movements halfway to the pantry, and his gut did an automatic knot-and-drop. Brennan knew from experience that if he ignored enough of his younger sister’s calls, she’d threaten to show up in Pine Mountain, and thatwas a can of worms he had no interest in popping open. Better to do this now, on his own terms, where no one could overhear him, anyway.
“Hello?”
“Oh! Um, hey,” Ellie stammered, clearly surprised. “I didn’t think you’d pick up. Did I wake you?”
“Nope. I was up,” he said, and so far, so good. Of his four sisters, Ellie was the cagiest, though, so no way was he abandoning caution.
“Good.How are you feeling?”
Ah, the million-dollar opener. Brennan had lost hope a long time ago that she’d actually believe his answer, but it didn’t stop him from saying, “Fine. You?”
“You’re up awfully early.” An equal mix of concern and suspicion colored her words as she ignored the pleasantries and went for round two. “Aren’t you working really late nights at that restaurant now?”
He’d ratherbe stuck with a thousand pins than admit to Ellie that he was awake because his back never let him get more than a handful of hours’ worth of shut-eye, and anyway, she had enough on her mind right now without worrying about his sleep habits.
Speaking of which . . . “Yeah, Friday is our busiest night, so we’re usually slammed, especially over the holidays. Sorry I didn’t answer your texts. Dresslooks nice, though.”
“You think so?” Ellie’s voice lifted in excitement. “I mean, you only get one wedding dress, so I want it to be perfect, but I really love it, and . . . damn it, Nick. That’s not fair.”
Brennan froze, the can of Coke halfway to his mouth. The sound of his first name was odd in his ears, as if it belonged to someone else, and he tamped down the memory of the last personwho’d used it.
“What’s not fair?” he asked in a last-ditch effort, but of course she was too sharp to fall for the rope-a-dope.
“You used my wedding dress to distract me, that’s what! Look, we’re all really worried about you. You haven’t been back to Fairview once since you left. You’ve bailed on Christmas and Easter twice now—which by the way, even Dad has noticed—and Pine Mountain’s reallyfar from home.”
“First of all, I had to work those days. And secondly, Pine Mountain is my home.” He pulled in a smooth, controlled breath, the composure he wore like a full set of turnout gear locked securely into place. “And there’s nothing to worry about. Everything here really is fine.”
“Fine.” Ellie scoffed, as if the word tasted burnt. “You’ve been saying that for two years.”
“I relocatedto make a career change, Ells. People do it all the time, and working at the restaurant isn’t a nine-to-five gig, okay? Just because I’m busy doesn’t mean I’m not doing all right.”
Brennan’s tone held just enough please-let’s-drop-the-subject to get her attention, and finally , he got some latitude. He knew Ellie meant well, but this conversation practically had a script, and the last thing heneeded was a come to Jesus meeting with his sister about things that were over and done. “I know you don’t think so, but I really am all set here. I promise.”
Ellie’s silence hung fire for a minute before she said, “I’m not trying to be a pain in the ass, Nick. I love you, okay?”
“I love you too, kid.” Brennan cleared his throat, scrubbing a hand over his goatee before taking a long draw fromhis can of Coke. “So you’re serious about marrying this Murphy guy?”
His sister hesitated, but relief pricked at his chest when she gave in with a soft laugh. “The Murphy guy’s name is Josh, which I know you know full well. And the wedding’s in three weeks.”
Okay. So engaging in a pointless conversation about the past might not be on his agenda, but a little friendly ribbing with his sister?Now, that he’d dive into headfirst.
“So is that
“Hello?”
“Oh! Um, hey,” Ellie stammered, clearly surprised. “I didn’t think you’d pick up. Did I wake you?”
“Nope. I was up,” he said, and so far, so good. Of his four sisters, Ellie was the cagiest, though, so no way was he abandoning caution.
“Good.How are you feeling?”
Ah, the million-dollar opener. Brennan had lost hope a long time ago that she’d actually believe his answer, but it didn’t stop him from saying, “Fine. You?”
“You’re up awfully early.” An equal mix of concern and suspicion colored her words as she ignored the pleasantries and went for round two. “Aren’t you working really late nights at that restaurant now?”
He’d ratherbe stuck with a thousand pins than admit to Ellie that he was awake because his back never let him get more than a handful of hours’ worth of shut-eye, and anyway, she had enough on her mind right now without worrying about his sleep habits.
Speaking of which . . . “Yeah, Friday is our busiest night, so we’re usually slammed, especially over the holidays. Sorry I didn’t answer your texts. Dresslooks nice, though.”
“You think so?” Ellie’s voice lifted in excitement. “I mean, you only get one wedding dress, so I want it to be perfect, but I really love it, and . . . damn it, Nick. That’s not fair.”
Brennan froze, the can of Coke halfway to his mouth. The sound of his first name was odd in his ears, as if it belonged to someone else, and he tamped down the memory of the last personwho’d used it.
“What’s not fair?” he asked in a last-ditch effort, but of course she was too sharp to fall for the rope-a-dope.
“You used my wedding dress to distract me, that’s what! Look, we’re all really worried about you. You haven’t been back to Fairview once since you left. You’ve bailed on Christmas and Easter twice now—which by the way, even Dad has noticed—and Pine Mountain’s reallyfar from home.”
“First of all, I had to work those days. And secondly, Pine Mountain is my home.” He pulled in a smooth, controlled breath, the composure he wore like a full set of turnout gear locked securely into place. “And there’s nothing to worry about. Everything here really is fine.”
“Fine.” Ellie scoffed, as if the word tasted burnt. “You’ve been saying that for two years.”
“I relocatedto make a career change, Ells. People do it all the time, and working at the restaurant isn’t a nine-to-five gig, okay? Just because I’m busy doesn’t mean I’m not doing all right.”
Brennan’s tone held just enough please-let’s-drop-the-subject to get her attention, and finally , he got some latitude. He knew Ellie meant well, but this conversation practically had a script, and the last thing heneeded was a come to Jesus meeting with his sister about things that were over and done. “I know you don’t think so, but I really am all set here. I promise.”
Ellie’s silence hung fire for a minute before she said, “I’m not trying to be a pain in the ass, Nick. I love you, okay?”
“I love you too, kid.” Brennan cleared his throat, scrubbing a hand over his goatee before taking a long draw fromhis can of Coke. “So you’re serious about marrying this Murphy guy?”
His sister hesitated, but relief pricked at his chest when she gave in with a soft laugh. “The Murphy guy’s name is Josh, which I know you know full well. And the wedding’s in three weeks.”
Okay. So engaging in a pointless conversation about the past might not be on his agenda, but a little friendly ribbing with his sister?Now, that he’d dive into headfirst.
“So is that
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