Page 47 of Distant Shores (Stapled Magnolias #2)

“Good morning, sunshine. The earth says hello.”

I swatted in the direction of Cole’s voice, slapping him right in the forehead, and groaned nonsense at him.

He just laughed, loud and unbothered. “Time for meds and breakfast, sweetie pie. And probs a trip to the bathroom. You refused to get out of bed to go last night when I came in here to check on you. Both times.”

I opened my eyes and frowned at my best friend, who was sitting on the bed beside me. “Huh?”

“It was the weirdest thing,” he mused, tucking his hair behind his ears. “Someone put alarms in my phone.”

“Sounds made-up.”

Cole gasped. “Liar, I am not! You were just drowsy as fuck. You even called me Indigo once and sniffed me, man. It got weird. Not unpleasant, but weird.”

Bracing my hands on the bed, I got myself to a sitting position without toppling the pillow pile under my foot.

“You’re definitely making that up,” I said, leveling him with a look.

He sighed. “Yeah. I lied. Just wanted to see how you’d react. Disappointing experiment.” He deftly tied his hair back, then put his hand over his heart, looking at me with mock seriousness. “I shan’t ever lie to you again.”

I grunted some sort of response, and even knowing that I shouldn’t have, I glanced toward the door. “Is she here?”

Cole cocked an eyebrow. “Apple Jack? Naw. Convinced her to go with your roomie to the dance class I overheard them talking about over breakfast.”

I swiped my phone from the bedside table and checked the time, my eyes widening.

“Yup,” Cole said, lying back on the bed with his hands threaded together and resting on his stomach. “You slept hard, babe, despite your intense roommate’s best intentions.”

“You think Ireland set your alarms? Not Delly?” I asked quietly, processing his colorful info dump.

“Had to be her,” he said. “Your sister came out of her room when she heard the first alarm and didn’t know anything about it.

” He turned toward me. “I don’t think your girl trusts me with your care, which is offensive, honestly.

But she trusts me with this glamor-shot thing, so if you’re feeling okay enough to be left alone here, I’ll be going to meet with Ari later today. ”

I rubbed my hands over my face. “I need a shower before I can deal with any of that. I feel like roadkill.”

“Look it too,” Cole helpfully confirmed, then helped me out of bed and into the shower.

Ever the thrill seeker, Cole looked oddly disappointed when he turned the shower on. “You said she fixed the demon showerhead, huh? Hot .”

I mumbled and poked blindly at him, my eyes squeezed shut against the sudden dizziness and burning pain. My blood felt like it was violently rearranging itself in my body after I’d been lying down for so long.

“Woah, man,” Cole said, firming his grip on me. “Okay, no more talk of your pretty roommate if you’re going to swoon like that. Let’s get you washed up before the girls get back, yeah?”

I said nothing, only mildly registering Cole covering my cast with the plastic cover that had been sitting on the vanity before directing me onto the built-in bench in the shower.

Putting on his serious face, he got me through the shower, probably sensing that I couldn’t take even one more ounce of teasing right now.

Dressed in fresh shorts and one of my oldest, baggiest T-shirts, I made my way to the kitchen table with his help, grabbing my crutch on the way so I wouldn’t risk being stranded.

He set up a new pillow pile for me in one of the other chairs and disappeared to use my shower once my foot was propped up to his liking.

I was already tired of this but had to remind myself that not resting and elevating enough before was part of why I was in this mess.

Not a minute later, the front door beeped as it unlocked.

I didn’t even pretend to look busy as I stared hopefully at the doorway.

Delly walked in first, her little dance heels clopping on the kitchen tiles. Ireland followed her, her steps silent.

Rubbing my hand over my mouth, I did my best to keep it from hanging open at the sight of her.

She looked gorgeous.

A dark skirt fluttered around her knees, a slit up the side showing a sliver of her toned thigh. It was paired with a long-sleeved crop top showing more than a hint of her stomach. Her pretty hair was half pinned back, a few pieces at the front hanging loose to her chin.

I yanked my glasses off and rubbed my eyes. Did the universe really need to keep giving me reminders of how out of my reach she was?

Delly came straight over to me and asked how I was doing. I firmly assured her with words I didn’t even hear that I was fine. Eventually, she left for her own shower.

Then it was just me and Ireland, who was holding a coffee cup in one hand and a plastic takeout bag in the other.

My stomach growled.

With a neutral expression, she plopped the items in front of me on the table.

“Shitty cafeteria coffee,” she explained. “And a fresh batch of grits and eggs. Eat that first. No one likes cold grits.”

I just stared at her, that phrasing scratching at my memory, but as she frowned, I blinked back to reality and straightened my shoulders. “Yes, ma’am,” I said, sending her a smile, but she didn’t return it.

Mine dropped away. “Ireland, I?—”

“No,” she said, stern but not harsh. “Eat first. Please. And think it over.”

“Wha—” I started, but she shook her head again, and I clamped my mouth shut.

“You’ll have time,” she said. “I’m taking Delly to learn to ride her longboard that came in yesterday. Cole is in charge until we’re back.”

It almost sounded like an indictment. A sentencing.

“Okay,” I said, drawing the word out in confusion. When she glanced at my food pointedly, I reached for it. “Thank you,” I said seriously as I worked the knot. “For everything.”

She nodded. “You’re welcome. And thank you for the helmets. I’ll use them while I’m teaching Delly.”

After one last sweep over me, she went right back to the front door, grabbing her board and helmet on the way out.

I pulled the paper to-go box out of the bag, freezing when I noticed the sticky note stuck on top.

I set the box down, then peeled the note off and read it.

Fucking quitter. Oh, uh, I mean… Happy Retirement!

IOU 10 minutes to explain yourself.

P.S. I hope you use them wisely.

P. P. S. If I catch you driving to get a cappuccino, you will be in even worse trouble

I read it three times.

Only the memory of her stern instructions about breakfast had me reaching for the food instead of doing… anything else.

Panicking, maybe? Possibly crying a little?

I took a bite of the grits as something like the baby of dread and anticipation hounded me, my mind racing.

I hated conflict. Hated it. But…

But.

I bit down on my plastic spoon. A few things became clear the longer I thought through them.

I’d messed up. And Ireland wanted me to realize it.

She cared enough to talk about this. To want to mend it.

Her words didn’t feel like a test, but more… a challenge.

And I had the feeling it might be the most important one of my adult life.

And I was not going to fumble it.