“Just finished breakfast and watching TV. What time did you wake up?” I laugh, seeing the bags under her eyes. She moves the phone closer to her lips and whispers, “Four. In. The. Fucking. Morning.”
I scrunch my nose. “Nooooo, thank you.”
“No kidding. Way too damn early.”
“Oh, there’s someone I want you to meet,” I say before Everleigh can run off.
She pops her head up with wide eyes, but I can tell she’s excited to finally be formally introduced. The last time we talked, Sadie bombarded Everleigh with questions before she walked away.
Everleigh slides in beside me, smiling wide.
“This is my roommate, Everleigh. She owns a shop in town that has the shirts you like.”
“Hi, Merry Christmas! It’s so nice to finally meet you,” Everleigh eagerly says.
“Same! I’m sure my brother has been overly boring, quiet, and has kept to himself the entire time there,” she states.
I give her a stern look, and Everleigh laughs.
“Just a little. Still trying to crack that hard shell of his, but I’ll get there.” She wraps her arm around me, and just her simple touch drives me crazy.
“Trust me,” she adds, giving me a smoldering look before pinching my side. I wiggle away from her.
“Oh, so you’re ticklish? Very good to know...”
“See what you did.” I glower at my sister as Everleigh chases me around the living room, using her fingers as pinchers.
Annie gets a kick out of it and cheers Everleigh on.
“Whose side are you on anyway?” I ask, trying to catch my breath as I put the couch between us.
“Okay, okay. I’ll call a truce…for now.” Everleigh comes back into view of our FaceTime call.
“Any other secrets you’d like to share about Archer?” She waggles her brows.
“Oh, the things I could say.” Annie shakes her head. “But he might disown me if I spilled all the tea.”
“Lose a brother, gain a sister. I think I’m a fair trade,” Everleigh taunts, causing Annie to snort.
I playfully roll my eyes but adore how much Annie seems to already like Everleigh. “But anyway. I will give you two some privacy. I need to jump in the shower and start getting dressed for the day. It really was nice meeting you.”
“So nice meeting you too. I’m gonna have Archer send me the links to your shop.”
“Oh, please do. If there’s anything you like, just let me know, and I’ll give you the family discount. Or you know…” Everleigh looks at me, then back at Annie. “You could always come visit?”
“Maybe one day!” Annie grins, and they wave goodbye.
Everleigh winks, then walks toward her room. Before she opens the door, she turns and looks at me with pure fire in her eyes. Things wouldn’t be like this if we were two different people.
When I hear the water turn on, I plop down on the couch. Sassy jumps next to me and lays her head on my lap.
“I really like her,” Annie offers. “She’s adorable and seems like a lot of fun.”
“Yeah, she is.” I grin, wishing there was a chance in hell for us but knowing that there’s not. “You two would get along great if you lived here. You’d probably be best friends.”
Annie doesn’t respond about moving, though I wonder if she’s happy there. If she’d ever consider starting over in a new place. She’s had a tough life, and I want to help change that and make it easier for her.
I see my niece walking toward her bedroom with toys in her hand, and she stops and hogs the screen. “Hey, Uncle Archer! Look what Santa brought me!”
“Is that an iPad?” I ask.
“Yes!” she squeals. “I put it on my list!”
“Santa splurged this year,” Annie admits.
Ready to play with her new toy, Sadie speaks up. “Mom, can I go play now?”
“Sure, sweetie.”
“Yay! Bye, Uncle Archer!”
Now that Sadie’s gone, I know the questions are going to start now that little ears are no longer in the room.
“You bought a five-year-old an iPad?” I whisper-laugh.
“Kids are smart these days! Trust me, she can use my cell phone better than I can.”
“I can see I’ve missed a lot over the years.”
She gives me a small smile and nods. A few silent seconds pass, and Annie speaks up. “So...you two hooking up?”
“What? No.”
Doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it more than I care to admit.
She narrows her eyes. “Why not? I could feel the sexual tension all the way in Wyoming. She’s gorgeous, and I see the way you two look at each other.”
I release a steady breath. “It’s complicated. She’s off-limits.”
“Is she wearing a chastity belt or something?”
I shake my head.
“She’s dating someone else?”
“No. Tyler’s very protective of his sister and has made it crystal clear to both of us that he doesn’t approve.”
“What? Because of your past?” she asks, confused.
“No, nothing like that. He thinks I need time to restart my life before rushing into a relationship, and Everleigh’s not the settling down type. He doesn’t want either of us to get hurt or make it complicated between us since we’re roommates. I’m just as protective as you, sis, so I can’t fault him for it.”