“How was the first night home?”
Evan turns to face me. His eyes light up, but he’s looking over my shoulder. Turning, I see my sister walking into the room, my nephew held tight against her chest. “Hey, sis,” I greet her.
“Good morning.”
“Is that for my brover?” Lex asks, pointing to the Walmart bag.
“Nope.”
Her eyes light up and I wink at my sister.
“Do you know any adorable little girls that like to play with babies?” I ask Kinley.
“My do!” Lexi shouts next to my ear.
“Really? I found this one at Walmart and I was hoping I could find someone to love her. You think you can do that?”
She nods. “Mommy has a baby.” She points to Walker.
“That’s right. You think Mommy could teach you how to take care of her?”
“My know how. I have a baby brover, remember?”
“Silly me, how could I forget?” Grabbing the bag off the counter, I hand it to her. She quickly pulls the doll out of the bag and squeals with delight. Her little arms grab me tight around the neck, the baby hitting me in the face in the process.
“My luv you, Unca Awon.”
“I love you too, baby girl. Let’s eat some pancakes.”
“Thanks, man,” Evan says, setting a huge stack of pancakes in the middle of the table.
I nod. “Last night?” I ask again.
He stares at his daughter, then to my sister, his wife, who is holding their newborn son. “Perfect.”
I can’t help but grin. I expected nothing less from him—actually I was expecting something more on the lines of fucking perfect, but we’ve both had to clean up our potty mouths for Lex.
I quickly scarf down my pancakes, clear my plate, and reach for my nephew. “Let me take him so you can eat.”
“I’m good.” McKinley smiles down at her son.
“I don’t care. I want to hold my nephew.” I hold my hands out, waiting. She chuckles, kisses him on the forehead, and hands him over.
“You hab to sit willy still,” Lex tells me, her voice stern. Well, as stern as it can get for an adorable three-year-old.
“Got it.” I wink at her and she giggles.
“You need one,” Evan says, stuffing a huge bite of pancake in his mouth.
“I’ve got two.”
He laughs. “It’s like nothing else, bro. Trust me on this.”
I do trust him, and he’s right. I want kids. I want a wife and a home, but there has never been a woman cross my path that I feel is worth the effort. Kinley seems to think I don’t give it enough time, but you should just know. It shouldn’t take months or years to feel a connection that is more than just sexual tension. Until I find that, I’m holding out.
I pull my Camry into the parking lot of Mike’s Tavern and can’t keep the smile from tipping my lips. Uncle Mike pulled out the creative stops on that one. Grabbing my keys, cell phone, and purse, I make my way into the bar. It’s four in the afternoon, so the place is dead. I walk up to the bar and see my cousin Mike Jr., who now runs the place, doing what appears to be inventory.
“What’s a girl got to do to get service around here?” I say in a not-so-sexy southern drawl.
Mike turns to face me and I can see when recognition hits him. “Whitney, get your ass back here and give me a hug.” He holds his arms out wide.
I eye the end of the bar and say to hell with it; the place is empty. I hop up on the bar and jump over, causing him to throw his head back in laughter. “Hey, Mikey.” I grin. I know he hates that name; Olivia and I used to call him that as kids.
“Whit,” he says, amusement in his voice as his muscular arms hug me close. “Good to have you here.” He pulls away. “How you doing?”
I know what he’s asking: how am I doing on my own, now that Mom’s gone. It was a year ago last week. “I’m doing. Each day I learn to breathe a little easier,” I say honestly.
“Does Olivia know you’re here?”
“I talked to her a couple of hours ago. She knew I was getting close.”
“I’m surprised—” He’s interrupted by the door swinging open and the squeals of his sister.
“Whitney!” she exclaims and rushes toward the bar.
“Hey, Liv.” I laugh at her.
“I’m so excited you’re here.”
“You sure you’re okay with me crashing with you?”
“Hell yes I am. It will be like old times when you would come for a few weeks to visit, only this time, it’s my place and we can stay up as late as we want.” She winks.
“Trouble.” Mike grins, pointing between the two of us.
“Unfortunately, I have to be an adult. I start work first thing Monday.”
Liv waves me off. “McKinley is amazing. You’re going to love working with her.”
“I still can’t believe that she hired me on a phone interview alone.”
“She’s good people, so is her husband, Evan. Oh, and her brother, Aaron, is easy on the eyes as well.”
“She’s right, they are good people. You’ll fit right in with them.”
“I hope so. McKinley mentioned that with the new baby, I might be in the studio on my own a lot.”
“You good with that?” Mike asks.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s a big deal that she’s trusting me with her business.”
“We grew up with them. It’s a small town, something you city people know nothing about.”
“Har har. I did just fine, holding my own when I would spend time with you in the summer.”
“You two played Barbies or were too busy covering your faces in gunk to really experience the country. There is nothing like it. You don’t have to worry about missing the city lights. Once you settle in and experience all it has to offer, you will want to set roots,” he assures me.
I hope so. I like the idea of creating my own path. I want to make my mother proud, and being here with the only family I have left gives me the courage to do that. Getting out of the city and away from the memories of her struggle, the fight she fought for so long, is what I’m looking forward to the most. She died in our house. I lived with that memory every day for the last year. It’s time to remember the good times and store the bad ones away. It’s time to start living again.