"I hooked up with a guy – on my kitchen floor," I hiss, keeping my voice low and out of earshot of the kids. "I'm a terrible parent."
"She was asleep," June says, waving her hand dismissively. "You think Cade and I haven't gotten it on in the kitchen when the kids are asleep?"
"It's different. You're..."
"Please don't say married," she moans. "You've not been on a single date since you moved here. That's two years, Autumn. I think that's a long enough mourning period."
"I'm not in mourning!"
"Well, then stop acting like you are," she retorts. "You're not a nun. You didn't take a vow of celibacy just because you became a mom."
"You think it's totally fine?"
"I think you're doing a great job making it not fine."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It was good, right?" she asks, sipping her glass of water.
I exhale heavily, heat rising to my face at the thought of it. It was more than good. It was... mind-blowing. Fantastic. The best sex I've ever had.
"Yeah," she says, laughing. "Exactly. It's written all over your face."
"I don't know him, June."
She looks at me for a long time. "How long were you married to Edward?" she asks, not waiting for an answer. "Seems to me like you didn't really know him either."
We sit in silence, listening to the kids playing, until I finally speak. “Damn it, June. Why do you have to be so… reasonable?”
The sound of male laughter interrupts us, and I turn to see June's husband Cade standing behind us holding Callie. “Reasonable?” he asks, grinning. “Really?”
“You shut your mouth, Cade!” She reaches for the baby. “I’m totally reasonable.”
“I’d be afraid of whatever advice you’re getting from June here.”
“How long have you been eavesdropping?” I ask.
Cade puts his hands up in mock surrender. “Not even a little bit,” he says. “Whatever you two had to talk about that was so important this morning is not at all my business.”
“That’s a smart man,” June says, smiling. “I’ve trained him well.”
Cade kisses the top of her head. “I have to go in to the shop for a little while. Can you handle the two heathen children?”
“I think I’ll manage.”
I wait until Cade leaves to speak. “You and Cade are good parents,” I remark.
“Yeah, we are.” She leans forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. “But we’re not saints, Autumn. You have no idea how far from saints we are.”
I can’t help but laugh. Yeah, right. Because June, the sweet little bed and breakfast owner, is totally a badass.
“Seriously, Autumn,” she insists. “Go have a wild one-night-stand – or a few nights. Or make him your boyfriend if you want. And if you need Cade and I to babysit Olivia so you can have an actual, real-life date, we will.”
My eyes go wide. “I’m not making him my boyfriend,” I sputter. “He’s just… a fling. At most. Maybe not even that.”
“Uh-huh. If he’s just a fling, then why do you care what happened this morning?”
Damn it. I swallow hard. June is right.
“Exactly,” she says, as if she can read my mind. “You know I’m correct. And don’t eff it all up just because you’re afraid.”
“I’m not afraid,” I protest automatically, obviously lying.
“Of course you are. You like him.”
“I can’t like him. I don’t know him.”
“Well, you can remedy that part of things, now can’t you?” She nudges me. “Getting to know someone is easy enough.”
“Easy for you to say.” I cross my arms and give June a sullen glare, aware I’m being ridiculous, but she just laughs.
“I’m quite sure you’ll manage just fine,” she says.
20
Luke
“Where the fuck have you been?” Elias’ voice greets me even before I get out of the truck.
I don’t answer and don’t look at any of them standing there in my damn driveway because I don't want to deal with them right now. Lucy starts to run excitedly toward my brothers before getting distracted by a squirrel and running off in the opposite direction.
“I don’t need shit from you, Elias, so lay the hell off.” I’m on edge from this morning, practically crawling out of my skin on the drive home from Autumn’s place. What happened this morning shouldn't matter. It was a bullshit argument after a bullshit one-night-stand and that was it. It shouldn’t get under my skin.
And it shouldn’t have me this edgy now, twenty minutes later. I tell myself that she means nothing to me.
Friends, she said. I don’t have friends – not of the girl variety.
“He has his panties in a bunch over some chick he’s banging,” Silas explains, supposedly talking to his twin, but says it loudly for my benefit.
All I hear is the part about banging some chick. I walk straight toward Silas and shove him backward. “I said fuck off.”
“What the hell, Luke?” Silas lunges for me, and then Killian and Elias are between us.
“Both of you,” Killian says. “Shut the hell up. Now.”
“Then tell him to stop being such a fucking asshat,” Silas yells.