Done (Harmony Haven #1)

Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

SUNDAY DINNER

EASTON

“Well, look who decided to show up.” West leaned back on the couch in our grandparents’ living room, putting his hands behind his head.

“I had to work last Sunday,” I argued. He knew that.

“Yeah but I haven’t heard from you in over a week.”

“Phone calls go both ways.”

“True,” he nodded. “But you always call me first.”

“I’ve been busy.” I sat down next to him, not bothering to look for Grams and Gramps until after I talked to West. “Been spending a lot of time with Jesse and Max.”

“How’s that going?”

I smiled, looking down at my foot even though there was nothing more than an old boot to keep my attention locked on. But it kept me from looking at West and letting him see how different I was from the last time we talked. It was inevitable that he would know, but I wanted it to be on my own time.

“Jesse’s amazing.” I gave him a piece of the truth and then added, “So damn amazing.”

“Sounds serious.”

“It could be,” I shrugged. “But ya know, she’s a single mom, and I need to navigate that differently than I would someone else.”

“True,” he sighed.

“What’s going on in the city?”

“Not much,” he groaned, making me think that what he really meant was. “A fuck ton.”

West was the quietest of us three brothers. He was strong and tried to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. He never wanted to burden Miles and me, or Grams and Gramps. If it was serious, I hoped he would tell us. Even if we teased him about how boring his job was, he knew he could tell us anything. But for now, I knew I needed to respect the fact that he was handling whatever it was on his own.

“Did you use those condoms?” Gramps asked as he came into the room.

“What happened to, hi? Hello there? How are you?” I mumbled.

“What the hell are you even talking about?” West laughed, suddenly snapping out of his moment of funk and finding my embarrassment entertaining.

“The boy is messing around with the new girl in town and I thought it was only proper to make sure he was wrapped up.”

“Proper?” West wailed. “Please don’t tell me–”

“He had Ms. Ellison bring condoms over in a grocery bag.”

“A grocery bag?”

“Piggly Wiggly,” I clarified so he could feel how deep my mortification extended.

“No way.” West was laughing so hard he was choking, and I thought that it was probably a good thing he chose jeans and a t-shirt for tonight’s dinner because he’d probably ruin his fancy suit.

“If you’re sexually active, West,” Gramps pointed at him, “I can send you some as well.”

“What?” West shook his head. “No Gramps, not me. I’m still a virgin.”

I stood up and ran across the room, not wanting to be in the path of the lightning strike God was about to send down on West’s lies. Gramps knew better than to believe that, surely. He raised us from the time we were preteens. He knew who we were, and that we were all far from being chaste. Not to mention we were in our thirties.

But he had never outright bought us condoms and I had to wonder what had gotten into him all of a sudden.

“Miles isn’t coming,” Grams yelled from the kitchen. “Get in here and eat.”

Miles? Where’s Miles? I hadn’t heard from him all week either. Not since I said goodbye to him at the festival.

“Did he call?” I asked Grams, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“He did, and he’s busy,” she said matter of factly.

As I sat down, I tilted my head and eyed Gramps. He looked smug, like he was proud of himself for embarrassing me and I couldn’t help but ask, “Did Miles need condoms too?”