Page 19 of Last Fall

I glanced at the very sparkly silver present sitting in my backseat. “Of course, Mama. It’s a mermaid tail forthepool.”

She chuckled. “You always loved spoiling your sisters. I’m glad you’ve found some nice children to spoil inTampa.”

The truth was, I didn’t know where I’d be without the Spencers. I enjoyed working with Eve and helping out with the fans any time she needed. She was great. But it was her entire family that I really loved. Her husband Jake was a good guy and their daughters were little spitfires. Dinners at their house reminded me of home in a city that sometimes felt like one great big giant empty holetome.

Living with Seth wasn’t exactly a fulfilling existence. Morning mockings and an inability to do the dishes just made me feel like I was still in college. And I hadn’t been in college in a longdamntime.

“How’s Belle?” I asked. My youngest sister was in her last semester ofcollege.

Silence.

Ah ha...so today’s call wasaboutthat.

“She’s still planning on continuing to work for SandersonAccounting.”

Dammit all. My sister was so stubborn. Her internship with these jerks had turned into a part-time job until graduation. Sounds great on the surface but they were the kind of company that demanded thirty hours for twenty hours of work. Their full-time accountants worked round the clock for their high-endclients.

And if I really believed Belle wanted to be an accountant for the rest of her life I might be happy she’d found an established company like this to launch hercareer.

But Belle was a writer. Always had been, always would be. Working eighty stressful hours a week for a demanding company wasn’t exactly going to help her write her first book. There were other options out there that would give her moreflexibility.

“She still coming out with Jack in two weeks?” My oldest brother’s hockey team was coming to Tampa to play a scrimmage game with theBolts.

“Sheis.”

“I’ll talk to her again,” I sighed. The entire family was on the same page. Well, everyone exceptBelle.

“It won’t do any good. She’s so stubborn. She’ll never give in at this point, not even if the best job offer in the world was handedtoher.”

I pulled up along the curb in the first available slot outside that just so happened to be in front of Zoe and June’s house. “She can be stubborn but so can I. I’ll talk to her and I’ll keep talking to her until she listens. Hell, I’ll hire her as my personal accountant if Ihaveto.”

This time it was my mother who sighed. “Don’t you see? That’s the problem. You’ve always taken careofher.”

And that was a bad thing? I was her older brother. It was what I was supposed to do. “Yeah, well, she better get used to it. I’m notstopping.”

I caught sight of Zoe in the open garage. She moved to a refrigerator and pulled out a case of soda. I probably should have noticed what brand she was grabbing or how her hair was tied up, but I didn’t. All I could see were her gorgeous tan legs ondisplay.

Athletic shorts were a beautifulthing.

“Maybe try a less aggressive approach this time? Maybe your sister will respond to a plea instead of ademand.”

“Yeah sure.” I wasn’t really listening to my mother any longer becausedamn.Zoe leaned over to fish something out of a bucket before disappearing back inside herhouse.

My brain wasbroken.

“Are you okay, Erik? You sound...different.”

I was different. I had been ever since Zoe kissed me. Whoever I was before that, he was gone. That man had waited two years while Zoeavoidedhim.

There would be no more waiting. I couldn’t if Itried.

“I’mfine,Mama.”

“Oh...are you at theparty?”

“Just pulled up.” I turned off the engine and scooped the present out oftheback.

“And when you pulled up, did there happen to be a woman who caughtyoureye?”

I grabbed my phone out of the cradle and hit the button just to be sure I wasn’t on some sort of secret video call I didn’t know about. “Why would youaskthat?”

“I just told you. You sound different. You sound...distracted. In agoodway.”

And this was why I was absolutely certain my mother had some sort of psychic ability. She always knew stuff like this. I never once was able to sneak a girl into my room in high school, not that I tried more than a couple of times. What was the point? Shealwaysknew.

“I should go, Ma. Unicorns and mermaids arewaiting.”

She laughed. “Have fun and be nice to this woman. I look forward tomeetingher.”