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But it takes more time than the three of them have to spare. They're usually booked with clients eight to twelve hours a day, sometimes seven days a week. They don't have time to worry about social media or the phones. I enjoy being able to help.
I know Coby thinks I should be doing more with my degree, but I never wanted to work for some big corporation. I've never wanted to run the world or any of that nonsense. I just want to live my life. And for me, life has always looked kind of simple. I had enough chaos growing up. I don't want more of it now. I want easy and peaceful. This place is both.
I finish mopping Keegan's booth and step out, only to stop in my tracks when I spot him striding down the hall toward me.
"Hey," I whisper.
"Hey." He pauses a few steps away, his gaze drifting to my hand. He clocks the ring on my finger and grunts. "Is it fucking big enough?"
"Don't give him any ideas. He might go bigger."
Keegan smiles despite himself.
"I thought you were taking a few days off."
"Changed my mind."
"Oh." I swallow hard, not sure what to say. I don't want to leave things like they are, but I don't want to crowd him, either. I miss him like crazy. "Um, I guess I'll let you get to work then."
I move to slide around him.
He mutters a curse, reaching out to grab me.
I drop the mop, flinging myself at him. "Please stop being mad at me," I cry. "This sucks!"
"It's not much fun from this side either, baby sister," he says with a chuckle. "I've discovered that I'm a miserable bastard without you harassing me."
"I miss you, Keegan."
"I miss you too." He sighs, pulling back to look at me. "I'm an asshole."
"What? No, you aren't."
"Yeah, I am. You got engaged, and I didn't even say congratulations. I didn't say anything." He shakes his head regretfully. "I'm surprised Coby didn't follow through on his threat to kick my ass for making you sad. I deserved it."
"Coby threatened you? I didn't even know you'd talked to him."
"I haven't. Well, I talked to him a few minutes ago. But he's been leaving me bitchy voicemails for the last two days." He grimaces. "You couldn't have fallen for someone less fucking irritating?"
"I didn't even know he was calling you," I mumble.
"He wasn't calling me, Elodie. He was haunting my voicemail like a debt collector."
"Oh, my goodness." I laugh, pressing my fingers to my lips. "You're impressed."
"I mean, yeah," he mutters. "If you had to fall for someone, at least it was someone willing to make my life miserable until I got my head out of my ass. But goddamn, he's relentless."
"He loves me," I whisper.
"I'm getting that." Keegan rolls his eyes like he's annoyed by this fact, but he can't hide the respect searing his expression. Things may not be entirely okay between him and Coby, but for the first time since everything blew up in my face, I let myself draw a deep breath.
Things between the two of them will be okay. Coby won't rest until they are. That's how much he loves me. And Keegan will let him annoy the hell out of him until he's ready to give in because that's how much he loves me. Somehow, despite how badly I fumbled everything, Gemma was right. This isn't the disaster I thought it would be. Everything is going to be okay.
I hug Keegan again, squeezing him tight.
"Thank you," I whisper, my voice shaking with emotion. I'm not just thanking him for giving Coby a chance. I owe him for far more than that. He's been my rock for fifteen years. When I couldn't defend myself, he was there to do it for me. He protected me from so much. I'll never be able to repay him for that. But I'll always idolize him for everything he sacrificed for me.
"It's you and me, kiddo." He presses a kiss to my crown and then strolls inside his booth.
When I turn around, I find Coby standing at the end of the hallway, watching me with a soft smile on his face.
"That looked like it went well," he says.
"I think it did." I scurry down the hall toward him, stopping a couple of inches from him. "Did you know he was going to come in today?"
"No."
"He never answered the phone any of the thousand or so times you called him?"
His lips twitch. "He told you about that, huh?"
"Of course he told me." I poke him in the chest. "I can't believe you didn't tell me!"
"Didn't want to get your hopes up, princess. But I wasn't going to let him stay mad forever. He's your brother. You need him, and that means it's my job to remind him that he's being an ass when he's breaking your heart." He runs his fingertips down my cheek. "I promised you that I wouldn't let this end any way except with everyone happy. I intended to keep that promise, Elodie."
