when the time is right.” I watched a breeze play with a palm frond in the backyard, then turned to Maxine. “Why does everyone hate on my truck?”
She laughed, then stopped when she saw my face. “This is a serious question?”
“Yes, it’s a serious question. The engine is in great shape and it’s never let me down.”
“It also rattles so much, I’m surprised you don’t roll down the road in a trail of rust flakes.”
“Books and covers, Maxine. You shouldn’t judge. Or you might have missed out on this fine, though grumpy, handyman.” I thrust two enthusiastic thumbs at my black-clad chest.
“Seems to me, you’ve lost the grumpy part of that equation. Not the outfit, obviously, but you’ve been very happy lately.” Maxine cradled the bowl in one arm and attacked her dough with a spoon. “For that matter, so has Kennedy. I wonder why that is?”
The toss of her purple-streaked hair and gleam in her eye told me she didn’t wonder at all.
I leaned on the counter and folded my arms. “I mean, I’m not saying I’m about to start wearing floral shirts, cargo shorts, and flipflops, but, Kennedy is pretty great. You are, too.” I shrugged as the angel in question walked into the room.
“Aww, Wiki. That’s so sweet of you. You’re pretty great, too, though, let’s be honest, it’s not like you’re Collin West, even if you would look amazing in floral shirts and flipflops.”
Maxine guffawed. “What is it with you and that guy?” She turned to me. “You better watch out. He’s her celebrity yes…the one person she’d quit her job for a chance to date.” She finished the sentence with air quotes and an exaggerated wink.
So Kennedy had the hots for Collin.
That was news to me—as was the fact that she hadn’t told Maxine she met the man.
A jolt of jealousy sparked through me, but I squashed it with a mental hammer. I’d promised to work on the trust thing and that was exactly what I planned to do. Who didn’t have a celebrity they fantasized about? The only weird thing about Kennedy’s was that he happened to be my brother.
And that she didn’t tell you, a quiet voice whispered.
I quirked a brow and hit Penny Dreadful with a curious look. She sucked on her lips and stared at her feet, then gave me a shrug as if to say “what are you gonna do?” before awkwardly steering the conversation in other directions.
“So…work has been terrible.” She leaned on the wall and sighed. “I thought I was making progress with Emmanuel, but he’s back to hating me. And I swear Ramsey is out to make my life miserable just to prove a point.”
Maxine shook her head as she tossed an odd array of candy chips into her bowl. “I’m still appalled they’re timing you on your visits with patients. I mean, who ever heard of someone wanting a doctor to care less?”
“I’m more appalled that guy is still causing you trouble.” Ever since the fiasco at The Drunken Goat Ramsey had been making things awkward at work, like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum. It was everything I could do not to growl my annoyance.
Kennedy let out a long breath. “It’ll die off soon enough. Just have to put my head down and get through it. Which I’m capable of doing by myself, thank you very much,” she added with a sharp look my way.
Maxine finished baking her cookies—oddly dense things that had puffed up like muffin tops—then wrapped them in cellophane and headed out for the evening, book club with friends followed by dinner with Carl. The man must have the constitution of a moose or the personality of a saint for eating those baked-into-submission goods day after day.
After a round of hugs and goodbyes, Kennedy pulled out a chair and took a seat. “You realize her social life puts ours to shame?”
“Never you fear. You and I have plans to rival hers this evening.” I leaned into the fridge and collected an array of juices as well as several oranges. As Penny frowned her confusion, I cut the oranges in half, then pulled out a juicer with an attached measuring cup. Slowly, decadently, I rolled up my sleeves, then went to work grinding the fruit into the utensil while giving her a look that was pure sex.
“What in the world are you doing?” she asked with a laugh.
“My girl likes fruity drinks, so I talked Lucas’ brother into sharing his favorite fruity recipe