Any Way You Spin It: An Upper Crust Novel (The Upper Crust Series Book 7)

by Monique McDonell

  “I swear until today she has been very well behaved. I don’t know what bee got in her bonnet.”

  “Whoever they were, they had naughty things in mind.”

  Mitch might have mumbled an expletive or two as he dragged Harper’s bag across the apartment to his room.

  “I’m not taking your bed, Mitch,” his sister said, following hot on his heels.

  “Let’s worry about that later. Right now, I need a beer.”

  Before he could make a path for the fridge, his sister laid an arm on his and asked him. “Does Cheryl know about Minnie?”

  “That, little sister, is a very long story. How about we grab a drink first?”

  “Oh-kay.” And then she took her arm from his and clapped her hands together like a small child. “So much fun!”

  Chapter 17

  Mitch wasn’t feeling it himself. He’d been looking forward to a romantic night in with Minnie and now this. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and poured his sister a crisp glass of chardonnay because he knew it was her favorite. He pulled some cheese and grapes from the bag he brought back from the trailer and put them on a plate with some crackers.

  “Thanks, Mitch. I’m starving.”

  “So, let’s start with you, sis. Why the spontaneous visit?”

  “It’s not so spontaneous, we did discuss it.” She sipped her drink and smiled. “Quickly before Cheryl comes out. Does she know about Minnie?”

  “No one knows about Minnie, and it’s none of Cheryl’s business.”

  “Dating on the down-low is so not your style, Mitch.” Her face registered concern and maybe a hint of disappointment.

  “It’s not what you think, well, I don’t know what you think, but I’m pretty sure it’s not that. I promise I’ll come clean when we have some privacy.”

  “Okay, I trust you, big brother, which is more than I can say about just about every other man on the planet.”

  “Oh, it’s like that, is it?”

  She let out a long sigh that let him know it was exactly like that. Of all his sisters, Harper had the worst taste in men. She seemed to favor slick older men in suits who invariably did not live up to expectation. He had no idea why. She was pretty, smart, and talented.

  Then Cheryl walked out, a sheepish expression on her face, and he realized he was in no position to judge anyone because his own record with women wasn’t exactly perfect.

  Minnie arranged the flowers in a vase on the coffee table and took in their sweet scent. He’d bought her flowers. He was one of the good guys and that was exactly why she should let him go.

  The phone rang, and she brought it to her ear to hear her sister’s voice.

  “Hey, Min, just checking in.”

  “Hey, yourself. How’s my favorite bride doing?”

  “Really well, everything is under control. I think my future mother-in-law missed her calling as an event planner. I’m thinking of helping her start up a business.”

  “Maybe she can come and do events at the Inn.”

  “Well now, she does love Moose, but I’m not sure our small town can cope with CeCe.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” She flopped down on the sofa. “Still, mostly it’s better here than I remember.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t know what the opposite of rose-colored glasses was but that’s what we wore through our childhood, so maybe our view was a bit tinted. Speaking of which, how are you and Mom getting along?”

  That was a good question. “I think she’s projecting a bit onto me.”

  “Look at you with the psycho-babble. Explain.”

  “She thinks the fact that I had coffee with Mitch to talk about Sophie’s training means I’m going to run off with him and disgrace myself.” She might as well put it out there.

  “Mitch who owns the bar?”

  “Yeah, he’s my neighbor and he’s coaching Sophie, but yeah, he owns the new bar. For the record, I haven’t been to the bar.”

  “For the record, it’s a really nice bar, not that you should go there, and he’s a great guy from what I can tell. But I can kind of see why she’d be concerned. Her ability to relapse was epic. I guess she’s worried that yours is too.”

  “Except I don’t feel tempted, really. I mean, when everyone went after work to hang at the bar after the Inn opening, I was bummed to miss out, you know, I wished they were hitting the library so I could go, too. I was missing the company not the booze.”

  “That makes sense, too, actually.” She could almost hear her sister thinking down the phone line.

