No Match For Her by Stacy Travis

Author:Stacy Travis [travis, stacy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781956749021
Publisher: Fast Turtle Productions

Chapter 14

Cherry

* * *

Uncapping my blue water bottle, I take a long drink, surprised at how parched I am after walking the two miles uphill to Finn and Annie’s house. Then again, it’s pretty hot out.

I’m meeting Becca to catch the sunset before the rest of our siblings arrive, and I find her lounging in a bright spot with an arm over her eyes. For a second I think she’s asleep, but then she intones, eyes still closed. “You’re blocking my sun.”

Realizing I’ve cast a shadow over her, I move to the side and wait for her to open her eyes. She doesn’t. “Hello to you too, grumpy.” She’s an obstetrical nurse and works a lot of night shifts, so she’s often exhausted.

“I’m not grumpy. I’m relaxed. You should try it.”

The Adirondack chair at the edge of the deck creeks as I lower myself onto the cushion, but she’s right. It’s pretty nice, especially with the afternoon breeze. I feel happy, really happy. “Ah, this is the life. Do we hate Finn a little bit for living like this?”

“Eh, not really, especially since he works too hard to enjoy it much.”

“I guess that’s true.” His job teaching economics at Berkeley and writing academic papers is pretty demanding.

Becca adjusts the backrest so she’s sitting upright on the lounge facing me. “So…how were the churros the other night?”

“Oh. So good.” I work the kinks from my neck. “Please thank Blake for me. The taco place was amazing, and Charlie spent a half hour talking to the owner of the churro truck about all these types of ferns that grow in the arboretum.”

Becca casts me a side-eye. “They talked about ferns? And you’re still thanking me?”

“I learned a lot, actually. Did you know that there are over ten-thousand species of ferns? And they’re super old. There are fossils of ferns from like three-hundred million years ago.” I look through the plexiglass wind shield and take in the sweeping view of the San Francisco Bay and the city skyline beyond. Just sitting here makes me feel calm.

When my factoid is greeted with silence, I turn my head. Becca has her eyes trained on me, her arms crossed, and her lips pressed together.

“What?” I ask, feeling a tiny bit self-conscious under her stare.

“You spent the evening in your painting happy place, ate the Bay Area’s best tacos, and don’t even get me started on the foodgasm of churros dipped in chocolate. And you’re geeking out over his love of ferns? You must really like him.”

I feel my face heat. Becca’s resulting smirk confirms that she notices. I wave a hand dismissively.

“I do like him. We’re friends. And he’s saving me from coming stag to Finn’s wedding. Win, win, win.”

“Mm-hmm.” Her skeptical expression makes me feel defensive, so I turn back toward the view to avoid her searing gaze. Becca’s silence tells me she’s making a point, but I refuse to give in and tell her things when I’m still figuring them out myself.

So I lie. “Yes, mm-hmm.

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