Page 18 of More For Me

We only laugh harder and he shakes his head. “You know, I have absolutely zero clue what’s going on in this house most of the time.”

“That’s what you get for having four daughters,” I tell him, rubbing the ache in my stomach from laughing so hard.

“You don’t need to tell me that,” he mutters, but it’s impossible to miss the fond look in his eyes as he watches us. “Anyhow, you staying for dinner Lele?”

“Sorry, Dad. I have plans.”

Presley gives me a diabolical smile. “Plans with who?”

“Please don’t say that Troy guy,” Dad groans. “His head looks like a potato.”

“I don’t have plans withTrey,” I say, avoiding all three of my sisters’ gazes. “Bodhi and I are going to check out a new raw food bar by our house.”

“Of course you are,” Presley says, still grinning like an idiot.

“Shut up,” I mutter, and my sisters all crack up again.

“I swear to God there’s something in the water around here,” Dad grumbles as he walks away.

“Okay girls, you know the drill,” Mom says. “Go ask your dad what help he needs for dinner.”

They all moan and grumble about it, but do what they’re told. I remain sitting with my mom on the couch. She nudges me to turn slightly so she can take a strand of my hair in her hands. The gentle tugs tell me she’s braiding it. This is kind of a thing with us girls—we always have to keep our hands busy. We clearly get it from Mom.

“It doesn’t really bother you, does it?” she asks. “The teasing about Bodhi?”

I shrug. “I’m used to it.”

And I am. Bodhi and I have been friends for years. We spend a ton of time together. I know most of my family members have been wondering why we’re not more than friends.

They just don’t get how it is with us.

“You know I love that boy,” Mom begins, and I snort out a laugh. That’s an understatement and we both know it. Bodhi is friends with just about everyone in the family, but he adores my mother. Sometimes I think they text each other more than he and I do.

“I’m just saying, a girl could do a lot worse than Bodhi Lakra.”

“Mom.” I expected this from the girls but my mom has never been the type to nag us about our love lives. She says she has to balance out Dad’s ridiculous over-protectiveness.

“You know,”’ she continues, totally ignoring me. “Your Uncle Daltrey and Aunt Daisy started off as friends. So did Karen and Levi.”

“Not you and Dad?”

She scoffs. “Your dad was too busy with the giant stick up his ass to have friends before he started dating me.”

I snort. “Nice, Mom.”

“Sometimes friendships can turn into the sweetest love stories,” she continues, grabbing an elastic from the pile on the couch to tie off my braid. “That’s all I’m saying.”

“But I don’t have those kinds of feelings for him,” I insist. “And he definitely doesn’t have them for me.”

“Which is totally fine. I’m not saying you should date him.” She kisses the top of my head. “I’m just saying you should keep an open mind. Love has a tendency to sneak in on all of us. You never quite know when it might show up.”