by Carr, Mari
“What about you?” Finn asked.
“Allison wants me to come with her.”
Sunnie wasn’t sure how to respond to Landon’s news. He could have dropped a bomb right in the middle of the pub and it wouldn’t have shaken her like this.
Ever since she could remember, it had been her, Finn and Landon. Well, prior to high school graduation, it was more accurate to say it had been Finn and Landon, with her trailing along behind, but that had changed in the past few years.
The idea that their gang of three might drift apart bothered her. There were constants in her life—things she could always count on to be true no matter how old she got. Things like her family’s love, a Collins manning the bar at Pat’s Pub, her love of Guinness…and Landon’s presence.
Those things were solid. Forever.
Finn recovered first. “Are you going?”
Landon shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Sunnie asked more hotly than she’d intended. “What about your job?”
When Sunnie considered her unwavering adoration for her family, she figured the only person on the planet who might love them as much—or maybe more—was Landon. She’d seen firsthand the hero worship Landon had developed for her dad. Not that she blamed him, of course. As far as Sunnie was concerned, Aaron Young walked on water. She knew Landon felt the same way.
He’d idolized her dad so much, he had gone to the police academy after graduation, and he now worked as a police officer in the same precinct as Dad. Hell, Dad was his superior officer.
Landon sighed, and Sunnie realized he’d been struggling with this decision for longer than just tonight.
“When did she tell you about the move?”
Landon shrugged. Which meant he didn’t want to answer.
She and Finn leaned forward, waiting for the reply.
“Right after the New Year.”
“Two months ago? And you didn’t tell us?” Finn asked. Sunnie heard the slight tone of hurt in her brother’s voice. Finn and Landon were practically brothers, their relationship as tight as Colm and Padraig’s, who were legit twins, connected by some sort of invisible thread that meant they were always in each other’s heads.
“I don’t know what I’m doing yet, Finn.”
It was a simple answer, and one she and Finn should have expected. Landon didn’t do anything without thinking through every conceivable consequence.
“Let me guess. You have a pros-and-cons list going,” Sunnie said, forcing a grin, trying to find a way to ease some of the tension that suddenly hovered over the table.
Landon smirked and started to deny it.
“Don’t kid a kidder, babe,” she said.
He sighed. “I have a list.”
She laughed. “I knew it. What’s on it?”
Landon clearly didn’t want to tell them. “Just the typical. Pros are new city, new opportunities, Allison.”
Sunnie didn’t point out that she thought Allison probably should have been listed first, but she held her tongue.
“And the cons,” Finn prompted.
“Leaving you guys.”
She waited for more, but she realized those three words probably encompassed it all. “You guys” meant more than just her and Finn, she knew that. It would include their mom and dad, Pop Pop, her cousins. Landon had been practically adopted into her family when he was just five years old and, like her, he knew that being a Collins meant something—meant everything.
“When is she planning to move?” Finn asked.
Landon looked down at his beer, rather than maintain eye contact with them as he said, “Beginning of March.”
“That’s next week!” Sunnie said, aghast.
Sunnie looked across the pub again. Allison and Yvonne were talking to Pop Pop at the bar.
Unlike Landon, there were no dark circles under her eyes, no signs of stress. She’d made up her mind and was looking forward to her future, to trying to make her dreams come true. Meanwhile, Landon was being torn in two.
Sunnie’s temper piqued toward the woman. She’d always liked Allison, always thought she was good for Landon, but that opinion was changing fast.
“When do you have to decide?” Finn asked.
Landon gave him a sad grin. “If I’m going, I have to figure it out this weekend, give Aaron my two weeks’ notice on Monday, then pack up my apartment, follow her later in the month.”
If I’m going…
Sunnie hated the sound of that. Hated the idea of living in Baltimore with one of her brothers—Landon was as good as the real thing—so far away.
As if reading her mind, Landon reached across the table and tapped her hand with his finger—two quick touches to get her attention. “You do realize that New York is only three hours away.”
It was far enough away that they wouldn’t be sharing Sweet Thursdays together anymore. The concept of Sweet Thursday was created by her uncles Killian and Justin, who’d instituted the tradition of kicking off the weekend one day early by sharing a Thursday happy hour.
It also meant no more weekly Sunday football games together in the Collins Dorm.
That brought up an even more horrifying concern.
“Jesus. You’re not going to start rooting for the Giants and the Yankees, are you?” she asked.
Landon visibly winced. “Are you insane?”
They all fell silent, and Sunnie realized there wasn’t anything else to say. Landon hadn’t made up his mind, and neither she nor Finn would feel right trying to talk him out of it. He was in love with Allison. They knew that, knew they had no right to stand in his way if his heart chose to follow her.
“You’ll call me the second you decide?” Finn asked.
Landon nodded. “Of course I will. I’ll call both of you.”
Finn cleared his throat, and Sunnie could only assume he had the same lump there that she did. He reached for their empty pitcher and rose. “I’m going to fight my way to the bar for a refill. Don’t let anybody take my seat. This place is crazy tonight.”
