Chapter 4
With Declan spending the evening with his brothers, Sydney realized it might be the perfect opportunity to steal some time with her girls.
Sydney: Hey, ladies. What are the chances I can entice you to join me for the evening? Bring Jeffrey if you’d like, Tansy.”
It didn’t take long before she got responses.
Petra: Perfect idea. We’ll bring a salad if you can whip up your artichoke dip and nachos.
Tansy: What she said. Excited to come over, but without the Jeffster. My parents have been begging for a chance to spoil him with some dedicated grandma and grandpa time. After the way he was cozying up to my dad at the bookstore the other day, I think he’s ready.
Sydney: Then I’ll see you all when you get here.
Didn’t take much work to prepare. The little house that she rented on the edge of town was a two bedroom.
The location was convenient to both the clinic in town and the highway to access the rest of her reluctant patients.
The place wasn’t much to look at, but it had a big enough living space that Sydney had squeezed in three couches—more than enough for a full-on sprawl session with friends.
She took a few minutes to apply an extra layer of makeup. It wouldn’t stop her friends from seeing the damage that had happened, but as long as it wasn’t right there, staring them in the face, she might get a few less obsessive complaints.
She stepped back, eyeing her work. The bruising was masked, but the puffiness gave her away. So much for flying under the radar.
She was going to hear an earful over this one if Declan hadn’t already informed them of the mishap.
With the dip in the oven to heat, Sydney made herself a drink and stepped onto the front porch, staring toward the mountains and the sun that was still high in the sky this time of year.
Such a pretty place. She was glad that she’d come to Heart Falls, but she had to admit the regrets over what couldn’t be were growing.
Still, she had a lot of good things in her life, and that’s what she wanted to focus on. She tilted her head back against the cushion behind her and let the sunshine heat her face.
Which meant thirty minutes later when Petra pulled into the yard, Sydney was a relaxed puddle. Partly because she’d been daydreaming about kissing Declan and his sweet touch in the aftermath of the chaotic visit.
“Lounging without us?” Tansy teased as she manoeuvered her crutches up the porch. “That bench is prime real estate.”
Sydney gestured to the cushion beside her. “Saved you a spot.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” A twist and a hop later, the crutches were under the base of the bench and Tansy stretched her cast toward the railing and let out her own sigh. “Not moving from this place until you tell me there’s food on the table.”
Petra stood, arms full of bags, eyeing them with amusement. “You’re such a lazy butt, which I love. I don’t love that it took you breaking your leg to get you to slow down, but taking care of yourself looks good on you.”
“I agree,” Sydney said. She popped to her feet and joined Petra. “Let’s haul that inside and we can all grab drinks and enjoy the sunshine.”
“Nothing alcoholic for me,” Tansy reminded them. “I’m mostly off the pain meds, but I don’t want to chance it in case I do have to pop a couple tonight.”
“Not a problem.”
Inside the house, Petra put the salad in the fridge and pulled out the giant pitcher of fruit punch Sydney had made for the evening. “Nice. This one isn’t spiked, is it?”
“No.” Sydney grabbed two more glasses, and within minutes, they were all on the porch, drinks in hand and sun beaming down on them.
The lovely type of quiet that usually only occurs among good friends slipped in then. All of them shifting from the business of the day to this time of connection with people they loved and who loved them.
Five minutes later when Petra spoke, her tone was carefully moderated and smooth. “Gonna tell us about the black eye?”
So much for Sydney’s makeup job. “Declan didn’t already fill you in?”
Petra twisted her head to the side, still sprawled in relaxation. “He said something about you getting into a dust-up but that you’d let us know the details. He also asked me to teach him how to use the Finder app because he assumed I would have everyone in our family tagged like well-loved deer.”
“Because you do,” Tansy said bluntly. “And thank God for that. Only I’m going with tagged like rare ghost bears because that’s a little more exotic than a deer. Plus, people don’t usually shoot them.”
Sydney hid her amusement and focused on Petra’s more important comment. “Declan wants to be able to track me?”
Petra shook her head. “Declan wants to track all of us. I’m kind of surprised it took him until now to ask, considering how much of an overprotective teddy bear he is.”
Huh. The big guy had straight-up told her what he planned to do, so it’s not as if Sydney could really complain. The jerk.
Sydney raised her glass, the sun lighting it up like stained glass.
