full of guys.
“What?” she asked with a smile. “You’re staring.”
“You’re just a cool girl, See.” Donovan stood and shoveled in a few more bites before setting his empty bowl on the counter. “And fine. I’ll see you there.”
Living with a girl wasn’t as weird as he thought it might be. Well…until he stepped into the bathroom. She had tools and soaps that felt so foreign they might as well belong to aliens. But that was only one room. One room of weird he could handle.
Sierra leaned over the dusty loft space in the back of the store. How had her brother and Donovan let this place get so messy? Actually. She knew them both, and shouldn’t have been surprised. Donovan stood below her, and she’d pretty much given up wearing something to attract his attention because he ended up staring at the floor when she wore shorts.
Three weeks of big meals, and skimming over homework, and continued online busyness, and the only thing that had happened was that Donovan didn’t look quite as shell-shocked when they were together.
She was just…living. Life outside of her parents’ house was supposed to feel bigger, different.
Donovan had relaxed into the guy she remembered growing up with , and for now, that was a good thing. Baby steps. She was far from giving up hope, and had so much to still look forward to.
“Catch!” Sierra yelled from atop the ladder and Donovan jerked to the ready, knowing it would be a shoebox.
He grasped the box in his hands just as she reached in for another. “You know I’m not paying you to help, right?” he teased. “And don’t you have class later?”
Sierra turned, her face smudged with dust from cleaning the top shelves in the back room. “I have a job, Van. I’m doing this mess for fun. And yes, I do have a class, but this messy back room is between our apartment and the school, and like I said this morning, I hate my email inbox today.”
“And...” He set the box down next to the others. Two-year-old stock he hoped he could dump in some kind of early fall sidewalk sale. “Maybe you’re here to blackmail your brother when he returns?”
“That goes without saying.” She leaned onto the wooden shelf so far the top half of her disappeared, and he found himself staring at her ass.
Okay. So, it wasn’t quite the same as when they were kids, but not quite as tense as the first few days.
Alyson blinked as she stepped into the back and Donovan dropped his eyes to the floor in maybe the guiltiest gesture he could have done.
Something like hurt crossed over her features before she turned around and moved back into the store. She’d wanted the break. And that was close to a month ago.
What should he do? Follow her? Continue to help Sierra? He didn’t know what the right thing was in that moment, so he did neither.
“I’m gonna finish up some paperwork,” he lied. “Heading to my office.”
“Wimp,” Sierra called from the far recesses of the mini-loft that held all the stock he hadn’t wanted to deal with.
“Yep.” But at least he wouldn't be faced with both women in the same room.
Once he was inside his office, he sat at his worn, teacher’s desk and pulled up his email. Then typed in Hanson’s email address. Then just…stared.
What was he supposed to say to Hanson? Your sister got hot? She’s pretty cool? Pretty sure I can’t do anything about it, but wanted you to know?
Nope.
But still, his fingers sped across the keys as he typed out a quick note.
All’s well, but call when you get a chance, Donovan
And hit send.
Sierra scooted onto the wooden platform, barely enough room for her to sit up if she stayed hunched over. Maybe helping out at the store hadn’t been a good idea. It’s that she was not going to try that Victoria’s Secret workout again, and the cooking was probably just reminding him of when he lived at her house. Reminding him of that time, would only remind him more that she was Hanson’s little
“What?” she asked with a smile. “You’re staring.”
“You’re just a cool girl, See.” Donovan stood and shoveled in a few more bites before setting his empty bowl on the counter. “And fine. I’ll see you there.”
Living with a girl wasn’t as weird as he thought it might be. Well…until he stepped into the bathroom. She had tools and soaps that felt so foreign they might as well belong to aliens. But that was only one room. One room of weird he could handle.
Sierra leaned over the dusty loft space in the back of the store. How had her brother and Donovan let this place get so messy? Actually. She knew them both, and shouldn’t have been surprised. Donovan stood below her, and she’d pretty much given up wearing something to attract his attention because he ended up staring at the floor when she wore shorts.
Three weeks of big meals, and skimming over homework, and continued online busyness, and the only thing that had happened was that Donovan didn’t look quite as shell-shocked when they were together.
She was just…living. Life outside of her parents’ house was supposed to feel bigger, different.
Donovan had relaxed into the guy she remembered growing up with , and for now, that was a good thing. Baby steps. She was far from giving up hope, and had so much to still look forward to.
“Catch!” Sierra yelled from atop the ladder and Donovan jerked to the ready, knowing it would be a shoebox.
He grasped the box in his hands just as she reached in for another. “You know I’m not paying you to help, right?” he teased. “And don’t you have class later?”
Sierra turned, her face smudged with dust from cleaning the top shelves in the back room. “I have a job, Van. I’m doing this mess for fun. And yes, I do have a class, but this messy back room is between our apartment and the school, and like I said this morning, I hate my email inbox today.”
“And...” He set the box down next to the others. Two-year-old stock he hoped he could dump in some kind of early fall sidewalk sale. “Maybe you’re here to blackmail your brother when he returns?”
“That goes without saying.” She leaned onto the wooden shelf so far the top half of her disappeared, and he found himself staring at her ass.
Okay. So, it wasn’t quite the same as when they were kids, but not quite as tense as the first few days.
Alyson blinked as she stepped into the back and Donovan dropped his eyes to the floor in maybe the guiltiest gesture he could have done.
Something like hurt crossed over her features before she turned around and moved back into the store. She’d wanted the break. And that was close to a month ago.
What should he do? Follow her? Continue to help Sierra? He didn’t know what the right thing was in that moment, so he did neither.
“I’m gonna finish up some paperwork,” he lied. “Heading to my office.”
“Wimp,” Sierra called from the far recesses of the mini-loft that held all the stock he hadn’t wanted to deal with.
“Yep.” But at least he wouldn't be faced with both women in the same room.
Once he was inside his office, he sat at his worn, teacher’s desk and pulled up his email. Then typed in Hanson’s email address. Then just…stared.
What was he supposed to say to Hanson? Your sister got hot? She’s pretty cool? Pretty sure I can’t do anything about it, but wanted you to know?
Nope.
But still, his fingers sped across the keys as he typed out a quick note.
All’s well, but call when you get a chance, Donovan
And hit send.
Sierra scooted onto the wooden platform, barely enough room for her to sit up if she stayed hunched over. Maybe helping out at the store hadn’t been a good idea. It’s that she was not going to try that Victoria’s Secret workout again, and the cooking was probably just reminding him of when he lived at her house. Reminding him of that time, would only remind him more that she was Hanson’s little
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