Avery returned her focus to the spreadsheet, trying to keep her mind present, but it kept slipping back to Trace. “My life’s beginning to feel like one big construction zone.”
“Same,” Delaney murmured, then sat back and looked at Avery, her brow creased with concern. “Your budget is really tight. I agree that the high-grade appliances were worth the expense, but they really sucked you dry. You need an influx of cash. I’d feel better if you could push up your opening date.”
“Push it up?” Avery’s brows rose. She laughed and shook her head. “I don’t see how.”
“Well, then you’ll have to stay on target. Your operating expenses are threatening to overrun your income. And you’ve drained the well. There’s no more cash to draw on. God, I don’t like this.”
Delaney’s discomfort heightened Avery’s. “That’s because you’re used to working with multi-million-dollar budgets and cash reserves galore. I’m used to operating on a shoestring. It’s tight, but I’ve worked with less.”
Her sister wasn’t convinced. “How much longer is it going to take Trace to get that roof on? There’s rain in the forecast. I’m worried that’s going to slow things down and screw up your grand opening date. You don’t have cushion for that.”
Avery rubbed eyes stinging from fatigue and sighed. “Cody was at the café when I left this morning. He and Trace were consulting on the roof. The materials are already there. You know Trace—he jumps on things. I bet they start tomorrow if they haven’t already. I’ll look at the forecast and talk to him about it.” Avery glanced at her watch. “God, it’s three o’clock already. I’ve got to get back to Phoebe’s and start on website orders.”
“We need to go over your cash flow.” Delaney covered Avery’s hand with hers. “Are you okay? You’ve been under a lot of stress. Working long hours.”
“Yeah, yeah, just a little tired.” She reached for her purse and searched for her recent deposit slips, flipping her hair out of the way. “The lunch orders keep growing, which brings in some steady cash, and I think that’s going to be great for business when the café opens. Phoebe just paid me for this week’s sales, and I got a deposit from Internet sales.”
She piled the latest receipts in her hand and was about to put them on the desk, when Delaney reached out and pulled her hair aside.
“What in the hell is that?” Surprise and a sassy sort of humor lit her sister’s face as she laughed. “Oh my God. A hickey? Aren’t you a little old for a hickey? And who, exactly, gave you that? And even better, when? When have you had time to . . . Oh, that’s why you’re tired.”
Avery pushed Delaney’s hand away and pulled her hair over the mark again. “If I’m a little old for a hickey, you’re way the hell too old for them, and I see them on you all the time. The only difference is that I have the manners not to point them out.”
“Only because you know who’s giving them to me. Who’s that from?” Her smoky-blue eyes lit up. “Huck? Oh my God, Phoebe’s going to be giddy. She’s been dying for you to see him again. Wait till she hears—”
“Don’t. Phoebe is the last person I want to know anything about my personal life at the moment.”
Delaney dropped her elbow on the desk and propped her chin in her hand, eyes sparkling, teeth glimmering in a naughty grin. “Tell me everything. He’s so hot. You’re going to be the envy of every girl in town, which is good. It’ll take some heat off me for snagging Ethan. So? Is he a good kisser? Did you do more than kiss? Tell.”
“It wasn’t Huck,” Avery admitted, her gut heavy with the realization of how her family would feel about her seeing Trace. “And I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Not Huck?” Delaney sat back, frowning. “Then who? But first, why not Huck?”
“There’s no spark. Look, I’ve really tried to follow your advice and ease Phoebe’s mind by dating, but I’m just not interested in anyone, okay?”
Her brows shot up. “Then how’d you get that?”
“It was a fling. One night. Not with anyone I’ve dated. That’s what I want now—easy, no strings. Even the thought of commitment gives me hives.”
“Fling with who?” Delaney pushed.
“It was just one night, so it doesn’t matter who.” Avery started closing up the books.
“Well, was it good?”
Avery smirked. “I know some women love to give every detail of their sexual escapades, but I’m not one of them.”
“That’s not what I meant. I meant that if it was good, why stick with just one night? You’re young, single, beautiful, free. And no one deserves some fun, easy lovin’ more than you.”
Avery pulled the accounting book into her lap and met her sister’s blue gaze. “I don’t think that would work for me. It’s better for me to stick with just one night.”
Actually, in hindsight, one time seemed like an even better idea. Because in between the multiple rounds of blockbuster sex with Trace during their one night, a lot of other things had happened. A lot of emotional things that hadn’t required any words. Caresses and looks, kisses and laughter and whispers. Even their silences had seemed to carry weight.
“Yep, one time would have been even better.” Avery stuffed the books away.
“I don’t mean to b
e rude,” Delaney said, “but how would you know? You’ve only slept with one man your entire life. And you hardly got a chance to even sleep with him. So if it was good with this other guy, there’s no reason to limit it to one night or one time or whatever you want to call it. You can keep it simple and keep seeing him without letting things get complicated.”