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“Casey—”
“Let me finish. I know, deep down, that Eden didn’t really do anything wrong. You were only off limits because I said you were, but why should I get a vote? You’re an adult, and you can love whoever you want. I mean, you’re even the assistant manager of Fuckingham Palace.” He grinned at me, but his eyes were pleading. He desperately needed to change the subject and lighten the mood, because this conversation had been too much for him.
I picked up his cue and pretended to be offended. “It’s Buckingham Phallus, thank you very much.”
“That’s actually worse.”
“It’s the best shop ever, though.” He followed me to the refrigerator and I pulled out a carton of eggs, which I handed to him as I said, “Did I tell you about the nearly naked mannequins dressed like palace guards? There’s also a Big Ben. I know its namesake isn’t actually a part of the real Buckingham Palace, but you have to appreciate the kitsch level this shop has managed to achieve.”
Casey asked, “Do I want to know what their Big Ben is?”
“It’s a giant dildo. Duh. We’re talking alarmingly huge. It’s painted gold, and it sits on a rotating display in the center of the store. There’s a spotlight on it, and it’s roped off and being guarded by a tiny plastic statue of the Queen and a bunch of her corgis.”
“Classy.” I started piling wrapped wedges of cheese on top of the egg carton in his hands, and he counted, “Six…seven…eight…yup, nine kinds of cheese. Well done. You promised me a nine-cheese omelet and it looks like you’ll be able to deliver.” He heaped everything onto the counter before saying, “Text your boyfriend and tell him he’s welcome to join us for breakfast. But he’s not allowed to complain about the unhealthiness of your mondo cheese creation.”
“You sure?” When he nodded, I took my phone from my pocket and sent Eden a text. Then I turned my attention to making breakfast.
Maybe five minutes later, Eden knocked on the door, and I yelled, “Come in!”
As he stepped inside and closed the door behind him, he said, “Thanks for the invite. A nine-cheese omelet sounds intriguing.” He’d gotten dressed in jeans, hiking boots, and a flannel shirt, and topped it off with a fleece-lined denim jacket, so he was giving off a sexy cowboy vibe.
Casey returned to the couch with his coffee and said, “It sounds lethal, but whatever. I know CPR, so I’ll save your asses if either of you go into cardiac arrest.”
Eden sat down in one of the chairs across from him and grinned. He’d brought a mug of coffee with him, and he took a sip before saying, “That might actually come in handy.”
Apparently my brother’s new approach to dealing with this situation also extended to Eden. Knowing Casey was pretending to be okay made me sad, but at least the three of us were in the same room and actually talking. Hopefully we could build on that.
The omelets ended up being tasty, if maybe two cheeses too far. Everyone ate them without complaint. After breakfast, Casey carried his dishes to the sink, and then he turned to me and asked, “Can I borrow your ‘car’?” He made air quotes on the last word. “I feel like going for a drive.”
“Sure. The keys are by the door. Her name’s Bernice, by the way.”
As Casey put on his shoes, he told me, “She should have been named something Italian.”
“Why is that?”
“Because her front end is green, the middle is white, and the back end is more or less red, like the Italian flag.”
I flashed my brother a smile. “So, can I now say I own an Italian sportscar?”
Casey shot me a look and said, “No.” He grabbed his jacket and the keys on his way out the door and added, “See you in a bit.”
As he drove away, I turned to Eden and asked, “What are the chances he’ll actually come back, as opposed to driving all the way to San Francisco?”
“Fifty-fifty.”
I nodded. “Sounds about right.”
After we cleaned up the kitchen, Eden asked, “Want to go for a walk? I need some exercise.”
“Good idea.”
I changed into the warmest clothes I could find, and then we headed out, taking a path that followed the river. It was overcast and bracingly cold, and I said, “Wouldn’t it be great if it snowed while we were here?”
Eden took my hand and smiled at me. “I hope it does. I know how much you always loved the first snow of the year.”
“I really did. I knew I’d miss it when we moved to the west coast.”
“You know, I wasn’t sure you’d want to come along when I first pitched the idea of moving to California. You seemed pretty happy in St. Louis.”
“I’m happy wherever you are, and I would have followed you anywhere.”
