Fragile Hearts (Poplar Falls #4) - Amber Kelly Page 0,40
mean, you are impulsive and a bit crazy sometimes, but you know that, so move on and answer the question,” Sonia demands.
“It’s his new house. He bought the Sugarman Homestead, and he’s remodeling. We tore the kitchen out because he’s having it completely redone.”
“He bought our house?” she gasps. Then, she looks at Elle and asks, “Did you know that?”
Elle nods. “He told me at lunch the other day. Cool, right?”
“Yes, cool!” She turns back to me. “He’s going to live in that big, old house all by himself?”
“Him and his mom. But you know, it’s not nearly as massive as we thought it was. I mean, it looked humongous to our little-girl eyes, but it’s just a tad bigger than this place, to tell you the truth. We never could have raised three families in there.”
“Really?” She sounds disappointed.
“It’s still a good size, and it’s gorgeous—or it will be when he finishes,” I reassure her.
“I bet. I can’t wait to see that place finally fixed up,” she says.
“Same,” Elle interjects.
“Now, onto the next part. Tequila and kissing. How did all that start?”
I look over at Doreen, who is using a spatula to transfer cookies from the pan to a plate.
She looks over her shoulder at us. “Don’t stop on my account. I want to know too,” she insists.
“Um, I don’t think I can talk about this in front of you,” I tell her.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake, why not? I’m a woman too. I know what it feels like to be excited by a man.”
“Aunt Doe,” Elle howls.
“Well, I do.”
“Fine,” I say, and then I proceed to recount every detail from the time I reached for the tequila and missed to me asking Brandt to bring me here to see Elle.
“Wow,” Sonia declares.
“Yes, wow,” Doreen and Elle agree.
“So, where did you leave things?” Sonia asks.
“Just like that,” I say.
“You didn’t tell him why you’d stopped and insisted on talking to Elle?” Sonia asks.
“Well, kind of. I told him it was girl code.”
“Girl code? He has no idea what girl code is. He probably thinks you’re a tease. Or insane,” she yells.
“I’m sure he could deduce what she meant by girl code,” Doreen adds.
“You think?” I ask.
She reaches across the table and reassuringly covers my hand with hers. “If not, I’m sure Walker is filling him in right about now.”
Perfect.
Brandt
Walker has me drive over to Braxton and Sophie’s house. Braxton is sitting on the deck with his feet propped up on a cooler when we arrive.
I park and follow Walker as he ascends the steps up to the puppy gate and lets us through it.
“So, the women ran you two off, huh?” Braxton says as we take a seat in the other two Adirondack chairs that face out to the gorge.
“Yep, best-friend crisis,” Walker says as Braxton reaches into the cooler and tosses him and then me a beer.
“What was it this time?” he asks.
Walker shrugs. “Don’t know, but if I were a betting man, I’d say, Doc here knows.”
Both their eyes come to me, and they wait.
“All Bellamy said was girl code,” I offer them the only information I have.
Walker’s eyes widen.
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“Why, it means that Miss Wilson has caught interest in you, Doc,” he declares.
I wrinkle my brow. “Caught interest in me?”
“Yep. See, in women’s language, girl code means that one of them likes a dude the other of them has either liked, crushed on, or dated in the past. The girl then has to get the all clear from the other one that it’s okay to proceed with said love interest. If girl number one doesn’t give girl number two the permission to pursue said old flame, then it’s game over. They never bring it up again. First girl’s claim trumps the new girl’s affection even if it was never reciprocated by said old flame,” he explains.
“Can a guy be considered an old flame if he was never a flame to begin with?” I ask for clarification.
“In chick world, abso-fuckin’-lutely.”
“Really?”
“Yep. It doesn’t make sense, but then again, it doesn’t have to make sense to us. It does to them,” Braxton confirms.
“So, Bellamy wanted to talk to Elle about me?”
“Correct, sir. You did go out with my girl a time or two last year,” Walker points out.
“But Elle and I are just friends. We’ve only ever been friends,” I assure him.
“Doesn’t matter. You guys went out, so Bells is going to make sure Elle is okay with her tickling your pickle,” he insists.