Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 123171 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123171 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 616(@200wpm)___ 493(@250wpm)___ 411(@300wpm)
Louisa looks at Everly, wrinkling her nose. “Does she still fart in her sleep?”
“I don’t do that!” Ev protests with a laugh.
“You’re sleeping so you wouldn’t know,” Louisa goes on. “Last time it was so bad it woke me up. Well, jokes gonna be on you because I ate Taco Bell on the way here.”
“Ewww,” Everly laughs. We go into the kitchen, gathering around the kitchen table. I put a pot of tea on to boil as we catch up. Everly yawns three times in five minutes and actually agrees to go up to bed before her half-hour is up with no arguing. She must really be tired, and I hope she’s not getting sick.
“You need a housekeeper,” Louisa notes, looking around the kitchen.
“Good thing you’re here,” I reply pointedly and let out a sigh. “I’m barely hanging on.” It feels good to admit that to someone. “Between my job and the horses and then making sure Everly is alive and fed…it’s just a lot.” I shake my head and blink rapidly, refusing to get emotional. “I can’t get the lawnmower to start, so wait until you see the overgrown jungle of my yard in the morning."
“Hey, you know I’m just giving you shit because I can. The house needs a good tidying up, but I’m not ready to call and get you an intervention on Hoarders just yet. And I did come here to help,” she says gently. “I felt bad I wasn’t able to come last week to help spread the ashes. And I talked to Mom about how far gone Aunt Kim let this place get.” She raises her eyebrows, and I bite my tongue, wanting to defend Aunt Kim but not wanting to start anything with my sister——not after she came down here of her own free will.
“Well, feel free to tackle any domestic chore you desire tomorrow then. And maybe this weekend…maybe…maybe we can go through Aunt Kim’s room together.”
“Yeah. We can do that.” She looks right into my eyes and the knot in my chest loosens a bit. Louisa and I don’t hang out or see eye-to-eye on everything, but I know when push comes to shove, she’s my ride or die. “In the meantime.” She reaches into a large bag and pulls out two bottles of wine. “This is from that vineyard Ruby took me to on our five-year anniversary. It’s the good stuff.”
“Ohhh, fancy!” I open several cabinets, looking for wine glasses: there aren’t any. I grab two regular glasses instead and then rummage through the drawers for a bottle opener. “Just give me a small amount,” I say. Louisa knows that I cut back on my drinking when I realized I depended on it too much to lower my stress. Now I’m careful not to get carried away; though, I’m drinking with my sister all in fun, not because I’m trying to drown my feelings at the bottom of a bottle of cabernet.
Both dogs bark, making me jump and almost drop the corkscrew.
“Someone is here,” Louisa says, right as I see headlights flooding the yard.
“Did someone follow you?” I blurt, mind automatically going there.
Louisa shakes her head. “Doubtfully. But you did lock the front door, didn’t you?”
The dogs bark again, and we hear the unmistakable sound of a car door slamming shut. I grip the corkscrew tight in my hand and feel my blood run cold. “No. I didn’t.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
JOSIE
“Do you know anyone who has a BMW?” Louisa asks, peering through the living room window.
“No,” I reply. “Wait, yes. Poppy?” I scrunch up my face in question. “Why would she—shit, it is her.” Curiously tipping my head to the side, I watch Poppy get out of her car, phone glued to her ear. I hear my own phone vibrating from the couch where I must have dropped it in my excitement to see my sister.
I pause for a few seconds, turning from my phone to the door, but then decide to open the door since Poppy is quite literally standing on my porch.
“Don’t you know how to answer your phone?” she demands as soon as the door is opened.
“What?” I reply, still clueless as to what the fuck is going on.
“You hung up on me, yelling for Everly because someone pulled down your driveway at night. I called you back to make sure you were alive, and you didn’t answer.”
I blink once. Twice. “You…you came to check on me?”
“I came to make sure you weren’t dead. I still want to buy that pony from you eventually.”
Some of the shock starts to wear off and I smile. “Sorry, I probably did sound a little freaked out, but I’m fine.” I step back, motioning to Louisa. “My sister surprised me by showing up randomly at night. That’s my sister, Louisa.”
“Hi,” Louisa says with a wave. “Do you like wine? We were just about to open a bottle.”