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“I’m gonna head out.” He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. “Unless you need me.”
The statement was too loaded for me to process. I wasn’t generally good with men, I knew that. I wasn’t exactly shy but more introverted. I’d never thought myself particularly . . . interesting. As if they would bore easily of me. And so this moment with Teague was going to be one of those times I chalked my answer and his departure to my reticence. Again.
“Umm . . . no. I’ll let you out.”
We tiptoed to the front door. Only a few dogs raised their heads when we moved.
I twisted the lock and pushed the door open. He hesitated but eventually walked through, flicking his chin at me as he passed.
Once he was gone and the door was secure, I sagged against it.
What a day.Whatwas happening?
Too exhausted to think about it, I shoved off the door and quietly approached the now sleeping pile of dogs.
I found an empty spot among them, lay down, and crashed.
Chapter Fifteen
Teague
“You want to go shopping?”
My sister looked at me as if I’d grown another head.
“Yeah.” I said the word as if I lived for shopping.
She knew me all too well. How many times had she begged me to tag along with her to Saks Fifth Avenue, or hell, even to a street market?
A dark brow rose, but she didn’t press me on my change of heart. “Let me grab my purse. Will you pour my smoothie into a to-go mug?”
She disappeared before I could answer. I rifled around in our brother’s kitchen cabinets until I found an insulated mug. It was a little after nine, but I guessed he’d been gone for hours.
Our sister was in town from the other side of the world for a short time. We hadn’t seen her in . . . I couldn’t remember. Too long. Instead of spending time together, Lincoln went to work.
She sauntered back into the room and slung her purse on the island before she shrugged on her coat.
“How’d you get out of going to the office?” I poured her smoothie into the mug and rinsed out the blender.
“Jet lag.” She winked.
I put my hand over my heart and staggered backward. “I can’t believe you of all people.”
My brother was a straight-up workaholic; my sister was a close second. But at least she knew how to let loose.
She laughed and wrapped a scarf around her neck. “Let’s just not get caught out and about, okay?”
“You’d definitely better not be seen hanging around with me.” The familiar bitterness crept in that I couldn’t seem to let go.
Beau placed her delicate hand on my arm. “I don’t give a damn what he thinks.” She snatched the mug out of my grip. “Let’s get out of here before you change your mind.”
She didn’t like to dwell on the negative. Even as a kid, she’d been like that. And I didn’t want to let my father ruin our day together either. He’d done enough.
“I’m in this for the long haul today.”
She looked at me strangely again before she shook her head. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”
An hour later,I questioned my sanity at asking my sister to go shopping. Why I thought we’d be able to go in, get what we needed, and get out was beyond me. I should’ve known better.
