and that was all she wrote. I think something’s busted on the bottom. I got a replacement but I can’t get the old one loose. Trying to take it off just made it drip more.” She frowned in consternation as she loaded Sydney’s plate. “Stupid sink.”
Sydney grinned up at her. “Mommy said some very bad words when it started dripping. I think she needs to be grounded, Archer.”
Emma wrinkled her nose back at her daughter. “You little stinker. I put money in the cookie jar.”
“Lots of money. Five whole dollars,” Sydney agreed solemnly.
Archer wasn’t even bothering to hide his amusement. He winked at Sydney. “Maybe we should spank her.”
“You could try,” Emma warned him. She shook a finger at him. “Behave yourself or you won’t get dessert.” She didn’t think about how provocative the words were until they were out of her mouth, and then she felt herself flush.
Oh, there was a flicker of something. His grin widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but a glance at Sydney’s rapt expression seemed to curb his tongue.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Amelia shot her an I-told-you-so look. “So how’s work? Are the cats playing while Uncle Jack’s away, or do you have them in hand?”
“They’ve not been too bad.” Archer had recently been promoted to assistant manager of the service department at the dealership where he and Jack worked. As Jack was out of the office for the next couple of weeks, Archer was fully in charge for the first time. “Have you heard from the family?”
Amelia nodded. “Mom called last night. They sounded like they didn’t want to leave at the end of the week, even though they’ve been there several days now.”
“How’d Zanny make the trip?” he asked. “Being so pregnant and all?”
“Better than she expected,” Emma answered. “She’s at that sweet point where she’s past the morning sickness and not yet big enough that she’s miserable.” She handed Sydney a napkin as a gentle reminder to not use her sleeve. In less than two weeks, her baby was going to be five. She could hardly believe that the time had gone by so quickly.
“When they get back we seriously need to set Burke and Michelle up,” Amelia chimed in. “Have you seen the sparks that fly when they’re around each other?” Michelle was their cousin, a pediatrician, and was the same age as Emma and Ben. She’d just gotten over a bad relationship, and the tension between her and the state trooper was almost palpable when they were near each other.
“It’s been hard to miss. Just let me know if you need my help.” Emma raised her glass to hide her smile. Pip had worked Emma’s relationship with Burke into the conversation so naturally, if Emma hadn’t known what her sister was doing she’d never have suspected a thing.
Archer was frowning a little on the other side of the table. “Isn’t that going to be awkward? Setting him up with your cousin?” He kept his gaze mostly on his food, lifting it only briefly to meet Emma’s.
“No. Why should it be? Don’t tell you me you think we’re involved?”
He shrugged. “Maybe not now, but you were.”
Emma laughed. “No, we never were. Well, we did go on one official ‘date,’” she confessed. “It was awkward as all get out. I don’t know who was more uncomfortable, me or him. No, we’re much better friends than anything. Always have been, at least since we became adults.”
“Mommy, is it true what Uncle Ben said? When you were a little girl like me, you hit Burke?” Sydney’s head was cocked as she waited for the answer.
“Yes, it’s true. He was being mean to Zanny and I couldn’t stand for that. I was wrong to hit him, though.”
Sydney frowned. “But he was mean to Aunt Zanny. How else could you stop him?”
“He was. And I guess I could have gone to a teacher or just gotten between him and her and sent Ben for help, but I reacted without thinking.”
She nodded decisively. “And that’s why Grandpa
Sydney grinned up at her. “Mommy said some very bad words when it started dripping. I think she needs to be grounded, Archer.”
Emma wrinkled her nose back at her daughter. “You little stinker. I put money in the cookie jar.”
“Lots of money. Five whole dollars,” Sydney agreed solemnly.
Archer wasn’t even bothering to hide his amusement. He winked at Sydney. “Maybe we should spank her.”
“You could try,” Emma warned him. She shook a finger at him. “Behave yourself or you won’t get dessert.” She didn’t think about how provocative the words were until they were out of her mouth, and then she felt herself flush.
Oh, there was a flicker of something. His grin widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but a glance at Sydney’s rapt expression seemed to curb his tongue.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Amelia shot her an I-told-you-so look. “So how’s work? Are the cats playing while Uncle Jack’s away, or do you have them in hand?”
“They’ve not been too bad.” Archer had recently been promoted to assistant manager of the service department at the dealership where he and Jack worked. As Jack was out of the office for the next couple of weeks, Archer was fully in charge for the first time. “Have you heard from the family?”
Amelia nodded. “Mom called last night. They sounded like they didn’t want to leave at the end of the week, even though they’ve been there several days now.”
“How’d Zanny make the trip?” he asked. “Being so pregnant and all?”
“Better than she expected,” Emma answered. “She’s at that sweet point where she’s past the morning sickness and not yet big enough that she’s miserable.” She handed Sydney a napkin as a gentle reminder to not use her sleeve. In less than two weeks, her baby was going to be five. She could hardly believe that the time had gone by so quickly.
“When they get back we seriously need to set Burke and Michelle up,” Amelia chimed in. “Have you seen the sparks that fly when they’re around each other?” Michelle was their cousin, a pediatrician, and was the same age as Emma and Ben. She’d just gotten over a bad relationship, and the tension between her and the state trooper was almost palpable when they were near each other.
“It’s been hard to miss. Just let me know if you need my help.” Emma raised her glass to hide her smile. Pip had worked Emma’s relationship with Burke into the conversation so naturally, if Emma hadn’t known what her sister was doing she’d never have suspected a thing.
Archer was frowning a little on the other side of the table. “Isn’t that going to be awkward? Setting him up with your cousin?” He kept his gaze mostly on his food, lifting it only briefly to meet Emma’s.
“No. Why should it be? Don’t tell you me you think we’re involved?”
He shrugged. “Maybe not now, but you were.”
Emma laughed. “No, we never were. Well, we did go on one official ‘date,’” she confessed. “It was awkward as all get out. I don’t know who was more uncomfortable, me or him. No, we’re much better friends than anything. Always have been, at least since we became adults.”
“Mommy, is it true what Uncle Ben said? When you were a little girl like me, you hit Burke?” Sydney’s head was cocked as she waited for the answer.
“Yes, it’s true. He was being mean to Zanny and I couldn’t stand for that. I was wrong to hit him, though.”
Sydney frowned. “But he was mean to Aunt Zanny. How else could you stop him?”
“He was. And I guess I could have gone to a teacher or just gotten between him and her and sent Ben for help, but I reacted without thinking.”
She nodded decisively. “And that’s why Grandpa
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