith so close means breathing her in for a mile. I don’t hate it, but I do feel the need to eat something sugary.
Miles is wearing a goofy grin when we enter—Meredith still on my back. With my arms beneath her legs, I hoist her up an inch.
“What are you looking at?” I ask my younger brother.
Shy Miles doesn’t try to hide his smile though. “I’m honestly not sure.”
“Hey Miles,” Meredith says. She lifts one arm to wave, in the process her head dips and her cheek brushes mine.
“Did you sprain your ankle?”
“Nope. Just never had a piggyback ride before.” She taps my shoulder and I twist my neck, my face centimeters from where her chin rests on my shoulder. “You can put me down now.”
Down. Yep. That would make sense. “Right,” I say, forcing myself to play it cool. I won’t lose face in front of Miles. He can gawk all he wants.
“Owen called,” Miles says, watching as I lower Meredith to the ground.
“Oh yeah?”
“He got that place on Bisbee.”
“No,” I cram my eyes closed and slap a hand to my head.
“Yep. You know where we’ll be spending our Sunday afternoons from now until—”
“Forever,” I answer. I glance at Meredith. “Our brother bought this old house, a major fixer-upper.”
“Yeah,” Miles says. “Only he doesn’t have the fixing skills.”
She gives half a shoulder shrug. “That sounds like fun. He’ll get to learn.”
“Yeah,” I say, “as will we. Coop gets a pass.”
“Our youngest brother,” Miles explains. “He’s away at college, so he’ll miss all the fun helping Owen fix up the Bisbee place.”
Meredith shakes her head. “You have so much family.” She breathes out a sweet sigh. “I’d love to have a sister. If I could have a sister pop up—out of nowhere, like your Coco—I would.”
Miles’ gaze skirts from Meredith to me. “No sleeping in today?”
“Oh, he tried,” Meredith says before I have time to answer. “We just got finished with yoga and crepes.”
Miles sputters, the laugh bursting from his lips without his permission. “That’s great,” he says, head down. There’s a stack of customer forms on the counter. Miles picks them up and shuffles them together on the tabletop.
“Hey,” I bark. “Those are in order.”
