The Somerset Girls

by Lori Foster

“You didn’t leave a message.” One eyebrow lifted. “I assume you would if it was life or death?”

  “Meaning you’ll only answer my calls if someone is dying?”

  “Meaning,” Ember stressed, “that just because you don’t date doesn’t mean I shouldn’t. Besides, I’d already checked in on Mom and Dad.”

  Well, that was something. Hopeful that Ember wouldn’t start in on her lack of a social life, Autumn nodded her gratitude.

  “They needed groceries, and I swung by to get their stuff on my way home.”

  “Thanks.” A few years ago, their dad had suffered a debilitating stroke, leaving him largely dependent on the care of others. Ten years older than Tracy, their sixty-year-old mother, Flynn Somerset still had his wit, but not the use of one arm and one leg.

  Together, she and Ember had built their parents a small house on the forty acres left to them by their grandparents. It made helping them easier and more convenient, plus Autumn liked that she could get to them in minutes if anything came up.

  As a designer, she’d fashioned the house for her father’s disability, making everything wheelchair-accessible and putting all handles and light switches lower, so he could reach them. The walk-in tub and shower made bathing so much easier. An open floor plan kept the home airy and filled with light, and made it possible to see their dad from almost every room.

  Ember, who’d learned carpentry from him, had overseen the construction...and they’d only butted heads a few times in the decision-making process. When it came to design, Autumn insisted on having her way.

  That wasn’t something that happened very often.

  Their parents loved the end result because they still had their independence, but weren’t really alone.

  The old farmhouse had been divided into a duplex with Autumn living one side, Ember on the other. One interior door allowed them to visit without going back outside.

  Ember used the door quite often, always on the presumption that Autumn had nothing “good” going on.

  True enough.

  However, Autumn never dared to intrude because Ember was the opposite, meaning she always indulged in the good stuff—aka, man candy.

  “That’s where I saw him, by the way. At the grocery.”

  Avoiding eye contact, Autumn asked, “Mom and Dad are all settled now?”

  “Yup.” With a knowing smile, Ember said, “But hey, you’re changing the subject. Want to tell me why?”

  “I wasn’t,” she lied. Everyone knew lying to one’s little sister wasn’t a sin. Heck, it barely counted at all. “You mentioned them so I thought I’d—”

  “Avoid talking about Tash?” Ember didn’t bother to hide her amusement.

  Oh, how that sisterly laugh annoyed her—enough that she gave up any pretense of disinterest.

  Whispering, because seriously, this was nerve-racking, Autumn asked, “You’re sure it was him?”

  Just as quietly, Ember leaned in and replied, “Yes.”

  With just a tiny bit of evil hope, Autumn asked, “How’s he look?” By now he could be balding. Maybe he’d picked up a beer belly. Lost his studliness altogether. She was thirty-two, so that made him thirty-four. Plenty old enough for him to have drastically changed.

  Ember leaned even closer. “He’s even hotter now.”

  Deflated, Autumn sat back in her seat. “Figures.” Tucking back into her ice cream, she tried to picture him a decade older, but failed. In her mind, he looked the very same. Young, healthy, energetic...and disinterested in her. “Did he say why he’s back?”

  Deflecting, Ember rolled a shoulder. “He’s moved here for good.”

  Hmm. What was her sister up to? “Settling here with his wife?” That’d maybe make sense.

  “He’s not married.”

  Okay, so she wasn’t married, either. She knew her reasons. But what were his? “You know that how?”

  “I talked with him. In fact, we talked about you.”

  Lord. The ice cream must have numbed her brain, because she couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Left eye twitching, she stared at Ember instead.

  “I have a plan.”

  After pushing back her chair in haste, Autumn put space between herself and whatever nonsense her sister contrived. With a definitive “No,” she headed for the sink. Whatever it is, ten times no. After rinsing her bowl, she stuck it in the dishwasher and tried to make a strategic retreat to the shower. “Later.”

