Page 33 of Sunshine

Another shrug from Paige forces me to sigh and explain further and when I get to the part about Jake and his alarm clock qualities she snort-laughs for several minutes.

“You’re not helping my foul mood, Paige Penelope Parker!”

“Do you mean, f.o.w.l. by chance?” More snorts come from across the table, and I can’t help but smile. Damn it, she’s impossible to stay annoyed at.

“Did the lawyer look over the paperwork?” I question, pouring tea into the cups.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

I groan setting the pot down a bit too hard on the table with a clunk. “Gran wouldn’t have done this. She wouldn’t sell, and certainly not to him.” Thehimcomes out harsh and accusing.

Sliding the rooster cup across the table at Paige, I plop down in my own chair.

“How did she seem to you?”

“If I’m honest, I didn’t notice anything different.” My eyes, suddenly wet, find hers. “She was sharp as ever, but then again I’m not know for my attention skills.”

Paige reaches forward to squeeze my arm. It’s a comfort I don’t deserve so I sit back breaking our contact. “I hadn’t seen her for over a year before that last trip. Maybe if I’d been a better granddaughter and hadn’t missed my yearly visit, I’d have noticed something was off before it was too late.”

“You were busy, babe. She knew that. Hell, she was so proud.”

I nod, the words ‘you were busy’sending my brain off in another tangent.

“I should have seen it coming, Paige.” I look away, into the living room.

“Did you get your MD when I wasn’t looking? How could you know?”

“You know I can be a little self-absorbed when I’m in writing mode. God, I should have made more time for her.”

Paige frowns. “Yes, you’re more than a little self-absorbed at times, but you couldn’t have known about Gran. She seemed fine. As spry as ever.”

Paige was one of the few people, besides Gran, in my life that didn’t walk on eggshells around me. No one upset me for fear I’d find a new fill-in-the-blank — restaurant, publisher, cover artist, grocery store, dry-cleaner, doorman — pick your noun, so her words were actually a comfort.

“Why haven’t I fired you yet?”

She rolls her eyes. “Because I’m your best friend and have been since we were ten. And I’m the only one that will put upwith you.” She crosses her arms, giving me a haughty look fit for… well, me.

“Besides, I’m grandfathered in.”

“Never work with family they said,” I say sighing, as if working with her was a mistake.

“Aww, you said family.”

I laugh. “Of course that’s what you’d take out of that.”

She winks, sipping her tea. “Okay tell me what’s going on besides the hot guy across the field making you crazy.”

My cheeks heat and I suddenly regret telling her about my annoying neighbor. “I never said he was hot,” I blurt. She smiles instantly and slaps her hand on the table making the cups tinkle against their saucers.

“I knew it! You wouldn’t have reacted that way if he wasn’t. You wouldn’t have even noticed I’d said hot.” She points her finger at me before jumping up, heading for the mudroom at the back.

“Paige!” I blurt, almost tripping on the table leg as I stand to follow her. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to introduce myself.” She shoots a wicked grin back at me.

“He’s the enemy, Paige,the enemy!”

“I’ll bet.” She makes anmmmsound while pressing her lips and ignoring my protests, continuing her mission to the back door.