And there was no doubt it would get crazier once the friends and family who’d gone to see the February Stars competition live returned from the show.
Sunnie had been delighted by the party atmosphere, ready to dance and drink the night away. Now…
“Don’t let this ruin your night, Sunnie. I shouldn’t have told you guys here. Truth is, I should have said something way before now. I just…didn’t know how. Now it’s…”
“Almost March.”
Landon nodded. “What do you think I should do?”
Sunnie couldn’t help it. She grinned. “Holy shit. You are in a bad way if you’re asking me for relationship advice.”
Landon smiled and rubbed his jaw wearily. “Damn. Good point. This is fucking me up more than I realized. Lost my head there for a second.”
She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. “I’ll channel Pop Pop for you. He’s a better person to talk to about stuff like this. I’m pretty sure he’d say follow your heart.”
“Sunnie, that’s not—”
“Let me finish. I’m sure it might not feel helpful, but the truth is…it is. This decision is as simple as looking deep inside and figuring out what would make you happiest. Look at Allison, Landon.”
His gaze drifted over to his girlfriend.
“She’s doing exactly what I just said. She’s following her heart.”
“She looks…”
Sunnie saw the moment Landon recognized what she had just seen.
“God, she looks happier than I’ve ever seen her.”
Sunnie nodded. “So make the decision that puts that look on your face.”
Landon leaned back, and she could tell she’d surprised him. “Wow. Pretty smart, Sunshine.” He lifted his pint glass, toasted her, then took a long swig.
“Pop Pop is a very wise man,” she joked. “Of course, we could call him over to see if I was right. Maybe even put a wager on it.”
&
nbsp; He rolled his eyes at her Collins penchant for betting. “That’s okay. I’m good. I’m better than good, actually. Thanks for listening, and for…not making that hard. You and Finn are…”
“Spectacular,” she filled in when he paused.
However, before he could respond, his attention was drawn to something across the room. She glanced over her shoulder to see what he was looking at.
“Who’s the blonde Finn’s talking to?” Landon asked, and just like that, it was just another Friday night at the pub, their worries about the future put away in the spirit of enjoying each other’s company.
Sunnie stared at the woman for a moment, but decided she’d never seen her before. “No idea, but he’s brushed his hair back off his forehead twice already.”
“Oh damn. He’s lifting his shirtsleeve, pretending to show her his tattoo when really he’s flexing the guns. Mr. Obvious is pulling out all the stops,” Landon added.
Sunnie giggled. “What a tool.”
“Your brother is turning into a manwhore.”
She snorted. “Sort of think he was born that way. Remember the infamous Accidental Two Dates for Homecoming incident?”
“Jesus. Yeah.”
During their junior year, Finn had asked a girl to Homecoming during first period. She’d said she wasn’t sure she could go because she thought her family was going out of town. Finn had shrugged it off, walked to the back of the classroom and invited another girl, who’d accepted. Five minutes later, the first girl said she’d texted her mom and they weren’t vacationing that weekend, and she would love to go with him. Finn had been too embarrassed to tell her he’d already gotten another date after literally a few minutes.
Sunnie had felt like she was trapped in a sitcom for the better part of a week as Finn tried to figure out which girl to let down.
He’d been saved by Landon, who had promised to pick up the pieces. Finn explained the situation to the second girl, who fortunately was more than happy to go to Homecoming with Landon.
“He’s gonna have to learn some smoother moves,” Sunnie said, turning back to look at Landon.
“I’d say it’s a family failing. Something in the genes.”
“Excuse me. I’ll have you know, Landon Riggs, that my moves have moves.”
He rolled his eyes. “Come on, Sunnie. I’ve known you since you were four years old. Remember Joey Dantzler in second grade? Those ‘do you like me’ letters you used to write him with the yes or no boxes? Those were really smooth,” he said sarcastically.
She laughed. “I was seven. And the asshole always checked no.”
“I haven’t noticed you perfecting the art of subtlety since then. How many guys put their number in your phone last weekend at the Power Plant?”
Landon, Allison, Finn and Sunnie had gone club-hopping on the Inner Harbor the previous weekend.
She crossed her arms. “Three.”
“Did you text any of them?”
Sunnie shook her head. “Nope. Decided I wasn’t interested.”
“Seems to be a theme with you. Dance ’til you drop with a guy, make out during the slow songs, then ditch them at the door.”
Sunnie lifted one shoulder casually. “What can I say? I’m young and wild and free.”
As if on cue, they broke into the chorus of the Snoop Dogg song in unison, then Sunnie kept going, rapping the Wiz Khalifa part until they started laughing.
“I’ve got another year of school, and I am in no hurry to fall in love,” she said. “Settling down and becoming boring like you is going to have to wait. I have decided to grow up in my thirties.”
“Six years is a long time.”
She shook her head. “Blink of an eye.”
“Not sure I want to meet the guy who convinces you to hang up your hootchie-mama heels.”
“He’ll be built like John Cena with Chris Pine’s eyes, and when we’re in bed, he’ll—”
Landon cut her off. “Do me a favor, Sunshine.”
“What’s that?”
