Page 52 of Something Spontaneous

Grace laughs. “I can’t believe it—you and Sly? I didn’t think that he was your type. Now, I really can’t believe that you didn’t let me set you up with my brother.”

She wasn’t very far off when she tried to set the two of us up. Her brother, Clay, is hot, grumpy, and brooding. His rugged blue-collar vibe is exactly what I would crave if I were looking for something serious, or even a fling. It’s a moot point now, because he’s engaged, and I haven’t been emotionally available for anything serious in years. While something casual with him was tempting, I would’ve never had a fling with my best friend’s brother.

“Yeah, well, it seems like Clay is happy now.” I straighten up in the passenger seat and look down the road to see we’re nearing the turn-off that leads into the canyon where Rio Ski is—well, I guess was.

“And I love Lizzy like a sister, no offense to you.” She tosses me a wink before making the turn onto the decaying road.

I brace for it to rattle, but instead her van cruises down the road smoothly, despite all the bumps and cracked pavement. That’s when I remember this van was Grace’s wedding present from TJ. He’d secretly picked my brain about things his wife would want in a new, bigger van that the two of them could share.

Thinking about all the custom features I suggested for their van only makes me itch to have mine back. It was only a few days ago, which now feels like ages, that Sly said the new parts would be arriving soon. It will take them most of the week to do the work, which only leaves me a few days to test it out and get ready to leave town for the festival.

Part of me wants to get away from Sterling Springs as fast as I can before I make another mistake with Sly. I also know I should stay close by and camp in the area in case there are any issues while shaking down the new transmission.

We reach the crumbling parking lot in front of the rundown lodge. Grace puts the van in park and turns it off, leveling a knowing look at me. “You know, if you want some time to…” She gestures vaguely in front of her with an upturned palm, “…figure some things out. With people here, that’s more than fine, Josie.”

Well, shit. Leave it to Grace to completely read my mind and know exactly my internal debate. She lets out a light, airy laugh and smiles softly back at me, reminding me that she gets me like almost no one else.

“Besides, I can think of plenty of places between here and Southern California where I could do some adventuring between now and the festival. I know I could coax Tommy into joining me, too. He’s being the perfect husband, giving me the space to do my own thing, which is why I love him, but I know he’d drop everything in a heartbeat. So really, don’t sweat it.”

I wink at her, opening the passenger door. “Yeah, I guess we still call him Hot Daddy Boss for a reason.”

She groans and hops out of her door. “No, we do not call him that. You’re the only one who calls him that. Come on, we have an abandoned ski area to hike. Get your short ass out of my van and let’s get going.”

“Very funny,” I grumble, furrowing my brows at her before carefully using the sidestep to get out of the tall van because I am, in fact, short.

CHAPTER 22

SLY

Ew! Panties?

“You okay there?” Sisi asks from across the booth at the diner. “You’re not looking so hot.”

I lift my head and glare at my sister over my almost empty cup of coffee. “What?”

She props an elbow on the table and points at me with her fork, wagging it up and down in front of me.

“You have bags under your eyes, and you keep yawning even though you’re mainlining coffee,” she says, spearing another bite of food. “Oh, and your shirt’s on inside out. I’m pretty sure if your hair was long enough, it’d be a hot mess too.”

I groan and bury my face in my palm. My first coffee, before breakfast, went down like water. I ordered a second cup when my breakfast tacos arrived, and I’m about to finish that one. Based on my sister’s observations, three coffees might not even be enough today. I barely slept last night.

I remember everything—the way she jumped when I caught her in my garage, the way she preened when I pulled her hair and fucked her, and the way her hips swayed in that miniskirt when I let her out of the garage and watched her walk away. I stood in that doorway for god knows how long, even after she was out of sight, just thinking about what happened. Stroking myself in a cold shower wasn’t enough to dull the ache and restlessness I felt, which is how I ended up spending the rest of my night cleaning my apartment, doing my laundry, and every other chore I could think of to keep my mind—and hands—occupied.

“Long night,” I mutter, opting for something that is, in fact, true without oversharing details.

She eyes me skeptically before continuing. “Whatever. Are you still free this afternoon? I’m finally ready to close the pool at the motel, if you can come by. Even with the heater, tourist season is finally wrapping up. It’s cold out, so it’s time.”

I would normally say something about how Sunday is supposed to be a true day off for me, but after last night, keeping myself busy for the whole afternoon sounds like a good idea. Besides, Mom and Dad will keep their pool open for at least a few more days since it’s smaller and cheaper to heat. At least I’ll have a place to go and unwind and clear my head for a little while longer.

“Yeah, I’ll stop over later,” I say, just as Riley gets to our table.

“You guys all set or need something else?” she asks, looking between my sister and me, gnawing on the tip of her pen.

Sisi shakes her head, but I hold up my cup. “Another coffee to go and the check. Make it a cold brew or something stronger, please.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “You Sterling men and your excessive caffeine intake. It must be in your DNA, so I know there’s no point in arguing. I’ll be right back.”

I tip my chin to her in thanks, and she heads back to the register and behind the counter. She starts to make my drink, and I’m once again glad that she invested in a better espresso machine compared to the burnt coffee the old owners always served. Even though the rest of the menu is mostly the same, the coffee upgrade has been a lifeline for me.