“What’s wrong?” I ask.
She blinks a couple times before I realize there’s a tear starting to run down her cheek.
“Sisi, what’s wrong?” This time it’s Sly asking.
“That was the wedding planner. Our caterer just cancelled.”
“What do you mean they cancelled?” My voice is harsher than I mean for it to be, but I’m angry on her behalf.
She palms her face. “I don’t know, I sort of blacked out. How are we going to find someone else, the wedding is less than two months away?”
I can tell by her cracking voice that now isn’t the time to push. That can be handled another time. Right now, she needs help.
“I’ll do it.” The words come out of me so calmly and confidently that I almost surprise myself.
She looks up at me and I see the hope in her soft blue eyes that instantly remind me of our mom.
“Are you serious? There’s no way you can fit it into your schedule.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I feel Sly’s gaze on me. When she first picked a date for her wedding, Slade and I knew there was no way we’d be able to commit to catering since we had just started planning the Seattle restaurant. Fast forward, Slade has kept the Seattle project on such a tight scheduleand I think we can manage this. So much for just getting to be a guest.
I reach across the table and hold out my hand. She wipes away a tear and grabs my hand. “Are you sure? I know how busy you guys are.”
I nod. “Yes, I can handle it.”
She gets up from her side of the booth and comes around, bending down to hug me.
“You’re my freaking hero, Sutton.”
Behind me I hear Sly muttering just loud enough for me to hear. “Told you. Hero complex.”
OK, maybe I do have a hero complex and I guess I found my next crusade.
I keep one arm wrapped around my sister, but loosen my other to throw an elbow behind me. I hear Sly groan when it lands squarely in his ribs.
Sisi lets out a laugh. “You two are idiots.”
CHAPTER 9
KELSEY
“Come on. Let’s go.”I hold my apartment door open, gesturing for Felix to follow.
He stands up on his bed and opens his mouth wide, letting out a high pitched, whiny yawn.
It’s clearly contagious because I immediately do the same thing, yawning and rolling my neck. I scrub my hand over my face and rub the sleep from the corner of my eyes.
Finally, he slowly meanders over from his bed and trots through the door toward the stairs.
As he goes by, I rub his ears. “Yeah, yeah, bud. Take your sweet time. At least you can go back to sleep on our ride to the shop.” Reminding him that he’s the lucky one in this scenario.
I swear I hear him let out a low grunt as he reaches the top of the stairs to the parking lot. Even from here, I can see the light in the parking lot that’s been flashing for weeks and driving me crazy. I’ve complained to my landlord about it a few times, but I’m not holding my breath.
My apartment is in a generic cookie-cutter complex, on the outskirts of Rodgers, not walkable to anything, and has as much character as a suburban strip mall. It’s never felt like home.
“Wow. So ungrateful,” I say opening the door to Sutton’s SUV for Felix to hop in.
It’s only been a few days, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I have really gotten used to driving it. I think Felix has too. The second he gets inside, he sprawls out as long as he can, rolling around on his back before finally making himself comfortable on the blanket and taking up almost the whole backseat.