“Keep working on that list until what the guy looks like doesn’t matter as much as how he treats you.”
“Now who sounds like Pop Pop?”
He raised one eyebrow until she relented.
“Deal.” Then she stood up, leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You’re a better brother than my own sometimes.”
He lifted one shoulder casually. “You’re setting the bar pretty low, but I’ll take it.”
Chapter Two
A year later…
Landon tossed an empty beer can into the recycling bin and reached into the tub of ice for another.
“Take it easy, cowboy. I’m pretty sure that liquor-to-beer thing only applies if you aren’t alternating the two. And you’ve already done three tequila shots.”
He turned and chuckled at Sunnie in her Jasmine costume. She and her cousin Fiona had decided to throw a party on April Fools, giving it an Anything Goes theme. It had come at a time when Landon really needed a distraction. And an excuse to get drunk.
“I’ll take my chances.”
Sunnie gave him a funny look, tilting her head. “You never take chances. You reason everything out to the nth degree and then do the smart, grown-up thing. It’s a very annoying habit of yours. Some might call it a character flaw.”
“Well, hold on to your veil, Jasmine, because tonight, I’m all in.”
Her eyes lit up. “What’s the special occasion?”
“I’ve been a single man for a whole year.”
“Oh, shit. Yeah.” Sunnie’s gaze softened.
He and Allison had split up one year ago tonight. Her original plan had been to move to New York in March, but the lease on her first apartment fell through, which left her scrambling to find something else. It also gave her an extra thirty-one days to try to convince him to change his mind and come with her.
It hadn’t worked, and since then, Landon had spent countless sleepless nights wondering if he’d made the right decision.
It had been a very long, very heartbroken year, one he was certain he wouldn’t have survived without Finn and Sunnie, bolstering him, forcing him to go out and have fun and laugh.
It was funny that all through school, his best friend had been Finn, but since graduation, another name had been given that descriptor as well.
Sunnie, his best friend’s little sister. He and Finn had spent the better part of their early school years trying to shake her, the tenacious thing constantly begging to hang out with them.
Shortly after high school, he and Finn both realized how much they liked having her around, and she’d become a part of them, always up for a good time. Sunnie was the epitome of “live in the moment,” and she was a lot like her brother—lively, funny, a great storyteller. She was as true a friend as any person could ask for—there to laugh, cry or fight beside you, according to whatever the situation required.
“Is this a drown-your-sorrows night or a turn-the-corner night?” Sunnie asked.
It was a fair question. For twelve months, he’d been as much fun as the proverbial wet blanket. This morning, when he woke up and realized the date, it occurred to him his heart didn’t ache anymore. That it hadn’t in months, really.
“Turn the corner. We’re celebrating.”
Sunnie’s smile was infectious. “Oh, I can totally get behind that.”
And she did. In addition to the bacon feast she’d laid out as their party snacks, she guided them through every drinking game in her repertoire. Then they’d turned on music, alternating between talking and dancing.
Landon hadn’t lied about taking his chances. He wasn’t a big drinker by nature, but he’d thrown caution to the wind tonight, playing all the games, dancing like a lunatic, his volume matching that of the Collins cousins, which was a feat to be sure.
After getting Flo-Rida “Low,” he and Sunnie collapsed on the couch, laughing.
“We should play charades again,” Sunnie yelled out to the crowd still dancin
g in the middle of the living room floor. No one listened. Everyone was too into their own space, enjoying the night.
It had been a wild one, probably one of the best parties he’d ever been to.
“Hey, Sunnie,” Landon said, slurring his words slightly, as something just occurred to him. “Where’s stunt man?”
“Dumped him a month ago.”
“Did I know that?”
Sunnie shrugged. “I dunno. Did it need an announcement?” She was weaving even though they were sitting down, but he wasn’t sure if it was her moving or him.
“I guess not.”
“You and Finn were right. Couldn’t date a guy who dressed like that. I mean what the fuck was up with that jacket?”
“Made him look like a stunt man.”
“Made him look like a tool,” she countered.
Her Jasmine hairstyle was falling out, the turquoise headband crooked. He reached out to fix it, but wound up making it an even bigger mess until she finally pushed his hand away.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Sunnie asked.
Landon frowned. “No. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have a hangover from hell tomorrow.”
She looked at him impatiently. “Not that. I mean about All—Allison.” Sunnie stumbled over the name, which Landon found hilarious.
“Of course I am.”
“But you’re not dating anybody else.”
He shrugged. “So?”
“You want me to fix you up?”
“No,” he said with more passion than he’d intended. “No Sunnie setups. God only knows—”
“I happen to know a lot of nice nurses from my classes. I think you’d like a couple of ’em. They’re just like you. Boring. Looking for love.”
He snorted. “That’s not a character flaw, Sunshine.”
Her face told him she considered it one. The way she crinkled her nose—noses—was adorable. Why did she have two noses?
“I’ve got this one friend,” she continued.
Landon really didn’t want to go out on a blind date. Allison had been a blind date and look how that had turned out.
He leaned toward her, capturing her gaze. “You’re not listening to me.”