The Lemon Sisters (Wildstone #3)(44)

“Yes, I do,” Brooke said. “I’ve got work to get back to.”

Mindy warred with herself for a moment, but it was clear Brooke wasn’t going to tell her the truth on her own. “I met Cole,” she said. “Tommy introduced us.”

“I know.”

“We all had dinner a couple of times,” Mindy said. “When I told him about how you haven’t been home in forever and how much I needed you, he said you never took any personal time and that you had several weeks saved up that you could take if you needed.”

Brooke shook her head. “No way. Cole wouldn’t say that. He wants me back in LA.”

“He said it.”

Brooke narrowed her eyes, running the pads of her thumbs over her fingertips, back and forth the way Millie did, and that more than anything broke Mindy’s heart. How had she not ever seen that before?

“What did you really tell him to make him say it?” Brooke asked.

Mindy bit her lower lip, feeling a little bit guilty about this part. “I might’ve mentioned that I thought you needed this getaway for yourself as well for me.”

“Because?”

“Because maybe you needed me as much as I needed you.”

“You used his emotions for me against him? That’s some bullshit, Min, even for you.” She hopped off the counter and turned to the sink, staring out into the dark night. “You’re unbelievable, you know that? And there’s no way I’m staying in Wildstone.”

Mindy’s chest got tight. She was messing this all up. “I promise I won’t ask you to babysit another second, but please? Please stay? We haven’t spent time together in so long.”

“I can’t just abandon my job, Min. I’m super busy. There’s a lot of travel, and stuff to do—”

“There’s no travel.” Mindy drew a deep breath and met Brooke’s gaze. “Tommy’s staff told me.”

Brooke completely closed up. “Told you what?”

Heart aching, Mindy said, “That you work behind the scenes now, producing, editing, and writing scripts. You’re really great at what you do, but you’re not out there risking life and limb anymore. Also that June is a very slow month in the studio, that’s why Cole can give you the time.”

Brooke looked away. “How long were you going to let me go on about how busy I am traveling?”

“Honestly? I was prepared to let you lie straight to my face for as long as you needed to, because though I don’t know why you changed jobs, it was obviously important to you to keep it a secret from me.” She paused. “Which, for the record, I hate.”

Brooke remained silent, and Mindy knew she was losing her. “Please stay,” she whispered again. “You can keep being annoyed at me if you want to—I just really need you here. I brought enough of your clothes to last until the zombie apocalypse. You’ll be happy here.”

Brooke craned her neck to meet Mindy’s gaze, her expression speaking volumes on her doubt about that.

“We’re barely even family anymore,” Mindy said softly.

Brooke actually laughed genuinely at this. “You’ve just rearranged my life so it works in with yours. The only one who would dare do that is my sister. That’s about as family as family gets.”

“So you’ll stay?”

“You really still need me here?”

“Yes,” Mindy said with feeling.

Their gazes met and held, and Brooke sighed. “Then I’ll stay. But once you’re good, I’m out, okay? No more manipulations. I’m going back to get it together.”

“Get what together?”

“My life.” Brooke’s smile was sad. “Because I think it’s possible I’m as messed up as you are.” With that, she left the kitchen.

Alone with her thoughts, Mindy stood for a long moment alone in her bright white kitchen, the one with the stainless steel appliances she’d hand-picked and the pretty see-through cabinets and wood floors Garrett had put in, all of her prized baking tools displayed on the countertops. It was just what she’d wanted.

And yet nothing felt right.

Brooke was as messed up as she was? Why hadn’t Mindy noticed? Why hadn’t she tried to help? Turning, she moved through the dark living room, startled to see her sister curled up on the couch pretending to already be fast asleep.

Mindy stilled. She hadn’t given a single thought to the fact that there wasn’t a bedroom for her sister, at least not unless Brooke had transplanted a kid or two, which she clearly hadn’t. Feeling like a big, fat jerk, she swallowed hard, but the sudden lump in her throat didn’t dissipate. She had to do better, for everyone in her life, she told herself as she grabbed a throw blanket and spread it over Brooke, who pulled the blanket over her head and rolled away.

“Tomorrow we’ll move you to the guesthouse, okay?” Mindy whispered. “It’s got a kitchenette and a really comfortable futon that I ordered from the shopping network. Ellen DeGeneres loved it.”

No response from Brooke.

Telling herself Brooke understood, that she would fix it—she would fix everything—Mindy headed up the stairs. The night-light in Millie’s room allowed her to see that the room was shockingly clean, with toys in the bin and all the clothes hung up. Her daughter was wrapped around a huge stuffed teddy bear, smiling in her sleep. Probably plotting her world takeover.