AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I shook off the thoughts as I continued toward the B&B, nodding at both tourists and locals as I went. The smell of pizza from the Crispy Crust had my tummy grumbling, and I briefly considered veering into the shop for a slice and telling the family I’d had a long day and wanted to stay in.
But, no.
I’d told them I’d be there, so I’d be there.
A pizza night with the girls would be fun sometime soon, though. I made a mental note to bring it up to them and try to fit one in before Bailey had the baby. She was getting close to the big day, but I missed those nights with my friends. It was something we’d started doing when Laney had first moved backto Charlotte Oaks, and it’d been a weekly thing right up until I’d started dispatcher training.
Just like it had been when I was eighteen trying to balance work and my teenage social calendar, distpacher life as an adult was just as all-consuming. Oh, who was I kidding? Everything I did became all-consuming because I never did anything halfway.
Which was probably why, today, I’d gone the extra mile to start researching snakehandling the minute I’d found out animal countrol was unavailable. It’d brought me a ridiculous amount of relief when I found out my efforts had paid off, too. Adam had been able to secure Mr. Slithers before anyone got strangled to death, including himself.
Yes, as much as he got on my nerves, I’d hate to see that happen.
As far as the guilt about missing out on time with my friends, at least they had their own responsibilities. Dakota and Bailey missed their fair share of girls’ nights if they had to work at the hospital or the fire station, and Aubree wasn’t there if she was out flying. Plus, Laney had little Cole now. No one had given me grief for all I’d missed over the last few weeks, but…
That was just me.
If I could wish for anything, it’d be that I could clone myself. That way I’d get to experience everything in life without having to prioritize one thing over another. Especially since that one thing was usually work, and that meant at the end of the day, I’d missed out on a lot of fun.
My phone buzzed in my purse just as I made my way up the steps of the B&B, but when I reached in to pull it out, something up ahead snagged my attention.
“Tyler?” I whispered, my hand falling from my purse—phone forgotten.
“Hey, sis,” he replied, stepping down when it became clear my feet had grown roots and he’d have to come to me.
“What are you doin’ here?”
He wrapped me in a hug, chuckling lightly. “Didn’t you invite me?”
“Weeks ago!”
Tyler pulled back and gave me the side-eye. “Did your offer have an expiration date?”
I whacked his arm, then pulled him in for another hug. “Of course not! Oh my goodness, I’m sorry. I’m just so happy.”
Tyler had refused to let me visit him in prison. In fact, he’d been in and out of jail since the night that shall not be mentioned, and I’d never once been permitted to see him. Not because the guards wouldn’t allow it, because Tyler wouldn’t. He hadn’t wanted me to see him like that, and while I understood, I also hated it. And I’d gone anyway, of course, only to discover that dragging an annoying, pain-in-the-butt brother out of his cell by his earlobe wasn’t a correction officer’s job.
My bad.
I’d seen him between stints in lockup, but these last three years had been totally empty without him. It’d been his longest sentence, and therefore, the longest amount of time I’d gone without getting to hug my little brother in our entire lives.
And now that I had him in my arms? I was pretty sure I wouldn’t let go even if a sinkhole opened up beneath our feet.
But then a throat cleared behind him—one that was distinctly feminine—and I popped my eyes open to see who’d made the sound.
And she was... gorgeous.
“Ty, who’s that?”
He grinned. “Pais, this is Candy. Candy, here’s my obnoxious big sister I’ve been tellin’ ya all about.”
I stood there, my eyes darting between Tyler and Candy as I tried to process the situation. A knot formed in my stomach, despite the warmth of our reunion. It wasn’t that I wasn’tthrilled to see my brother—I was over the moon—but something about this unexpected guest had my big-sisterly instincts on high alert.
“It’s nice to meet you, Candy,” I said, offering her a polite smile. “Why don’t we head inside and get y’all settled?”
The B&B’s inviting interior enveloped us as we stepped through the door, the scent of fresh flowers mingling with the rich aroma of old wood. Martha greeted us in the lobby, her expression a mix of joy at seeing me, then sympathy when she realized who I’d come in with.
“I’m afraid I had to release your room, dear,” she said to Tyler, patting his arm after I made the introductions. “With the festival comin’ up, we’re all booked solid and I needed the space. I’m so sorry, Paisley. I know you were keepin’ it for him.”