  Ember jumped into her path. Wearing an expression of extreme disappointment, she shook her head. “Just look at you, Autumn.”

  “That’s a little hard to do.”

  “You know what I mean. You’ve given up and just don’t care anymore. The good news is that I can fix it.”

  It? They’d had this conversation too many times. Truthfully, she’d never cared that much about the things Ember obsessed over, like makeup, hairstyles and the trendiest clothes.

  Crossing her arms under her boobs, Autumn said, “You mean me. You want to fix me.”

  Damn it, she was the it.

  Rather than deny it, Ember pinched the air. “Just a tiny bit. Like...” She looked at Autumn with obvious disapproval, and lamented dramatically, “Your hair. I’m not sure if that started out as a ponytail or what, but now it’s just a mess.”

  “I loaded and unloaded pigs.” She pointed at Ember. “By myself, if you’ll recall, since you refused to answer the phone.”

  “I’m very glad you saved them from Ralph. That’s one thing we don’t need to work on—your compassion.”

  Hallelujah. She had an asset.

  “But those clothes? I’m the builder, you’re the designer, but you dress like you work—”

  “On a farm? With pigs?”

  “That was later and you know it. This afternoon, you met with clients.”

  Autumn shrugged.

  “You should wear pretty dresses that flatter your figure, not pants that look like they came from the back of Grandma’s closet.”

  A slow inhale didn’t help. True, she was something of a visual mess. Inside, she mostly had it together. And, damn it, she liked herself. So she dressed for her own comfort? Big deal. Everyone else could bite it. “How about you don’t dissect me, and I won’t dissect you?”

  Ember gave a small flinch. “I don’t mean to be insulting—”

  God save her if she ever did mean it. Every time Ember or their mother got started, her stomach hurt. She hated that she didn’t measure up, and biting back sarcasm only made it worse.

  “Autumn, stop that.” Ember started to draw her in for a hug, then sniffed the air and changed to giving her a small shake instead. “It’s just that you’re pretty and you practically hide it. It wouldn’t take much to really make you stand out—and as an incentive I already...” She drew a breath as if to gird herself.

  For Autumn’s ire. Meaning it had to be bad.

  “What?” Alarm chased circles in her gut. “Ember, what did you do?”

  “You have an appointment with Tash tomorrow.”

  Good thing she had a wall beside her, because Autumn collapsed against it. “You didn’t.”

  “Did.” In a rush now, Ember explained, “He needs a designer, Autumn, and you know you’re the best around!”

  She had compassion and design skill. Hey, the compliments were piling up.

  “Forget that crazy crush you had on him—”

  “It was eons ago!” Heat bloomed in Autumn’s face. She hated to be reminded of her most awkward years. “Of course I’ve forgotten it. Maybe you’ve forgotten that I was even engaged after that.”

  It was the wrong thing to bring up. Ember’s expression softened. “I know. Neither of us will ever forget that.”

  Autumn threw up her hands. “No one died, so stop looking so grim.”

  “You haven’t dated si
nce then.”

  “Choice,” she emphasized. “There’s no one here who interests me, that’s all.” Liar, liar, pants on fire. Sure, some guys asked, but everyone here remembered her engagement and certain assumptions came with that, making everything superawkward. “Let’s forget all my past failures, okay? I’m over them, I swear.”

  “Great.” Satisfied, Ember beamed at her. “Then it’s no problem to meet with Tash, right?”

  It was a massive problem, but how could she explain that after swearing it wasn’t? She could only think of one excuse. “The thing is, you don’t set my schedule. I already had my day booked.”

  Dismissing that, Ember waved a hand. “I looked at our joint calendar and, um, rearranged a few things.”

  Of all the intrusive, pushy, over-the-top... Straightening, Autumn squared her shoulders. “Rearrange them back.”

  “Can’t.” Turning, Ember headed for the shared door. “Tash is expecting you at six.”

  “I finish work at five!”

