Chapter Twenty-Four
T A Y L O R
The fire pit at the Yard always made everything better. So what if Manny threw up a few feet away from me at work today—thankfully into a nearby trash can—and then I had to run out of the room so I didn’t vomit too? So what if Harry had gotten mad when I’d left the room full of children unsupervised? Most of them were old enough to watch themselves and their younger siblings anyway.
He hadn’t exactly appreciated that defense, but he’d quickly softened when he’d seen how pale I was and decided it was best to go into the room himself to clean up and take care of whatever other disasters I’d unknowingly run from. I did feel bad about it considering Harry still had a lot on his plate, but not bad enough to clean up vomit that wasn’t mine.
Second to a hot shower, which I’d taken immediately after I’d gotten home, the fire pit made me feel refreshed. Something about the crackling of the flames and the smell of the burning wood felt meditative. The weather had just started getting cold enough to wear a coat, but thinking the warmth from the fire would be enough, I hadn’t brought one with me, and I was colder than I wanted to admit.
Ransom pulled me against him, his large hand rubbing over the sleeve of my sweater. “Here, take my sweat shirt,” he offered. “You’re still cold.”
“I’m okay.”
Ever since our babysitting gig last week—or more specifically, the mind-blowing sex we’d had—I’d been overthinking everything that happened between us. Every touch, no matter how innocent, the drink he’d bought me earlier, his offer of a sweat shirt. Somehow all of it meant more than it probably should’ve.
I liked Ransom. There was no denying that. He was sweet and funny, and we made a good team at work and when we’d taken care of Cindy. Ransom was comfortable, familiar in the same way as a favorite pair of sweat pants. You loved the way they felt but couldn’t exactly commit to living in them completely.
Before I could refuse the sweat shirt again, Ransom was taking it off and handing it to me, and I was putting it on, amazed at how huge it still felt even over my sweater.
“Woohoo,” Aamee called. “Take it off.”
I glared at her, my jaw tight.
“What?” she asked innocently.
Aniyah glanced between us and then over to Toby and Carter, who looked just as confused. Maybe I shouldn’t have reacted. I’d drawn attention to the very thing I’d been trying to keep under wraps.
“What’d we miss?” Carter asked.
“Ransom’s striptease,” Aamee answered, grinning from ear to ear. “It was quite a show.” She said each word as if it were its own sentence before leaning back into her Adirondack chair and taking a sip of whatever orange drink she was holding.
“Does your mom know you’ve been sniffing the permanent markers at work again, Aamee?” Sophia asked, bless her loyal heart.
“First of all, I only sniff Crayola Silly Scents. They smell like jelly beans, and they remind me of my childhood. Second of all, I don’t work at my mom’s company anymore.”
“Ouch,” Sophia said. “Your own mother fired you? And after only a few months? That probably won’t look good on your résumé.”
“She didn’t fire me. It was a mutual parting.”
“That sounds like something someone would say after they got dumped,” Toby told her.
“You don’t even know what it’s like to be dumped because that would involve someone wanting to actually date you in the first place. So maybe stick to things you know, like…the planets and anime porn.”
Toby probably realized it wasn’t worth arguing with her, so unfortunately, he let her continue talking.
“Didn’t Brody tell you I’m moving back here in two weeks?”
Judging by most of our expressions, Brody had not told anyone. She’d been coming up on weekends more frequently, but this was the first I’d heard about her moving back. I turned to Ransom.
“Don’t look at me. I had no idea.”
“Really?” Aamee seemed shocked. “I mean, when I told him, I asked him not to mention it, but it’s Brody, so I figured acting like it was a secret would ensure he’d tell everyone so I didn’t have to. He really didn’t tell any of you?”
“Nope,” Carter said, and the rest of us shook our heads. “I think that’s something we’d remember.”
“Seriously?” Aamee craned her neck and looked toward the bar like a turtle searching for food until she spotted Brody. “Brody! Brody!” she yelled before he’d even had a chance to answer. She waved her hand for him to come over, and when he was done serving the customer he was getting drinks for, he came out from behind the bar and jogged down to where we were sitting like a labradoodle hoping for a treat. She really had that puppy on a short fucking leash.
“What’s up?”
“Uhh, you didn’t tell anyone I’m moving back.”
“Right. You told me not to, remember?”
“Yes, I remember. That’s why I told you not to tell people. So you would.”
Brody looked more confused than usual. “I don’t get it. Did I do something wrong? You told me not to say anything, so I didn’t.”
“Since when can you keep a secret?” Aamee asked.
“Since Ransom asked me not to tell anyone he was a stripper.” He seemed proud for a split second before the reality of what he’d said sunk in. “Shit! I mean… I didn’t mean… Sorry, man.”
Shaking his head, Ransom laughed. I wondered how long Brody had known. “It’s all good. Aamee kinda outed me already anyway a few minutes ago.”
“Aamee? How did she know? I swear I didn’t tell anyone, even her.”
“Yeah. I know you didn’t. I ended up getting booked for a bachelorette party that turned out to be the one Sophia’s sorority sisters were throwing for her.”
Brody turned back to Aamee, appearing just as