  “Anyway, apart from that, Mom and I are fine. Finding a balance on the parenting is a challenge, too, but I defer to her mostly because she’s doing the heavy lifting, isn’t she?”

  “I guess. I know when I lived with you, especially after Nick died, that I sometimes had that same challenge. You were the mom, but if I was the one who was around, it was hard. I didn’t want to undermine you, but sometimes decisions had to be made.”

  Minnie could see that in retrospect, although at the time she’d been so busy just trying to get by she probably hadn’t been overly sensitive to the situation. “Sorry about that.”

  “Don’t be sorry, I guess it’s just a bit like a divorce. Co-parenting is always hard.”

  “It’s nice talking to you like this. I’ve missed it.” It was the truth. Mitch had told her to tell Lucy, and he was right. If she kept holding back with everyone, she wasn’t going to get any closer to them.

  “Yeah, me too. I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so scared for you.”

  “I’m sorry I scared you. I stopped calling because I was a coward, I guess. Sometimes I wanted to beg to come back, and other times it hurt too much.”

  “I wish you had begged. I’d have come and saved you.” The pain in her voice was palpable.

  “Yeah, well, your knight in shining armor did that. I can’t believe you literally get Prince Charming and the castle. That house is crazy.”

  “I know.” Lucy laughed and told her the story of the first day she saw Chase’s house. It felt good to just talk and catch up. She and Lucy had always been close, and this felt like a positive step toward getting that back.

  “Minnie, if you want my two cents worth, I think it’s okay to hang out with Mitch, but I would take it very slow and wouldn’t be surprised if the kids had the same point of view as Mom.”

  Hanging up the phone, her thoughts returned to another sister, Mitch’s to be exact, who was down the hall thinking who knew what about her. Not that she could blame her. Minnie wasn’t even sure she was a good idea for Mitch.

  That didn’t mean that she hadn’t had the most perfect day with him or that the feelings she had weren’t very real. It was a shame they’d met now. Maybe in six months or a year, things would be different. She’d be in a better place in terms of the children and how they felt about her. There would have been time to prove herself and heal some old wounds. As it stood, the timing was appalling. She honestly didn’t think that was something that could be overcome, and she wasn’t sure exactly what to do about it. She’d tried the being friends approach and it had gotten her nowhere. She didn’t know how to avoid him, living down the hall and having, as they did, several mutual friends. It was a mess, plain and simple, and she wasn’t quite sure how that had happened so fast.

  They definitely had chemistry, which she wished would just evaporate, but that was foolish, life definitely didn’t work like that. She let out a groan of frustration. She was in another mess and she didn’t have the first clue about how to fix it.

  Mitch could not believe he was yet again traipsing down the hall to Minnie’s. The guy who had said he wouldn’t mess with her was doing just that. He felt like a jerk. To be fair, he really hadn’t known that Harper was coming or he would have managed things differently.

  He hated the change he’d seen in Minnie as soon as she’d seen Harper, and she hadn’t looked any more relieved when she’d learned that Harper wasn’t another ex-girlfriend but was, in fact
, his sister. Nope, if anything, that had seemed to bother her more.

  Harper, on the other hand, was finding the whole situation deeply amusing. So much so that it was clear to him having Harper and Cheryl under the same roof for even a day or so was going to be very fraught indeed. Harper was refusing to take his bed, he knew Cheryl wasn’t going to relinquish hers, and he was pretty sure Harper front and center on his sofa every time Cheryl walked past was a recipe for disaster. Given that Minnie’s apartment was a replica of his, he knew she had a spare room. He was taking a gamble as he knocked on her door, but he felt like he didn’t have much to lose, except her.

  This time she eased the door open and peered around.

  “Are you alone or is your harem with you?”

  “I’m alone, and I don’t think your sister can be in your harem, they definitely shouldn’t be anyway.”

  She opened the door wider and let him pass. He really wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her, to remind her of what they had between them, that it was real and that it would all work out, but he didn’t.

