Read Online It's About Time (Hunt Family #5) by Brooke St. James - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Brooke St. James
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least I thought he was.
That all changed when Mia walked into the salon break room one random morning in May and announced, "My brother's movin' here, y'all!"
I was sitting at a booth across from another stylist when Mia rounded the corner and made that proclamation. Instinctually, I took a sharp intake of breath when I heard what she said. This was unfortunate because I had a sip of coffee in my mouth at the time, and the reflex caused me to suck a little coffee into my windpipe and proceed coughing like crazy. It was a good thing there was a stack of napkins sitting on the table in front of me because I had just enough time to get some of them in front of my face before coffee went spewing out of my mouth. One after another, I coughed, and coughed, and coughed until I finally managed to clear the liquid out of my throat.
By the time I finished, Mia was standing right beside me with her hand on my shoulder, staring at me with an expression of great concern. "Oh my goodness, Annabel, are you okay?" she asked once my coughing fit died down enough for her to get a word in edgewise.
I put my fist to my mouth and let out two more controlled coughs, in an effort to soothe my still-stinging throat. "I'm fine," I said. (cough) "It just went down the (cough) wrong pipe."
"Oh my gosh, that was scary," Becca said from across the table.
"I'm fine," I assured them, clearing my throat for what I hoped would be the last time.
"What were you saying about your brother?" Becca asked, after it was apparent that I was going to survive the ordeal.
My stomach flipped as soon as the question left Becca's lips. I cringed inwardly as I waited to hear what Mia would say. Quite honestly, I preferred Evan being in California. Out of sight, out of mind. (Most of the way, at least.) A little voice in my head started chanting 'please don't say Evan's moving here,' the second Becca asked Mia to repeat herself.
"Evan," Mia said, rubbing my shoulder as if to make sure I was still doing all right. "He's coming back home."
(cough, cough)
"Like for good?" Becca asked.
"I guess so," Mia said with a shrug. "He put all his stuff in one of those Pods and had it sent over here."
"Is he living with your mom?" Becca asked.
"No, he's moving into the apartment behind my house for a little while before he gets himself a place. It's been empty since we moved in, so we're glad to have him back there. He's been living with us out west anyway, so for us, it's just a matter of seeing him in a different place."
I had to clear my throat again before I could speak. "When's he coming?" I asked, finally finding my voice.
"Today," Mia said. "Nico said they might come by here on their way home from the airport later."
I coughed again. My nerves were in a state of affairs that could easily be categorized as freaking out. I was having a good old-fashioned freak out on the inside, but on the outside, I tried to remain calm and collected.
"He asked about you," Mia added.
I wasn't looking at her when she said it, but I glanced her way instantly to see who she was talking to, and she was staring straight at me with the hint of a smile.
"Me?"
She nodded.
"That's weird," I said, shaking my head like I couldn’t imagine why he would do such a thing. Why was I the biggest dork on the face of the earth? My face was turning red, and I knew it—I could feel the blood rising to my cheeks. I slid out of the booth and skirted around Mia, trying not to act like I was in a hurry. "I need to go check my client under the dryer," I said, barely glancing back at Mia and Becca as I left the break room. Why couldn't I be a normal person and ask Mia what her brother said about me? I did, after all, want to know the answer to that question. I felt embarrassed and frustrated with myself as I headed out to check my client five minutes earlier than was necessary.
I was booked until roughly seven that evening, and since I ran away from that conversation with Mia earlier, I had no idea
That all changed when Mia walked into the salon break room one random morning in May and announced, "My brother's movin' here, y'all!"
I was sitting at a booth across from another stylist when Mia rounded the corner and made that proclamation. Instinctually, I took a sharp intake of breath when I heard what she said. This was unfortunate because I had a sip of coffee in my mouth at the time, and the reflex caused me to suck a little coffee into my windpipe and proceed coughing like crazy. It was a good thing there was a stack of napkins sitting on the table in front of me because I had just enough time to get some of them in front of my face before coffee went spewing out of my mouth. One after another, I coughed, and coughed, and coughed until I finally managed to clear the liquid out of my throat.
By the time I finished, Mia was standing right beside me with her hand on my shoulder, staring at me with an expression of great concern. "Oh my goodness, Annabel, are you okay?" she asked once my coughing fit died down enough for her to get a word in edgewise.
I put my fist to my mouth and let out two more controlled coughs, in an effort to soothe my still-stinging throat. "I'm fine," I said. (cough) "It just went down the (cough) wrong pipe."
"Oh my gosh, that was scary," Becca said from across the table.
"I'm fine," I assured them, clearing my throat for what I hoped would be the last time.
"What were you saying about your brother?" Becca asked, after it was apparent that I was going to survive the ordeal.
My stomach flipped as soon as the question left Becca's lips. I cringed inwardly as I waited to hear what Mia would say. Quite honestly, I preferred Evan being in California. Out of sight, out of mind. (Most of the way, at least.) A little voice in my head started chanting 'please don't say Evan's moving here,' the second Becca asked Mia to repeat herself.
"Evan," Mia said, rubbing my shoulder as if to make sure I was still doing all right. "He's coming back home."
(cough, cough)
"Like for good?" Becca asked.
"I guess so," Mia said with a shrug. "He put all his stuff in one of those Pods and had it sent over here."
"Is he living with your mom?" Becca asked.
"No, he's moving into the apartment behind my house for a little while before he gets himself a place. It's been empty since we moved in, so we're glad to have him back there. He's been living with us out west anyway, so for us, it's just a matter of seeing him in a different place."
I had to clear my throat again before I could speak. "When's he coming?" I asked, finally finding my voice.
"Today," Mia said. "Nico said they might come by here on their way home from the airport later."
I coughed again. My nerves were in a state of affairs that could easily be categorized as freaking out. I was having a good old-fashioned freak out on the inside, but on the outside, I tried to remain calm and collected.
"He asked about you," Mia added.
I wasn't looking at her when she said it, but I glanced her way instantly to see who she was talking to, and she was staring straight at me with the hint of a smile.
"Me?"
She nodded.
"That's weird," I said, shaking my head like I couldn’t imagine why he would do such a thing. Why was I the biggest dork on the face of the earth? My face was turning red, and I knew it—I could feel the blood rising to my cheeks. I slid out of the booth and skirted around Mia, trying not to act like I was in a hurry. "I need to go check my client under the dryer," I said, barely glancing back at Mia and Becca as I left the break room. Why couldn't I be a normal person and ask Mia what her brother said about me? I did, after all, want to know the answer to that question. I felt embarrassed and frustrated with myself as I headed out to check my client five minutes earlier than was necessary.
I was booked until roughly seven that evening, and since I ran away from that conversation with Mia earlier, I had no idea
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