Revealing Annie - Freya Barker Page 0,27

out, his face immediately flushing as he peeks at his father. “I mean, if that’s okay.”

“More than okay.” Sumo winks at him before turning to me. “In fact, why don’t you come for dinner after your shift?”

The little bubble of excitement in my chest almost immediately deflates.

“I can’t,” I say, disappointed. “I promised Mrs. S. we’d have dinner with Edward tonight. A bit of an intervention, since he’s been an absolute bear the last few days.”

“Then how about tomorrow? We’ll be able to report on Daisy’s first night.”

“Dee,” Bryce corrects his father. “We really need to lose that flower name.”

“Daisy’s actually growing on me,” Sumo teases with a grin.

“And I’m wondering if I should be upset, because my last name is Flowers,” I add. Poor Bryce looks mortified until I start laughing. “Just giving you a hard time. Dee is a fine name for her, and yes…” I turn to Sumo, “…tomorrow night is great.”

I walk them out to the truck and make sure Daisy’s okay being lifted in the back seat. She looks around a little nervously and I can’t resist giving her another snuggle.

“You’re going to have a nice big yard to run around in, lucky girl. And I’ll come visit you tomorrow.”

Bryce surprises me when he climbs in the back with the dog.

“In case she gets nervous,” he explains, looking a little sheepish.

“I think that’s a great idea.”

I close the door and turn, almost bumping into Sumo, who puts a hand on my hip and raises the other to lift my chin. Then his lips are on mine. A sweet kiss with a hint of promise.

“Bryce,” I mumble against his mouth and he lifts his head.

“He’ll get used to it.”

I read plenty into that comment and I can’t hold back a smile.

“Tomorrow, what can I bring?”

“Yourself,” he says, as he rounds the front of the truck.

“That’s what you said last time,” I call out after him.

He gets behind the wheel and lowers the passenger side window, leaning over with a big grin on his face.

“I know, and as I recall I ended up with you and éclairs.”

10

Annie

I can hear them arguing when I walk up with one of the peach crumbles I just pulled from the oven.

“…is still my house, old woman. I’m not a child!”

“Then maybe you should stop behaving like one!”

Oh, wonderful. Sounds like Mrs. Sokoloff started the intervention without me.

Blossom is waiting by the door, her fat little body wiggling along with her tail when I enter.

“Hey, girl. I’ll take you later, okay?”

“Finally,” I hear Edward from the kitchen. “Annie’s here.”

He’s sitting at the small table, glaring at the back of Mrs. S. who is pulling something from the oven.

“Sorry if I’m a little late. Dessert took a little longer than I’d anticipated.” I set the pan on the counter. “That smells delicious, Mrs. S. Anything I can do?”

“Yes,” she answers without hesitation. “Talk some sense into that man, will you? And…” she quickly adds before Edward has a chance to voice his protest, “…my name is Hattie.”

My neighbor looks like his head’s going to explode any second. I ignore his glare and sit down in a chair across from him.

“What’s going on?”

At first he doesn’t say anything and tries to stare me down, before he finally turns his eyes to the older woman.

“Sick of being treated like I ain’t got no sense. Been looking after myself for most of my seventy-two years. Never needed no woman to help me do that, and now I’ve got both of ye’s in my business all the damn time. Telling me what to eat, what to do. It’s enough to drive a man batty.”

His voice steadily rises as he talks, but when the last word leaves his mouth, the starch seems to go out of him as well and he slumps in his chair.

“Well, maybe—” Hattie starts, but I lift my hand cutting her off. Yelling at each other isn’t gonna help, especially since it’s clear Edward’s pride has taken a hit. She humphs and turns back to the salad she’s putting together to go with the delicious-smelling lasagna sitting on the stove.

“I can see how that can happen,” I sympathize in a soft voice. “I don’t think any of us would enjoy feeling like our independence was taken away. Not only that, but if my body let me down to the point I’d ended up in the hospital, I know I’d be scared to boot.”

He harrumphs at my mention of fear, but he doesn’t rant or