sure as hell didn’t cuddle with her on the couch and then go back home to her.” Karly was practically bouncing with her story, while my heart quickly plummeted into the pits of my stomach. How long ago had it been since the last time he had a…visitor?
“So are you the manager here or something, Dani?” Abby asked, leaning closer towards me. My eyes cautiously darted around; looking for a heat lamp that might be bearing down on me—causing the sweat to form along my neck and hairline. There really was no way I could possibly be so freaked about answering questions about myself in front of them…right?
“Something like that. My Grandmother is the owner; the Inn is just in the family, so I came back to help them out for a little while.”
“Where did you come back from?” Lainey asked.
“I have been living in New York since I graduated high school.” Abby and Karly gave an approving nod.
“Is this a permanent move home?” Karly asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s hard to say.”
“Were you seeing anyone there?” Abby asked. The questions came at me without hesitation. The solemn look on their faces made me wonder if they were all professional interrogators.
“I’ve had boyfriends since living there, but when I came back I wasn’t attached to anyone.”
“So why aren’t the two of you official now—is that his idea?” The three of them leaned in on their elbows with Lainey’s question.
“Uh…no.” I cast my eyes down, watching my twiddling fingers. “I’m not ready for a relationship, so we are just friends.”
“Well, that’s it then,” Lainey said, sitting back in her chair. “It’s the classic—he wants what he can’t have situation.” My stomach churned at the thought. Was that really all this was to him? I wasn’t ‘on the market’ so I was exactly what he wanted.
“Shut up, Lainey. I’ve seen the two of them together—that’s not at all what it is.” Karly scolded.
“I’m just saying. I’ve seen it before, is all!” Lainey defended.
“Don’t pay attention to my sister, Dani, Lainey’s just a little jealous that she’s yet to find someone.” Karly said, shooting a warning glare at Lainey.
“Core isn’t like that.” Abby added to Lainey before turning to me. “Corey could probably get any woman he wanted; if he didn’t care he wouldn’t be around. The one thing you should know about our brother is you will probably never meet a man that has as big of a heart as him. He has beaten up more jackass boyfriends of ours than I can even remember. There hasn’t been a time he turned down a shoulder for us to cry on. Not to mention, every week he calls each of us to ask about our lives. Just to make sure we are all okay. Corey rarely talks about himself because he is more worried about how we are doing.”
“When I turned 18 I got my first tattoo, and as soon as I contemplated who I wanted to be by my side—it was a nobrainer; I wanted it to be Corey. Not even my boyfriend would have been as compassionate. Core held my hand the whole time and kept telling me jokes to keep my mind preoccupied.” Karly added with a smile.
“When this jackass I was dating in high school asked me to prom and then bailed, Corey took me and made the night the absolute best. He never made me feel stupid or upset about the situation and I was able to dance the night away without worrying.” Lainey said with a smile.
“Has Corey told you anything about our dad?” Abby asked.
“He’s told me some, mainly about how he just wasn’t around very much.”
Abby nodded her head. “My mother Lillian, bless her heart, is one of those women that has always needed a man to hold her hand and tell her everything is going to be okay. When she met our dad she was immediately taken with him, he was one of those guys that wanted a woman to take care of the house and kids. She loved it and everything seemed fine until Karly turned a year old. My dad started staying out all hours of the night, getting drunk and doing God only knows what else. Then he’d storm into the house anywhere from two to five o’clock in the morning and there she’d be—just sitting in the living room waiting for him. She spent her nights crying until he got there, then he’d yell at her for something. This went