  “I’m so sorry for how our day ended. It wasn’t exactly how I planned it.”

  She stood with her arms crossed, back to the door. “No problem. It was probably for the best anyway.”

  “No, it definitely wasn’t for the best, at least not as far as I’m concerned.” He ran his hand through his hair. What a mess. Looking at her, he could see the walls were well and truly up again and the easy smile he’d enjoyed so much today was gone.

  “Anyway, I’m fine, Mitch. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine.”

  Fine was never a word a man wanted to hear come out of a woman’s mouth and Mitch knew it. Fine meant many things but they were never good.

  “Well, I’m not fine. I’m frustrated, and it’s like a three-ringed circus.”

  “Don’t you mean a three-woman circus?” She shook her head as if she was trying to shake free a thought. “Hey, maybe you should call my dad and ask him how to manage that. Apparently, all the men in my life choose the circus.”

  Ouch. “Not me. I choose you.” He took a step closer.

  “How do you think your sister would feel about that?”

  “It’s not up to Harper but I am sure, like most people who actually take five minutes to get to know you, she will adore you. Which is part of why I’m here.”

  “Oh yeah?” She cocked her eyebrow at him in challenge.

  “I was wondering, and please feel free to say no because it is a huge imposition, if she could stay here with you, just until Wednesday when Cheryl moves out. If not, I will take her to a hotel.”

  “There are no hotels, and the Inn is booked solid,” Minnie countered.

  “A hotel in another town, then.”

  She looked at him long and hard before she answered. “Let me be very clear with you that I am more than happy to have Harper stay, if she wishes to, but I’m not hiding who I am and when she works out that I’m not just your pretty blonde neighbor but someone you should not be interested in, don’t be surprised.”

  “For what it’s worth, I think you underestimate Harper. Also, I would never ask you to hide who you are. I’d walk down Main Street holding your hand and shouting from the rooftops that we were together if you let me. “

  She gave him a weak smile. “That’s sweet. And misguided. But she’s very welcome.”

  He felt his own smile come on stronger. Maybe Harper getting to know Minnie would be just what she needed to understand that lots of people were willing to believe she was going to succeed in her sobriety and moving her life forward.

  Harper looked like Mitch and yet she didn’t. Her face was rounder and her eyes lighter than his, almost a hazel color. Minnie hadn’t thought to ask if the triplets were identical. She wondered what it would be like to look at Harper in triplicate.

  “I’m so sorry to impose. Mitch won’t let me sleep on the sofa.”

  “And Harper refuses to take my room,” Mitch added.

  “The stubborn runs deep in our genes,” Harper explained with a one-shoulder shrug. “Sorry you have to suffer as a result.”

  Minnie immediately liked her. “I’m sure it won’t be that much of a hardship. Mitch, pop her bag in the room to the left. Harper, grab a seat. Can I get you anything?”

  “Nah, I’m good. Mitch kept putting food in my mouth so I’d stop grilling Cheryl about her evil intentions.”

  Mitch’s voice was heavy with exasperation as he called over his shoulder on his walk to deliver her bags. “She’s not evil, Harper.”

  Harper just grinned at Minnie and winked. It was clear she was having a wonderful time messing with her brother and his ex. No wonder Mitch had tried to get her out of there fast.

  Minnie took a seat and gestured for Harper to do the same. “I’ll be gone by six fifteen in the morning. Help yourself to whatever you need. I won’t be back until around six thirty or seven, so have at it.”

  “That’s a long day.”

  “Things to do, people to see . . .”

  Mitch emerged and looked from her to Harper and back again before taking a seat next to Harper.

  “My sister will be on her best behavior, although I warn you that isn’t necessarily very good.”

  “I’m an angel. It’s the other two who are the wild ones. I just go along for the ride.”

  “Whatever she’s selling, don’t buy it.” They were cute together. She could see the family resemblance in the way they talked and moved their hands, a small tilt of their head when they listened.

  “Okay, well, I need to grab a snack. You make yourselves comfortable.”

