Page 110 of You Fall First

“I don’t know.” Her shoulders hitch. “You were pretty convincing last night.”

I take a beat. “Too convincing?”

Her mouth twitches. “If you get any more persuasive, we might need rules next time.”

Next time.

She tosses another glance at Dutton, and he catches the look.

“What are you even talking about?” he asks, his mouth covered in berry juice.

“Uncle Noah and I are just remembering how great Miss Landry’s wedding was.”

“I got cake. Two pieces.”

“You sure did,” I say, grateful for the change of subject. I was getting a little too heated here in the kitchen.

“Can we tell Mama?” he asks. “About the cake?”

“Of course we can,” Jo says. “And she’ll be here eating dessert with you soon.”

He grins. “Friday!”

“That’s right,” she says. “Now, who’s ready for waffles?”

“Me!” he hollers.

She slides the tip of her finger along the edge of the bowl and tests the batter without thinking. The absentminded gesture affects me more than it should, and as she moves to the sink to wash her hands, something warm stirs in my chest. These tiny moments with her are adding up at a staggering rate.

“We have a problem.” I wince.

She turns, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “What’s that?”

“No waffle maker.”

“I brought one from my parents’ house.” She nods across the counter where, sure enough, a waffle maker sits, already plugged in. Guess I’d been too busy watching Jo to notice. “They got two as wedding gifts like forty years ago, and this is their spare. Although I don’t think I ever saw my mom or dad use either of them.”

“Really?” I arch a brow. “Who taught you how to make waffles?”

She uses the spout side of the mixing bowl to pour a measured portion of batter into the waffle maker. “Dex.”

“Hold on.” I take a beat. “My friend, Dex?”

“Yes.”

Another beat. “Dexter Michaels? Cooks?”

She shrugs. “When we were kids, he loved experimenting in the kitchen, and he’d always recruit Kendal, Landry, and me to help him out. I was a little kid, so I always made a mess, but we had the best time. For a while there, it was about the only thing that made us happy.” She meets my gaze, and her eyes go soft.

This makes sense.

Dex manufacturing fun for his siblings, especially after their loss, is so on brand for him. And hearing this story is a nudge in the gut, reminding me that Jo is, first and foremost, my friend’s little sister.

I open my mouth, working my jaw, thinking of how to respond, but my phone jolts in my pocket before I can.

“Excuse me,” I say, checking the message.

A new text from Link.