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“I’ll take my chances.” Ryan winked at Bree and then stepped out.
“Damn ungrateful. Like he could bake a pie.” Shauni and Tara locked eyes over the kitchen table and bust out laughing.
“If it has nothing to do with horses, count him out,” Tara said and then hugged her mother.
“I’m going to look for my phone upstairs. I have to go in five minutes if I don’t want to be late. Good to have you back, Gwenn. You too, Bree.”
“Thanks,” Bree and Gwenn simultaneously said.
“Take my car, Tara. I don’t want you drivin’ to that part of town in a car that’s about to fall apart if you so much as fart inside.”
Bree and Gwenn laughed while Tara groaned. With her blonde hair parted in two braids, she almost appeared sweet. “Mom, you’re so embarrassing.” Tara walked out of the kitchen.
“It’s a gift that keeps on givin’, darlin’.” Shauni smirked and winked at Bree and her sister.
“They grow up so fast. Tara is an apprentice at a tattoo parlor, did you know?” Shauni licked a piece of pumpkin slosh from her thumb.
Bree nodded as she’d heard it from Tara’s sister Emmy a few months ago. With her own chest tatted up with angel wings and a big heart with a ‘Freedom’ banner, Tara would fit right in at a tattoo parlor.
Tara walked back into the kitchen with her phone clutched to her chest. She personalized the phone case with the same image of her heart tattoo.
“So cool that you’re working in a tattoo parlor, Tara.”
“Thanks, Gwenn. If you’d like one for free, I can practice on you.”
“No, thanks.”
“Maybe you should see one of my pieces before you—”
“Nah, I’m good.” Gwenn put her foot down, and nobody was going to change her mind. “But if I would ever let someone paint my body, it would be you, Tara.”
“Okay, it’s a deal.” The teal eyes of Tara sparkled with mischief, like she already imagined a piece for Gwenn.
Tara kissed her mother’s cheek and waved the Ryan sisters goodbye.
Shauni took a bite from her pie and winced. She kept on chewing and chewing and waved her hand at Bree for her to fill the glass in front of her with water. Bree handed the newly filled glass over and Shauni swallowed her food down.
“Okay, probably best to only eat the upper crust, girls.”
Gwenn gave Bree a look while she hesitantly forked a piece.
“So, Bree. Tell me about Declan. What’s going on between you two? My dad said you two are not even speaking?”
Bree’s face heated, and she quickly eyed her piece of pie in front of her, in the hopes Shauni couldn’t read her. They’d done so much more than speaking a few nights ago. Bree startled when Shauni placed her hand on top of Bree’s hand.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, darlin’.”
“No, it’s fine. Gwenn knows everything.”
Gwenn murmured with her mouth full, “Yep. It’s MIND-blowing…”
Bree groaned at Gwenn’s reference to Bree’s remark about having MIND-blowing sex with Shauni’s nephew. Talking about sex in front of Shauni didn’t sit right with Bree.
Shauni and Bree grew close over the years. The warmth of Shauni had been exactly what she’d missed at home. Bree could talk about her hopes and dreams without the need to defend herself for wanting to become a Kindergarten teacher. Something her mother didn’t approve of.
“Shauni…. It’s complicated.”
Shauni took another piece of pie in her mouth and waved at Bree to carry on.