  The truth was she was hungry, but she also wanted to put some distance between the bucolic family bonding before her. Seeing Mitch with his sister and how easy they were with each other made her like him more. She quickly grabbed a pan and some tortillas to make a basic cheese quesadilla. She could hear them talking in the next room, Harper updating him on what the sisters were doing.

  “Dakota’s boyfriend seems pretty serious.”

  “Do you like him?”

  “He’s okay, I guess. He’s kind of pretentious in a hipster, man-bun-wearing way.”

  “Okay, and what about Sienna, is she still dating Marcus?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t think she’s that in to him, he’s too nice, you know?”

  “Since when is nice a bad thing?”

  “With Sienna, since forever, she’s always liked a bad boy.”

  “I don’t think I want to know that.”

  “Lots of women do.”

  “You?”

  “No, apparently I like the liars and cheats.” Poor Harper. No wonder she’d come clear across the country to see Mitch. Man trouble. Well, that was one thing Minnie had in common with her, because if anyone knew how to pick trouble, it was her.

  Chapter 18

  Minnie had told her family she wouldn’t be over Monday afternoon. She’d gone over Sunday night, and Katie still hadn’t spoken to her. Kevin had said he and Katie would be having a word or two about manners. It didn’t make for a relaxing dinner, but it was what it was.

  She’d asked him to let her be a bit longer, but she had no idea if he would heed her advice. She had a feeling that Kevin would not be deterred.

  After work Tuesday, she walked over. She couldn’t believe this time yesterday she and Mitch had driven back from the lake. She couldn’t believe she and Mitch had even gone there but they had and she’d had a tough time keeping her mind off him once he’d dropped her off when she’d finally left the night before, leaving Harper with her. Maybe that had been for the best. She wasn’t sure how strong her willpower would have been if the day had ended differently.

  As she walked toward the house now, she saw Katie walking a block or so ahead so she raced to catch her up.

  “Hey, Katie,” she said, falling into step with the teen who gave her a dismissive sideways glance. “How was your day?”

  No answer.

  “M
ine was fine, thanks for asking. The Inn was busy, but it looks like everyone is getting a rhythm and finding their feet.”

  Katie stopped and looked at her. The hate in her eyes nearly took Minnie’s breath away.

  “You think I care about your dumb job?”

  “Not really,” she admitted. “I’m sure you don’t.”

  “I don’t care about you or your job. Why don’t you just go back to wherever you spent the last year or so?”

  “I’m not going to do that.” She kept her voice calm and even. She did not want to go at it in the street with Katie, she was already the talk of the town for abandoning these kids. There was no need to add fuel to the fire.

  “Of course not, you’re way too selfish for that.” Her daughter spat the words at her. “You don’t care about us or what we want at all.”

  “I do care, and I do understand why you’re angry with me . . .”

  “I’m not angry.” The girl shook her head. “You think I’m angry? That shows what you know. I’m embarrassed. I was embarrassed when you were carrying on like . . . I don’t even know what . . . before you left, and now you’re back and it’s just more of the same. People gossiping about you, speculating, talking—that I hate.”

  “I’m sorry.” What else could she say. “I know what that feels like, and I know it isn’t nice.”

  “Yeah, well, it didn’t happen until you showed back up. We were happy living with Grandma and Kevin.”

  “I know. And you’re still living with them. That’s not changing.”

  “Yeah right, everyone knows you’ll make us leave or move in with you, you’re our mother when it suits you and you call the shots.”

  Minnie crossed her arms and looked at her daughter. “Who exactly is this mythical everyone?”

  “Everyone. My friends, people I overhear . . .”

  “Well, have you ever considered they might not know what they’re talking about?” She tried to keep her voice soft and calm.

  “Let’s go in the house and I’ll explain to you and your sister and brother what’s really happening. Come on.” And then she walked off, up the street and straight up the front steps, down the hall to the kitchen. When she got inside, she called, “Soph, Olly, family meeting, get to the kitchen.”