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Blair’s body relaxed deeper into the loveseat and Erin stood to take her sister’s call.

Erin walked upstairs before picking up. After her sister called her out at the Fourth of July party, she worried what she might say. “Hey, April! What’s up?” she asked once she was in her bedroom.

“I have some bad news.”

Even though nothing about her sister’s tone made it sound like this was an emergency, Erin’s heart rate still picked up from her words. “What’s wrong?”

April chuckled. “Chill out. It’s nothing that bad. We just can’t go to the beach anymore. Sydney’s travel softball team made it into some all-star tournament the weekend we were supposed to get back, but of course, now the coach wants to have practice every day that week. If she doesn’t go to practice, she can’t play, and you know how much this sport means to her.”

“Of course. I completely understand.” Erin’s niece loved softball. She saw the way her eyes lit up whenever Erin talked to her about it. Even though it wasn’t always easy, Erin made it a point to get to Sydney’s bigger games, because she knew how happy it made her. “Give me the details for the tournament once you have them. We’ll try our best to make it.”

“Oh my gosh. You don’t have to do that. I know how tough it would be after being away with Nolan for the week.”

“Honestly, I don’t even know if we’ll go anymore.” Erin still hadn’t told Nolan they were going, because the kid had no concept of time and would bother her about it every day until they finally left. With the trip still over a week away, she wasn’t ready for his pestering yet.

“Why not? You already took off of work, right? You should go. You never let yourself relax.”

Erin cackled. “There is nothing relaxing about taking a three-year-old on vacation by myself.”

“Hmm. It looks like you’ll have to take my original suggestion and ask thebabysitterto go with you. That could be fun, right?”

Fun or absolute torture?“I can’t ask her to do that.”

“Can’t or won’t?” her sister asked with a teasing tone.

“Just send me the damn details of her all-star game, okay?”

“Fine, I will. But only if you consider my suggestion.”

“Fine, I will,” Erin said, mocking her sister more so than actually agreeing with her.

“Perfect. I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”

“Love you too. Tell Syd I said congrats on the all-star tournament.”

“Will do. Bye!”

“Everything okay?” Blair asked as soon as Erin flopped onto the loveseat right beside her.

“Yeah, it’s fine. My sister and her daughter just had to bail on our beach trip, because Syd’s travel softball team made it into some all-star tournament.”

Blair sat up slightly. “Beach trip? When is that supposed to happen?”

Erin mentally slapped herself on the forehead.Did I really not tell Blair we wouldn’t be here? Shit.“The last week in July. I didn’t tell you about it?”

Blair shook her head. “Nope. Definitely not. That’s no big deal, though. I know you have a lot on your mind.”

Such as trying not to act on these feelings we are now very much aware that we both have.“Yeah. Sorry. I guess it’s good I didn’t say anything since it’s not happening anyway.”

“You don’t want to go without her?”

Erin explained the same thing to Blair as she had to her sister. Going to the beach alone with Nolan was a lot for her to take on solo.

Blair pointed to herself. “I could go with you. I figured I’d be babysitting that week anyway, so I’m free.”

Erin laughed. “Babysitting is a little different than being stuck in a hotel with us for a week. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“Technically, youdidn’task. I offered.”