Before the Sunset (Cottonwood Cove, #4)(31)

“Thanks for the commentary, Liv. Didn’t you sleep with your lab partner in college who you called your best friend at the time? The whole thing blew up in your face.”

“Ahhh… Newman Cock.”

“That was not his name,” Reese said over her laughter. We were all laughing now because Olivia Murphy had no filter.

“Fine. It was Newman Glock. He wore those thick-rimmed glasses and barely spoke, but the man was a freak in the sheets.”

“I want those words written on my tombstone,” I said as I winked at my best friend, who was gaping at me.

“Yeah, that’s not happening. And where is your bestie now?” Reese crossed her arms over her chest.

“Well, he turned into a stage-five clinger. Started talking about marriage after our little fling got started.”

“He broke your door down and sprayed Mace in your date’s face. The poor guy got arrested, didn’t he?” Reese asked as she studied her sister.

“It was the campus police. It’s not like he had a record. But yeah, a restraining order is a real buzzkill for a friendship.”

“Are you hearing this?” Reese asked me. “This is who is offering us advice?”

“Listen, she makes a fair point. And nothing would ever come between us, you know that, right?”

“Do not encourage her. It’s not happening.”

“Think about it. You could go back to Carl and teach him a thing or two. Show him what you like. The man is a doctor, after all. The least he can do is figure out how to find a woman’s G-spot,” Olivia said.

I barked out a laugh, and Reese pointed at the door. “Goodbye. I told you that in confidence when you got me liquored up in London. No more sex talk. Go find yourself a man and stay out of this.”

“So touchy. Or is she just in need of being touched?” Olivia squealed when Reese pinched her arm and guided her toward the door.

“Thanks for coming,” Reese grumped.

“That’s what she said, Finny!” Olivia bellowed.

“Damn. You beat me to the punch on that one. That’s my line, girl.”

Reese closed the door behind her sister and shook her head at me.

“You’re both insane.”

“Are we, though?” I teased.

Because I didn’t think it was a bad idea at all.

Hell, I’d had a little preview last night.

And I couldn’t get the vision of her out of my head.





twelve





Reese





Finn helped me bring a bunch of things over to the new office this morning, as I’d spent the last week moving stuff over here and getting set up. My parents had surprised me with a desk that had just been delivered. Tonight, we were going to the Bumpkin Pumpkin Fall Festival downtown. It was one of my favorite events in Cottonwood Cove, and Finn and I had been going to it since before we could even walk. This year it was falling on the day before Halloween, which would make it even more fun because the kids would all come in costume and take advantage of the opportunity to dress up two days in a row.

Everyone in town would be there, and the weather was getting chilly, so we’d need to bundle up. Tomorrow was the interview with The Hollywood Moment, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to being a little nervous now that it was so close. I didn’t want to do anything to mess things up for Finn.

“I’ve got macaroni and cheese and cornbread,” my dad said as he and Finn walked back inside.

I’d chosen a name, and it was Sunset Cove Design.

I like what it represented.

Three of my favorite things. The water and the sunset and design.

To me, this represented beauty.

I’d minored in graphic design in college, so I’d been working on my logo for a long time—long before I even knew this pipe dream of mine could actually become a reality.

My friend, Maggie, was coming by to paint the logo on the large front window this weekend. She’d done a few of the shop windows in town, and I was thrilled that things were really coming together.

“Oh, good, I’m starving,” my mom said. “I just got those pictures hung in your bathroom for you.”

“Thanks, Mama. You guys are the best. I don’t really have any clients, so it’s not like there’s any urgency.”

“Hey. I take offense to that. I’m your client.” Finn set down a large bag of food on the card table my parents had brought over for an extra place to sit for now.

“I know that. But I live with you. So, it’s not like you meet me at the office.”

“I’m here, aren’t I?” He smirked before helping my dad carry the folding chairs and placing them around the table.

I had bins of fabric samples I’d been collecting, along with endless design notebooks and magazines that were stacked on the built-in shelving that had come in handy.

It was a start.

“You just got the keys a week ago, so I think you’re doing really well,” my father said.

“Thanks. I appreciate you all helping me get set up.”

“Always,” they all said at the same time before my mom started grilling us about the interview.

“Are you nervous? It’s a big magazine. Will they be taking photos of you guys?” she asked.