The Closer You Come

Then the words “If you’re serious about buying this shop one day...” caught her attention.

“I am,” she rushed to reply.

“Yes, but if you’re truly serious—”

“I truly am.”

“I mean truly, truly serious, then you’ll show up on time,” Edna said with a sharp stare. “Every. Single. Day.”

“Absolutely.” Brook Lynn would offer no excuses for today’s tardiness. She’d heard too many over the years and had learned to hate them.

They had it coming, baby girl. Always courtesy of Uncle Kurt.

Dude. I had to. That beer was calling my name. Always courtesy of Jessie Kay.

So, even though this was one of Brook Lynn’s first official offenses at the RC, she made no effort to defend herself. “I promise you it won’t happen again.”

Edna released a long-suffering sigh. “We’ll see.”

“I’d be happy to stay super late to make up for it.”

“That might be a start.” Edna gathered her purse and strolled to the front door, saying, “I’m headed to my new book club. We’re deciding whether to call ourselves The Strawberry Bookcakes or Strawberry Fields of Books.” She gave another heavy sigh before saying, “I’m not sure I’ll recover if I missed the vote.”

More guilt. “Which one are you voting for?”

“Not sure yet,” she replied and disappeared outside.

“If you don’t know,” Brook Lynn muttered, knowing Edna would never hear, “why do you even care which name is picked?”

The next few hours passed without incident...or a single customer. As Brook Lynn gathered her tools to create a spectacular necklace for the window display case, sure to draw the eye of those passing by, she phoned Kenna to tell her about Jase’s job offer, keeping her phone on speaker to save herself from having to press the device against her implants.

“Are you going to take it?” her friend asked.

“Yes. No. Oh, I don’t know.”

“He’s offering a lot of money.”

“Yes.” She could be debt free in a little over two years. The impossible finally made possible.

“So what’s the problem?” Kenna asked. “Do you think there’s more to the job than he told you?”

“Like washing and ironing the clothes his myriad lovers leave scattered on the floor? Yes.”

Crackling silence over the line before Kenna chuckled softly. “What is that I hear in your tone? Is that jealousy?”

“What? No!” More calmly she repeated, “No. I’ve been battling indigestion today.”

“Indigestion. I see.”

“You see? What do you think you see, Miss Starr?”

Sweet, tinkling laughter echoed. “I see fun times ahead—for me. By the way, I’ve booked an appointment at some place in the city for you and Jessie Kay to try on bridesmaid dresses. And I will, of course, reimburse you for any time off work—” A gasp. A low, needy moan. A giggle. “Dane. Stop.”

Well, well. Her fiancé had arrived. Never far from her side.

A pang of envy as the man whispered, “I’ll stop when you’ve given me everything I want,” and oh, wow, his voice was so low, so hot, even Brook Lynn shivered.

I want a happily-ever-after like theirs. Surely I’ve earned one.

“Brook Lynn,” Kenna said, breathless.

“You’ve got to go. I know. Love you.”

“Love you, too. But oh, oh. Wait a sec. I meant to tell you I would be eternally grateful if you would make me a smoked chicken salad sandwich with fresh-baked bread...like, tonight for dinner, maybe? Because you love me and want me happy. I’ve got a craving.”

“You’ve always got a craving.” When they’d lived together, Kenna had left little sticky notes all over the house, begging for this or that sandwich.

“She meant to ask for two sandwiches.” Dane’s voice shot over the line.

“I meant two sandwiches,” Kenna said. “I can have the ingredients waiting at your house and pick the sandwiches up later...”

“You know I can’t resist your pleas,” she said.

“You’re the best!”

“I know.” Click.

Brook Lynn sighed, wondering if she should rethink her plan to stop by Brad’s auto shop after work and just do it, live a little. Her shoulders drooped. No, he still didn’t rate higher than her conversation with her sister. Or, for that matter, Jase’s job offer. Or her sister’s lack of employment. Or past-due notices. Fingers crossed she and Jessie Kay discussed everything without a single argument.

She still wasn’t sure how her sister would react to finding out her lover—her onetime lover—had asked Brook Lynn for help. As if she’d been rejected by him—again?

Can’t do that to her.

Well, then, decision made. As easy as that.

Tomorrow, she would find another second job. Virgil at Swat Team 8 had just lost Kenna and might be willing to take a chance on Brook Lynn. He wouldn’t pay nearly as much as Jase, but killing bugs might be better for her state of mind than killing the hopes and dreams of his scorned lovers. Plus, the job wouldn’t hurt her sister’s feelings. It also wouldn’t test Brook Lynn’s resolve to avoid the most delicious of temptations.

And he was delicious, wasn’t he? Still wrong for her, and nothing her life needed, but 100 percent melt-in-your-mouth delicious. And kind of emotionless. What was up with that?

Doesn’t matter. Not my problem.

At the end of her shift, she drove straight home, more convinced by the minute that she’d made the right decision. But Jessie Kay’s car wasn’t in the driveway, and she wasn’t inside the house.

Brook Lynn baked the sandwiches for Kenna and Dane, and chatted with the pair for half an hour when they came to collect the food.

She had made sandwiches for Jessie Kay and herself, as well, and wanted to eat them together, but as she waited for her sister to return, one hour bleeding into two, hunger got the better of her and she caved, devouring her own.

She watched two old episodes of The Walking Dead. She paced the living room, watched another episode of The Walking Dead and practiced severely cool head-chopping moves. And...still there was no sign of her sister.