  “Yeah, see, that’s how I rearranged. Added another hour for ya. If you come straight home, I’ll have a tiny bit of time to work on your appearance before you have to head to his place on the other side of the lake.” She gave an airy wave. “Tomorrow, if any emergencies come up, I promise to answer the phone to leave you free and clear.”

  “That must mean you don’t have a date.”

  Ember shared a slow smile. “No, but you do.” And with that, she closed the door.

  Feeling militant and more than a little irate, Autumn walked over and flipped the lock, then yelled through the door, “I can get myself ready, by the way! I don’t need help.”

  A loud “Ha!” came right back to her.

  They needed more insulation in the walls, and thicker doors, obviously.

  Frustration amplified the discomfort of her sweaty clothes and clammy skin. Honestly, she could put up with the idiocy of the Ralphs of the world every day for the rest of her life, and it’d be easier than dealing with her family.

  She really, like very badly, wanted to reopen the door and somehow intrude into Ember’s life. But Ember would probably just laugh and go about her business.

  Few things ever got to her. In almost every scenario, she was the life of the party, the fun girl, the one in demand.

  Only one time had she ever seen her sister truly leveled, and she never wanted to go through that again.

  They both had their father’s coloring, with dark hair and blue eyes, but Ember had also inherited their mother’s fun-loving ways.

  Autumn had her mother’s plump build.

  She knew this because for most of her life, her mother had pointed it out.

  Give Ember a break. She’s a free spirit, like me. But, oh, Autumn, you poor dear, you got my big bones.

  Yay. Lucky her.

  Maybe she could add that info to all her social media.

  Favorite movie: A Perfect Getaway.

  Favorite music: anything by Kid Rock.

  Outstanding feature: big bones.

  As she walked away, she thought, Biggest flaw: lets my family boss me around.

  Right there, in the hallway leading to the bathroom, she stalled. No, she did not have to let them do that. For a while now, she’d been working on being more assertive. Largely without success, but hey, that didn’t mean she should give up.

  So was it a bad thing to meet an old classmate who needed design work? No. Not if she didn’t make it weird.

  Would she do it under Ember’s terms? Absolutely not.

  She would get herself ready. She’d be professional but comfortable. By God, she had nothing to prove to her sister or to Tash.

  And if Ember didn’t like it, too bad.

  Autumn wouldn’t let it bother her.

  With that decision made, she got moving again. She wanted that long-awaited shower, a comfy spot in the bed, and then she’d read.

  Pavlov followed her, staying in the bathroom with her while she showered, and then he lumbered into the bed beside her as she began reading the newest title from Karen Rose. She did love a scary romantic-suspense storyline, with an evil madman and smart characters. In fact, she got so engrossed in the lives of the characters, she forgot all about her sister and hunky guys from the past and her stupid big bones.

  Not until midnight rolled around did she call it quits and close the book. Not an easy thing to do, but the alarm would go off early and she had a full day—a day that would now run extra late thanks to her sister.

  Tash Ducker. Her heart beat a little faster. Would he remember her? Would he see all the ways she’d changed?

  Would he like those changes?

  Autumn groaned. Maybe she’d let her sister give her just a few pointers, after all.

  * * *

  “You’re already messing up your hair.”

  Putting away her dishes after a fast bowl of soup, Autumn said, “That’s why I usually put it in a ponytail. Any type of hairdo just falls apart.”

  Tucking, smoothing and rearranging, Ember said, “If you’d let me use some hair spray...”

  Shouldering away her sister’s busy fingers, Autumn explained, “Hair spray gets all gummy when I sweat.”

  “Maybe you could try not sweating?”

  Incredulous, she closed the dishwasher with a little more force than necessary and spun to face Ember. “Yeah, why don’t you invent a way for me to do that? We’ll sell it and make enough to save all the animals.”

  “Don’t be sarcastic.”

  Why not? Her sarcasm was almost as top-notch as her compassion. When Ember pulled a tube of something from her pocket, Autumn scowled. “Now what?”

