Wishing for the Girl Next Door (Piney Brook Wishes Book 3)

6. Evan

Mittens darts behind the couch when he spies the cat carrier resting on the kitchen table. “Come on, Mittens,” I call, hoping the soft tone of my voice will trick him into cooperating. “Here kitty, kitty. Don’t you want to go to Aunt Tracey’s?”

His nose pokes from behind the couch. I reach out to him slowly, and the ringtone of my cell phone pierces the air causing Mittens to shriek and disappear further into the crack behind the couch.

“Dang it!” I reach in my pocket and grab my phone, swiping to answer without bothering to see who it is. “What?” I snap, standing up from the crouched position beside the couch.

“Evan?” my sister asks hesitantly.

I drop my head into my free hand and sigh. “Sorry. Mittens is hiding and if I don’t get a move on, I won’t have time to drop him off at your house before I leave.”

“About that,” Tracey says over the intensifying crying in the background. “Brody just fell off the couch, and I’ve got to take him to the ER. I think he broke his arm. Mom’s on her way to watch Emelia, but I just don’t think I can take on Mittens right now, too. This kid is trying to give me a heart attack, or cause us to file bankruptcy—whichever comes first. We’ve been to the ER three times this year.”

I fall back onto the sofa and sigh. “No problem, Trace. I hope Brody’s okay.”

“Thanks, Evan.” She sighs. “I’d say ask Mom, but you know how she is about animals.”

“I know,” I say, already thinking of a back-up plan. Maybe Heath will watch him. “I’ll think of something. Don’t worry about me. Take care of Brody. Let me know what they say.”

After she promises to keep me posted, I hang up the phone and text Daniel to go ahead without me. We were supposed to carpool, but I’ll have to find someone for Mittens before I can leave for the lake.

Lying back on the couch, I close my eyes and think. The soft feeling of Mittens climbing on top of me and curling into my chest serves to both soothe and irritate me.

“Hey, buddy.” I run my hand over his soft fur and his kitty purr engine starts rumbling. “Now you come out?”

A soft knock on the door startles him, and the moment is over. Shaking my head, I stand and wipe the cat hair off of my shirt before opening the door.

“Karlee, hey,” I say, surprised to see her so early in the day. Her night shifts at the hospital usually mean she sleeps most of the day.

“Hey, are you busy?” She wipes her hands down her jeans and shifts from side to side like she’s nervous.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, opening the door wider for her to come through.

She comes inside and looks around. “Yes, I just had a question.” She glances at me, and I see her mentally calculating.

I take her elbow and gently guide her to the couch. After she sits, I head to the kitchen and grab her a glass of water. Taking a seat next to her, I hand it to her. “What’s up, sunshine?”

She gulps from the glass as though she’s been stranded in the desert, and not across the hall in her air-conditioned apartment.

“Well, I recently found out my sister is getting married,” she says, looking down at her hands.

“Okay,” I say. “Isn’t that a good thing?”

She grins. “The best thing, really. Scott is so good to her, and I know she’s been hoping he’d ask.”

I lean back into the cushions and wait.

“The thing is...” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “Well, what I wanted to ask is...”

“Karlee, it’s me. You can ask me anything,” I say, hoping it reassures her.

“Well, I was wondering if you’d be my plus-one. To my sister’s wedding,” she blurts. “I mean, you probably can’t get off work, and it’s soon, and we’re just friends...”

She’s rambling, and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Karlee,” I say, trying to break through her steady stream of excuses. “Karlee,” I say again, reaching over and grabbing her hand.

She finally stops talking and looks at me, her face a shade of pink I’ve never seen before. “I’d love to.”

Her mouth drops open before she snaps it shut. “I didn’t even tell you when it is,” she says. “Plus, it’s in Rockville.”

I nod. “I figured,” I say, shrugging. “I’m sure I can get the time off. It’s fine.” I stand up and move to the calendar hanging on the side of the fridge. “When is it?” I ask, grabbing a pen from the cup I keep on the counter.

“It’s the first Saturday in August.” She stands and brings her cup to the sink. “Seriously Evan, if you can’t make it, it’s no big deal,” she says, pouring the ice down the drain. “I just thought I’d ask.”

I mark the weekend she said on the calendar and grin. “I’ll talk to Brant this week, but I’m sure I can get the time off.”

“Well, I’ll go. I don’t want to take up more of your time.” She moves toward the door and stops. “Where are you going?” she asks, pointing to the suitcase by the door.

“Nowhere, unless I can find someone to watch Mittens,” I say, before explaining the situation.

