bed? Yet, all at once, understanding washed over Danielle, and she nodded. “You finally coaxed Boston into your bed…didn’t you?”
“Actually, I carried her there…told her to take a nap,” he said without looking up from the papers he was now gathering into a neat pile. “Haven’t heard a peep out of her since…and I’m certainly not going to wake her up now and send her back to that snake she lives with. I’m just glad my house opened up so she can move in here on Saturday. I told her we’d help move her stuff for her.” He paused and looked to his sister. “I hope you don’t mind that I made that commitment for you.”
Danielle smiled. “Not at all. But when did you find out about the house? You didn’t say anything.”
“They called me while I was on my way home from work today,” he explained. “But you and sleeping beauty in there were so busy babbling on about men and chocolate that I just figured I’d wait until things settled down.”
“Vance,” Danielle began, “you don’t have to hurry about moving. You know that. Boston would die if she thought you were rushing to get into your house and out of here just for her sake.”
“I’m not. Why wouldn’t I want to move into my house? It’s costing me a fortune. It would be stupid not to move in as soon as possible, right?” He looked to her and grinned.
Danielle smiled too. She was happy for her big brother. He had worked hard to get into his own house, especially at such a young age. She was happy for him. She could just imagine him sitting in the privacy and comfort of his own place again—watching cop shows on TV and eating ice cream right out of the carton.
“You’ve got a point,” she said.
“Of course I do,” he said. He finished gathering his papers, set them aside on one of the counters, and yawned. He stood from his seat at the table, stretched, yawned again, and headed for the sofa.
“Now if I can just make it until my job at the zoo kicks in,” he mumbled. “This road construction stuff is killing me.”
Danielle thought of Boston asleep in Vance’s bedroom. Boy, would she be rattled when she woke up in the morning. Danielle giggled to herself, knowing full well Boston would be mortified she’d spent the night—whether or not it was contrived by Vance.
“You know, Vance,” Danielle began, very tentatively. She was scared—worried that what she was about to say might set her brother back. “You should pursue Boston.”
Vance chuckled as he stretched out on the sofa. He tucked a throw pillow under his head and pulled the quilt off the nearby chair, haphazardly covering himself with it. “Oh, sure,” he chuckled.
“Why not?” Danielle prodded.
“She’s a good girl. She deserves a good man.”
“And you’re not a good man? You don’t deserve a good girl?” Danielle asked.
Vance didn’t look at her—simply closed his eyes and exhaled a heavy sigh. “You said it…not me,” he grumbled.
“Oh, don’t pull that on me,” Danielle scolded. “Move past it all, Vance. I have! Why won’t you—”
He looked at her then—glared at her with the recognizable pain and anger blazing in his emerald eyes. “ You’re not past it, Danny,” he growled. “You’re not over it, and it wasn’t even your fault.”
“It wasn’t your fault either, Vance,” Danielle argued. “Please just—”
He raised a hand, the familiar gesture that he didn’t want to continue conversing the subject. “She’s not my type, Danielle. You know that…so just let it go,” he mumbled.
“Whatever, Vance,” Danielle grumbled. “Good night.” Danielle shoved the carton of ice cream in the freezing compartment of the fridge, slamming the freezer door a little too hard.
Vance could be so irritating! Maybe he’d been right. Maybe she was glad he’d told her to back off from encouraging him to pursue Boston. After all, maybe Danielle didn’t want her best friend to be shackled to Vance’s
“Actually, I carried her there…told her to take a nap,” he said without looking up from the papers he was now gathering into a neat pile. “Haven’t heard a peep out of her since…and I’m certainly not going to wake her up now and send her back to that snake she lives with. I’m just glad my house opened up so she can move in here on Saturday. I told her we’d help move her stuff for her.” He paused and looked to his sister. “I hope you don’t mind that I made that commitment for you.”
Danielle smiled. “Not at all. But when did you find out about the house? You didn’t say anything.”
“They called me while I was on my way home from work today,” he explained. “But you and sleeping beauty in there were so busy babbling on about men and chocolate that I just figured I’d wait until things settled down.”
“Vance,” Danielle began, “you don’t have to hurry about moving. You know that. Boston would die if she thought you were rushing to get into your house and out of here just for her sake.”
“I’m not. Why wouldn’t I want to move into my house? It’s costing me a fortune. It would be stupid not to move in as soon as possible, right?” He looked to her and grinned.
Danielle smiled too. She was happy for her big brother. He had worked hard to get into his own house, especially at such a young age. She was happy for him. She could just imagine him sitting in the privacy and comfort of his own place again—watching cop shows on TV and eating ice cream right out of the carton.
“You’ve got a point,” she said.
“Of course I do,” he said. He finished gathering his papers, set them aside on one of the counters, and yawned. He stood from his seat at the table, stretched, yawned again, and headed for the sofa.
“Now if I can just make it until my job at the zoo kicks in,” he mumbled. “This road construction stuff is killing me.”
Danielle thought of Boston asleep in Vance’s bedroom. Boy, would she be rattled when she woke up in the morning. Danielle giggled to herself, knowing full well Boston would be mortified she’d spent the night—whether or not it was contrived by Vance.
“You know, Vance,” Danielle began, very tentatively. She was scared—worried that what she was about to say might set her brother back. “You should pursue Boston.”
Vance chuckled as he stretched out on the sofa. He tucked a throw pillow under his head and pulled the quilt off the nearby chair, haphazardly covering himself with it. “Oh, sure,” he chuckled.
“Why not?” Danielle prodded.
“She’s a good girl. She deserves a good man.”
“And you’re not a good man? You don’t deserve a good girl?” Danielle asked.
Vance didn’t look at her—simply closed his eyes and exhaled a heavy sigh. “You said it…not me,” he grumbled.
“Oh, don’t pull that on me,” Danielle scolded. “Move past it all, Vance. I have! Why won’t you—”
He looked at her then—glared at her with the recognizable pain and anger blazing in his emerald eyes. “ You’re not past it, Danny,” he growled. “You’re not over it, and it wasn’t even your fault.”
“It wasn’t your fault either, Vance,” Danielle argued. “Please just—”
He raised a hand, the familiar gesture that he didn’t want to continue conversing the subject. “She’s not my type, Danielle. You know that…so just let it go,” he mumbled.
“Whatever, Vance,” Danielle grumbled. “Good night.” Danielle shoved the carton of ice cream in the freezing compartment of the fridge, slamming the freezer door a little too hard.
Vance could be so irritating! Maybe he’d been right. Maybe she was glad he’d told her to back off from encouraging him to pursue Boston. After all, maybe Danielle didn’t want her best friend to be shackled to Vance’s
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