  “It’s just lip gloss. It won’t kill you.”

  “I don’t like it. It tastes bad.”

  “It does not.”

  “Does if you lick it...and I can’t seem to keep from doing that.”

  Rolling her eyes, Ember gave up and put away the shiny pink gloss. “Fine. Maybe you can make the ‘naked mouth look’ work for you.”

  A rap at the screen door drew their attention and Mike, their handyman, farmhand, do-everything guy-in-residence grinned. His shaggy blond hair should have been cut weeks ago, and working in the sun had left him a little too tanned...in a most appealing way.

  All in all, he looked scrumptious—but better than his stellar appearance? He did great work with the animals, never complained, accepted living in the loft apartment over the barn and was always around when they needed him.

  He winked at Autumn. “A naked mouth works for most men. Don’t let Ember tell you otherwise. And for the record, I think that stuff tastes bad, too.”

  Ember’s eyes flared, then narrowed dangerously.

  Uh-oh. Autumn hurried to the door and opened it. “Mike. What’s up?”

  “I was going to ask you that.”

  “Oh.” She gestured lamely. “I just have this appointment in a bit and Ember wanted to practice sprucing me up and—”

  Hands in his pockets, he smiled and entered. “I meant with our new members, the pigs. When did they arrive? You left too early this morning for me to ask you about them.”

  Mentally slapping her own head, Autumn laughed. “Right. Matilda and Olivia.”

  He went right past their names. “You do look great, though—but then, you always do.”

  Resisting the urge to stick out her tongue at Ember, Autumn said smugly, “Why, thank you.”

  “Her scalp sweats.”

  Horrified, she gasped at Ember’s bald statement.

  “Everyone sweats.” Indifferent, Mike shrugged, then took a jab. “Unless it’s different for princesses?”

  Eyes narrowed at her sister, Autumn said, “I certainly wouldn’t know.”

  “Most of us wouldn’t.” Ignoring Ember now, Mike asked, “Anything special you want do
ne with the pigs? I saw that you fed them this morning before leaving, and I fed them the usual in the afternoon and evening. I’ve already visited with them plenty, too, and let them play under the sprinkler for a while during the hottest part of the afternoon. Is there anything else?”

  God love the man, he’d silenced Ember so easily, she could almost kiss him. Well, except that he might misunderstand the gesture of gratitude. She adored Mike, but there wasn’t a speck of chemistry between them.

  He and Ember, however... Different story.

  Autumn went over the special diet she’d come up with for the pigs, and the area of the farm where she wanted them to get a little more freedom. “I have everything written down for you.” She snatched up the paper on the counter. “Most important, though, is that I want them to feel loved in their new surroundings.”

  “Gave ’em lots of love,” he assured her. “They’re already settling in.”

  “Thank you. Seriously. You always go above and beyond.”

  “It’s a wonderful place you’ve created here.”

  Ember folded her arms. “She didn’t do it on her own, you know.”

  “Few people can feel really good about their jobs, but I do.” Mike glanced at Ember, his gaze warming...and then he dismissed her. “If you don’t need anything else, I figured I’d head into town for a bit. Tracy and Flynn mentioned the diner’s chocolate lava cake, so I promised to bring back two slices with me.”

  Guilt made her frown. “Mom and Dad shouldn’t impose on you...but wow, that does sound good.”

  His smile came big and easy. “It’s not a problem. Your folks keep me entertained.”

  She could guess what that meant. “Mom gave you another sculpture, didn’t she?” Her mother unintentionally made sexually suggestive sculptures that left Ember and Autumn red-faced more often than not. What should be one thing always ended up looking like something altogether different.

  “I had to build a special bookcase to hold them all.” Winking, he headed for the door, and just before he stepped out, he added, “I’ll bring some cake back for you, too.”

  Once the door closed behind him, Ember drifted toward it, looked out, then huffed. “He didn’t offer me cake.”