Thank the heavens that my sister chose that moment to join us outside, bringing with her two glasses of lemonade. “What’s so funny?”
Tasha took the cold drink from Jessa with a smile. “I was just laughing at the thought of Jacoby walking Terry around the yard on a leash.”
“Why is that funny?” I yanked off my soiled gloves and tossed them to the side, pretending not to be affected by the fact that my girl and my sister were both laughing at me. On one hand, it was a tiny bit insulting that they’d find that so amusing. But on the other hand, the natural way they were when they were around each other filled me with a happiness I’d never known.
It wasn’t like Jessa and Tasha hung out. Ever since finding out about the Tiffany-Tasha switch up, they might’ve been around one another two or three times, but you’d never know by looking at them. Their body language resembled two people who’d known each other for years. It was both confusing and comforting, mainly because Jessa and Laurie, my ex, were never that close, and Laurie and I had been together for years. It wasn’t that Jessa disliked my ex; they’d simply never clicked the way she and Tasha seemed to.
“Because,” Tasha started to explain with laughter carrying her words across the porch, “you’re this really big guy, and Terry might be a large lizard, but he’s a lizard, nonetheless. The visual in my head is just…entertaining, to say the least.”
I could see the humor in it. After all, I was nearly six and a half feet tall, and considering my line of work, I wasn’t out of shape by any stretch of the imagination. And yes, Terry was a two-foot-long reptile. I wasn’t ignorant to what it looked like to others when I walked him on a leash. But I did it to keep him from falling in the pool or taking off. As much as I wanted to argue that point—stressing that it was out of necessity, not fashion—I decided to give up and allow them to bond at my expense.
It didn’t take long for the two of them to start their own conversation, which—thankfully—didn’t involve making fun of me. I couldn’t complain, because it gave me the time to finish weeding Jessa’s flowerbeds. After only getting bits and pieces of what they talked about, I assumed they were discussing my sister’s experience with fostering kids and Tasha’s plan for the youth center.
Part of me loved the sight of their smiles and the sound of their laughter.
The other part of me feared the very real possibility that this could all disappear.
I wasn’t foolish enough to believe that relationships were easy. I knew they took a lot of hard work, which I was perfectly fine doing as long as it was a team effort. And it wasn’t that I doubted Tasha or thought she would screw me over. I was just a realist. I was very aware of the issues that stood between us. While minor to some people, there were aspects that left me hesitant—such as her being famous by association. I didn’t need that in my life.
Been there. Done that.
Spent the last twenty years trying to forget it.
After a bit, I interrupted the giggling girls to take Terry inside. Even though it wasn’t too hot out, I didn’t want him to overheat. But as I approached the patio on my way back, I noticed Tasha was gone. Jessa was the only one left on the swing.
She must’ve read the question on my face because she said, “She had to take a phone call.”
I glanced over my shoulder, in the direction my sister was pointing, and understood that to mean that she’d gone back to her place. I wasn’t worried—I knew she’d get ahold of me when she was finished. I just hated that she had to deal with this lie. Even on her day off, she still had to sneak off to take phone calls. In a way, it made me feel like the other man.
“How much longer does she have to do this?” Jessa asked, concern lining her brow.
I knew that was concern for me, not for what Tasha was doing, but either way, I didn’t like it. She may have been my older sister, and she may have taken care of me when we were younger, but now I was all grown. I didn’t need her to be apprehensive on my behalf.
“Until the show finishes filming. I think she said there are roughly twelve weeks on the schedule, and we’re in week one.”
Her eyes opened wide. “She has to do this for eleven more weeks?”
“At least. She doesn’t talk about it much. I’ve asked things, but she always seems hesitant to answer. I haven’t figured out why, though. Like, if she just doesn’t want to think about, or if she’s not allowed to discuss it. I have no idea.”
“What if her sister recovers before then?”
I plopped down next to her on the swing, already exhausted with this conversation. “I don’t know, Jess. I’m assuming she has to stick around until the end to keep everyone from asking questions. From what I gather, her sister has had extensive work done, and if she just randomly pops up in the middle of the season with big ol’ titties, duck lips, and a super tight face, people will start to dig. And if they dig, I doubt it’d take them long to find something.”
“So you two have to sneak around until she’s done, no matter what?”
I nodded, not sure why she even felt the need to ask that question. She knew the answer. Even if we hadn’t previously discussed it, she was aware of the repercussions
