“I don’t know.” I say, but I do know. My grand scheme was to help my sisters start the bakery and then get out of dodge as soon as I knew it was doing well. Considering I keep the books on the place, I know it’s doing well. It’s doing great. That’s my cue to get the hell out of dodge and return to my normal life. Duty fulfilled. No questions asked. But then came Davis.Damnthat Davis!
“Meg, come on.” Emmi’s eyes search mine. It’s strange how she’s the only one of my sisters who can get inside of my head. The only one I feel that truly knows me. “He’s so fuckable it hurts me. Tell me what’s going on in that big fat brain of yours.” She taps my forehead with her black painted fingernail. I try to dodge but I don’t make it in time.
“I don’t want to stay here.” I blurt out, pushing her hand away.
Emmi’s face remains expressionless. “I know that. We all know that.”
“You do?”
“Megan.” Emmi grabs a pillow and hugs it to her tummy. “Carolyn was terrified to ask you to come here. She knew that you saw the city as part of your identity.”
“She did?” My stomach clenches. “She didn’t tell me that.”
“You know Caro. She tries to keep all the emotional shit out of it.”
“Yeah.” I trace circles on the knee of my pajama pants. “And Winona?”
“No one expects you to stay.” Emmi’s lips form a half-smile and I see the sweet little tomboy she used to be when we were kids. “We want you to, but weknowyou.” Emmi puts her hand on my shoulder as I nod, holding back a slew of emotions I didn’t even know lived inside of me. “And we love you.” She shakes my shoulder “Okay, okay!” I brush off her hand.
“If you want to kiss that doctor—or whatever it is you want to do with him—before you leave, quit being a fucking baby and do it.”
My mouth drops. No one talks to me like that. No one except Emmi. “Fine.” I say, snapping another piece of licorice between my teeth.
“What are you so afraid of?”
My heart swells. The moment I saw Dr. Davis Armstrong, sick or not, there was something that passed between us that I never felt before. An unspoken kinetic energy between us that sets my entire soul on fire, which is crazy considering I barely know the man.
“Oh, you love him.” Emmi points her finger at me, scrunching one eye shut.
“I do not.”
“Youloooooooovehim!” She sings.
“You’re an idiot and an asshole and I’d like you to leave my room now.” I hop off the bed and hold the door for my baby sister. “Go to Winona’s or something.”
“Can’t. She’s with that sexy neighbor man of hers.”
I sigh. “Of course.” I thought for certain Winona would ease the burden and leave this town with me. Now with Levi in her life, there’s no way she’d leave, and I wouldn’t want her to. She’s much too happy. I realize the only way to get rid of Emmi and her annoying accusation—even if it may be semi-somewhat-partially true—is if I have plans. Fat chance on that. The only people in this town I know are my sisters, and…
“I have a date tonight.”
“Liar.” Emmi’s hands shoot straight to her hips.
“Well, it’s not confirmed. But trust me, it will be soon.”
Emmi lets out a long dramatic sigh and shimmies into her flip-flops. “You suck, you know that?”
“Yeah.” I say, leading her out of my room. At the last minute she turns and grabs the bag of licorice, then hops in her car leaving me alone with my mission in my own hands.
Davis answers on the third ring. “Hey. It’s Meg. You busy?”
A quick silence stretches between us. The sound of my heartbeat thuds in my ears. Finally, Davis responds, “Nope.”
* * *
An hourlater the doorbell rings. I scrunch the ends of my hair through my fingers and make sure my deodorant is working before I open the door. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of the handsome doctor. He’s wearing rugged, lived-in jeans and a heather gray t-shirt under his black leather jacket. His scent permeates the air before he’s even stepped inside.
My lips press into an awkward smile, “Hey.”