“I did a house visit today and the children of my patient decided I was trying to scam them out of the future money they might get. Looking at how healthy Nora is and the shape the three of them were in, I bet she outlives them by a good ten years.”
Tansy swore. “They really accused you of being a con artist? Do they even know you?”
“Of course not. Worse, they don’t know their mother. I hate to think they might try to barrel over her future decisions, but she seemed to have it under control before we left. Declan gave her the name of a good lawyer.”
“Well, good for you for making a difference in another person’s world. Just duck faster next time, okay?” Petra raised her glass.
Sydney topped up her own glass from the pitcher then did the same.
They were inside at the table, digging into the cheesy goodness that was Sydney’s one claim to culinary fame when Tansy laid both hands on the table. “Time for a serious question, and as always, tell me to butt out if you want.” She met Sydney’s gaze straight on. “You’re not drinking.”
Sydney lifted her full punch glass in the air. “Of course I am.”
Her friend waved her hand. “Don’t try the innocent act. Tonight isn’t the first night I’ve noticed. It’s absolutely your choice whether you dump alcohol in your system or not, but to be blunt, you used to drink a lot.”
Petra made a face. “We all used to drink a lot.”
It wasn’t as if Sydney were keeping it secret.
“We were drinking a lot,” she agreed. “I’ll admit the day I got up and went to work at the clinic and felt like shit until the end of the day was a bit of a wake-up call.
I know better than most the effect alcohol has on the body, and while there are times I enjoy the buzz and the mental relaxation, I think it had become a crutch.
A way to take off the edge when I didn’t want to feel… anything. That’s not who I want to be.”
Tansy laid a hand on her arm and squeezed. “Whether you choose to drink or not, we’ll support you. But this is a thing that it would be nice to know so we’re not pushing your boundaries if you have a moment of temptation.”
“I’m still drinking,” Sydney said. “But only on the nights I don’t plan to work the next day, and then no more than a couple. No more tying one on for the hell of it.”
“Good to know.” Petra raised her glass in the air. “In the interest of true confessions, I had kind of come to the same conclusion. In fact…”
She shifted in her seat, the mischievous glint in her eyes all too familiar. She rose from the table and went to the bag resting on the counter and pulled out two wrapped objects.
Tansy clasped her hands together and muttered in a low, reverent tone. “The infamous moment has arrived.”
Petra shoved the tissue-wrapped object at her. “I love you. Now shut up.”
“I’ll treasure it forever,” Tansy said, hand pressed to her heart. “Or until it’s burnt down to its final nub, and then I’ll recycle the glass container like a good little Canadian.”
Which meant Sydney was laughing as she ripped the paper from her gift.
The vanilla-scented candle had a shiny gold label on the glass with the words The Badass in Me Honours the Badass in You. “Aww, I love it.”
“Ha! Mine is nearly perfect.” Tansy held her candle toward Sydney so she could read Thanks for Being My Rock. If This Was the 80s, I’d Make You a Mix Tape.
“Nearly perfect?” Petra demanded.
Tansy flashed a wide Cheshire Cat grin. “Now you need to make me a mix tape.”
“Oh God.” Petra took a deep breath. “I’m making changes, too. Declan is Jinx’s official guardian, but she’s gotten attached to me and Aiden. So we’re considering making it official and adopting her.”
Holy shit. Sydney’s heart pounded at the idea. “Really?”
“We still have to ask her, but we’re pretty sure she’ll say yes.” Petra wore a slightly guilty expression. “It’s not as if the system will have anything to do with approving this.”
“Since you plan to hack the system and make the paperwork magically appear?” Tansy asked.
“Hacked is such a harsh word,” Petra complained before meeting their eyes in turn. “So, since you’re the people I trust the most in the world, tell me honestly. Do you think being adopted is the best thing for Jinx? Or do we leave things the way they are?”
Sydney shook her head. “You don’t keep doing a thing just to do a thing.”
“Agreed.” Tansy smiled wide. “Sometimes arrangements change.”
The echo of Declan’s words from the previous night caught Sydney off guard.
Petra’s eyes held so much hope, and that was the important thing to focus on. “So you both would give your blessing to that arrangement?” she asked quietly.
“Absolutely.” Tansy and Sydney’s responses were instant and perfectly synchronized.
The three of them abandoned the table, and hugs were shared all around. Sydney soaked in the joy etched into Petra’s face, all because she’d been brave enough to chase what she wanted.