“I can watch him,” she says. “It’s the least I could do. You’ve done so much for me since I moved here.” She bends down to pet Mittens, who has finally decided to stop hiding.

“Okay,” I say quickly. “Are you sure?”

She nods. “It’s no problem.”

“I’ve got a spare key here,” I say, pulling the key out of the junk drawer and handing it to her. “And the food and things are on the table. Mittens is easy. He only requires the standard cat care.” I grab my phone and open the contacts. “Here, put your number in, and I’ll call your phone. That way, you have my number in case anything comes up.”

I pass her the phone and wait for her to punch her number in. She hands it back, and I hit call letting it ring through to voicemail.

“Don’t you need to get going?” she asks, picking Mittens up and burying her face in his fur. “We’ll be fine.”

“Thanks,” I say, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. “I appreciate this. Oh, and Karlee? I love the hair.” Grabbing my suitcase, I step out onto the landing and touch my fingers to my tingling lips. Being her plus-one might be a challenge. Like my favorite candy, she’s becoming hard to resist.

I get to the lake house around the same time Daniel and Elli do, so I don’t feel so bad about getting a late start.

“Hey, sorry I didn’t ride down with you. My sister called. Brody hurt himself, so she couldn’t take Mittens.” I help Daniel unload the back of his truck while his daughter, Elli, bounces around excitedly.

“No worries, did you find someone to watch him?” he asks, passing Elli a sparkly rainbow-colored suitcase with a unicorn on the front.

“Yeah, Karlee’s watching him for me.” I can’t help the smile that lifts my lips.

“Karlee, huh?” Daniel asks, raising an eyebrow at me. “Seems like you guys are getting along well.”

“I’d hope so,” I say, and laugh. “We’re neighbors after all.” My lips tingle at the memory of them pressed against her cheek.

He slaps me on the shoulder. “Whatever you say, man.”

We make our way inside and find the rest of the gang is already here.

“Better get unloaded,” Brant says to me and Daniel. Leaning in, he plants a soft kiss on Morgan’s cheek. “Why don’t the two of you check on the kids and make sure we actually have beds to sleep in tonight?” he asks, pointing toward Reese.

We head out to help Brant unload his truck and bring everything inside.

“Hey, while I have you,” I say, popping the latch on the tailgate and lowering the bed. “Can I have a few days off in August?”

Brant looks at me, studying my face. “Everything okay? You never ask for time off.”

I rub my neck, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. I don’t know that I’m ready to admit to being Karlee’s plus-one to her sister’s wedding, but I’ve got to tell him something. He’s right. I don’t ask for time. Brant is generous with his days off, and my family is all close. No need to take a bunch of time off. I’d rather work and save the money for a down payment on a house one day.

“Yeah,” I sigh. “Karlee had something come up in her hometown, and I offered to help her.”

Brant grins. “You sure there’s nothing there?”

Daniel chuckles. “Seems like she’s caught your attention, Ev.”

I shake my head. “Nah, just friends. She just came out of a bad relationship and you know I don’t date.” Though I’m starting to think if I did, she’d be the kind of girl I’m looking for.

I grab the cooler and pull it to the edge of the tailgate. “Let’s get unloaded so we can get to the fun part.”

After getting everything unloaded into the correct rooms, the guys and I offer to take the kids on a walk and inspect the lake access and the water amenities in the shed. After a while, we hang out by the water’s edge while Daniel shows Elli and Liam, Brant and Morgan’s son, how to skip rocks.

“It’s funny,” I say to the guys. “The things I enjoyed about the lake as a kid are some of the same things I enjoy now.”

“Just wait until you have kids of your own,” Daniel says. “There’s something about seeing the excitement through a child’s eyes that brings the fun to a deeper level.”

“Speaking of,” Brant says, rocking back on his heels. “I, uh, well... that is... Morgan and I...” He rubs his hand on the back of his neck and drops his arms to his sides heavily. “Well, we’re thinking about having another kid.”

“Whoa! That’s huge.” I’d wondered if they would want to expand their family.

“Babies are wonderful, Brant. Even if they are exhausting at first,” Daniel says and laughs.

Brant grins. “It’s just something we are thinking about right now, but I’m excited.”

“Hey, guys,” Morgan calls from the porch. “Why don’t you come inside and get changed? I was thinking the kids might like to swim a bit before dinner.”

“YEAH!” Liam and Elli yell, dropping the rocks they’re holding into a pile and racing toward the house.

Guess we’re going swimming.