blue eyes were storming with irritation.
“Sorry,” Burk said, “your pie puts me into a trancelike state. It’s just that good.”
For a moment, Anna softened. The way to her heart wasn’t her food—it was compliments about her food. Too bad the thaw didn’t last long.
“Look, I’m not interested in Willa getting hurt here. She was like a sister to me when you guys were dating, and I respect that she’s trying to run a small business. It’s just that she could open up a B and B anywhere. And this is a house you’ve cared for, for years. I think you should fight harder for it.”
Irritation needled him. He was fighting, dammit. The problem was that Willa kept throwing him off his game. Her curves, her lips, her inability to put gas in her car. Cripes. He was frustrated for finding it all so appealing , when he knew better. He knew she was bad news.
“I’ll figure it out.”
Anna studied him for a few moments. He felt as though his thoughts were carved into her kitchen table, plain as day to read. “Are you going to ask her out?”
Burk nearly choked. “What? Of course not. Have you lost your mind?”
“Well, it’s not working out with anyone else, so I thought maybe you’d try to rekindle things with Willa.”
Out in the living room, “Baba O’Riley” was playing. Juniper babbled “teenage wasteland.” It came out “neeeam beebaaa.”
“It’s working fine with plenty of women,” Burk said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“So last night’s date? Bowling alley girl? That went…”
“Fine,” Burk growled, not wanting to tell his sister that he’d taken bowling girl back to his place, only to have her storm out when not one but two different bras had slipped out from the pillow underneath her head as they were making out on the couch.
The blurry memory of how they’d gotten there came back to him in a rush, and he’d almost smiled remembering the pair of doe-eyed twins with unbelievable flexibility who’d been over earlier in the week. But he couldn’t very well explain any of that to his date. “That’s classless ,” bowling girl said, her tone biting.
He couldn’t even argue with her. She was right.
“I’m glad it was a swell evening,” Anna said, a smug smile playing on her lips as she watched his face. “And before that, it was another home run, right? With the woman who realized you’d taken out her best friend the week before?”
Burk frowned. It didn’t seem right that Anna could sit here and give him a hard time about dating. Especially not when she had found Sam so easily, when they were seniors in college. “I met him in a Russian history class,” Anna used to joke, “and I was so bored, I stared at Sam to keep myself awake.” They’d gotten married right after graduation, and had Juniper a few years later. Here his baby sister was, happy and so clearly in love with her husband—and acting like Burk was somehow less just because he hadn’t found someone yet.
It wasn’t for trying. He had dates all the time. But he also had his business and his routine, and he wasn’t about to foul those up for a complicated relationship that wouldn’t go anywhere. Anna should know this better than anyone, Burk thought. She’d been the one with the best view of his heartbreak after Willa left, after all. She knew how determined he was not to let it happen again.
“We can’t all be as lucky as you and Sam,” Burk snapped. He could feel his stomach hardening all over again, the old pain from Willa’s departure weighing like a cold stone in his gut. Twelve years in, and he was still feeling the effects of the first one.
“Hey, easy there,” Anna said, “I just was curious if you and Willa—”
“My relationship with Willa is in the past,” Burk interrupted. “I intend to keep it that way.” He was shifting into contractor mode. Impersonal. Direct. He hated doing it with his sister, hated the hurt expression that flashed across her
“Sorry,” Burk said, “your pie puts me into a trancelike state. It’s just that good.”
For a moment, Anna softened. The way to her heart wasn’t her food—it was compliments about her food. Too bad the thaw didn’t last long.
“Look, I’m not interested in Willa getting hurt here. She was like a sister to me when you guys were dating, and I respect that she’s trying to run a small business. It’s just that she could open up a B and B anywhere. And this is a house you’ve cared for, for years. I think you should fight harder for it.”
Irritation needled him. He was fighting, dammit. The problem was that Willa kept throwing him off his game. Her curves, her lips, her inability to put gas in her car. Cripes. He was frustrated for finding it all so appealing , when he knew better. He knew she was bad news.
“I’ll figure it out.”
Anna studied him for a few moments. He felt as though his thoughts were carved into her kitchen table, plain as day to read. “Are you going to ask her out?”
Burk nearly choked. “What? Of course not. Have you lost your mind?”
“Well, it’s not working out with anyone else, so I thought maybe you’d try to rekindle things with Willa.”
Out in the living room, “Baba O’Riley” was playing. Juniper babbled “teenage wasteland.” It came out “neeeam beebaaa.”
“It’s working fine with plenty of women,” Burk said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“So last night’s date? Bowling alley girl? That went…”
“Fine,” Burk growled, not wanting to tell his sister that he’d taken bowling girl back to his place, only to have her storm out when not one but two different bras had slipped out from the pillow underneath her head as they were making out on the couch.
The blurry memory of how they’d gotten there came back to him in a rush, and he’d almost smiled remembering the pair of doe-eyed twins with unbelievable flexibility who’d been over earlier in the week. But he couldn’t very well explain any of that to his date. “That’s classless ,” bowling girl said, her tone biting.
He couldn’t even argue with her. She was right.
“I’m glad it was a swell evening,” Anna said, a smug smile playing on her lips as she watched his face. “And before that, it was another home run, right? With the woman who realized you’d taken out her best friend the week before?”
Burk frowned. It didn’t seem right that Anna could sit here and give him a hard time about dating. Especially not when she had found Sam so easily, when they were seniors in college. “I met him in a Russian history class,” Anna used to joke, “and I was so bored, I stared at Sam to keep myself awake.” They’d gotten married right after graduation, and had Juniper a few years later. Here his baby sister was, happy and so clearly in love with her husband—and acting like Burk was somehow less just because he hadn’t found someone yet.
It wasn’t for trying. He had dates all the time. But he also had his business and his routine, and he wasn’t about to foul those up for a complicated relationship that wouldn’t go anywhere. Anna should know this better than anyone, Burk thought. She’d been the one with the best view of his heartbreak after Willa left, after all. She knew how determined he was not to let it happen again.
“We can’t all be as lucky as you and Sam,” Burk snapped. He could feel his stomach hardening all over again, the old pain from Willa’s departure weighing like a cold stone in his gut. Twelve years in, and he was still feeling the effects of the first one.
“Hey, easy there,” Anna said, “I just was curious if you and Willa—”
“My relationship with Willa is in the past,” Burk interrupted. “I intend to keep it that way.” He was shifting into contractor mode. Impersonal. Direct. He hated doing it with his sister, hated the hurt expression that flashed across her
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