“So, you’re done with quarantine?” she asked him.
“Yeah,” Cooper said, nodding. He leaned against the opposite counter.
She smiled. “It’s nice to see you.”
“Long time.”
“Yeah.” She was waiting it out.
After an awkward pause, he said, “It’s been close quarters on Sullivan’s. Mom’s been hovering. And Dad…” He snorted. “He can’t wait to get me out to the work site.”
“You need a job,” she said without emotion. “You’re lucky to have one.”
“Lucky is not exactly how I see it.” Cooper crossed his arms. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Here it comes, Linnea thought. She took a breath, hoping she could handle this with grace.
“I can’t live at home. I’m going frickin’ crazy and it’s only been two weeks. Mom’s cooking like Gordon Ramsay, shoving food at me. She’s trying to personally guarantee I gain the Covid nineteen. And Dad, he’s polishing up the brass plate.” Cooper spread out his palms like he was reading a sign. “Rutledge and Son.” He dropped his hands. “I love them. You know I do. But I can’t live with them.”
She pushed off from the counter. “That’s what you want to talk about?”
Cooper’s eyes widened, and she knew he realized he was skating on thin ice.
She had to turn so he didn’t see her face. She reached up for a glass, then went to the fridge for filtered water. As she poured, she tried to sort out her emotions. She didn’t know whether to laugh in his face and tell him the jig was up or to get angry at him for sleeping with her roommate. She went for both.
“You’re an idiot,” she cried, spinning around. “You think I don’t know what’s going on?”
Cooper’s face flushed and he looked at his toes.
“When did you meet Anna?” she demanded.
He looked up and said, his blush deepening, “Today.”
“Oh. My. God.”
“Hey, it happened.” His tone was defensive. “Why are you making such a big deal about it?”
“She’s my roommate!”
Cooper breathed in but said nothing.
Linnea threw her hands up. “I don’t even know what to say.”
Anna walked into the room in black yoga pants and her lime-green sports bra, inside out. “What’s going on?”
Linnea speared her with a gaze. “You tell me.”
Anna cast a glance at Cooper. He tried not to smile.
“We hooked up,” said Anna. “We’re not trying to keep it a secret. Do you have a problem with that?”
Linnea’s eyes widened. “Yes, I have a problem with that!”
Anna had the grace or good sense to remain quiet.
“Hey, Lin,” Cooper said in a conciliatory tone, “I’m sorry if this offends you. We didn’t think it would bother you.”
“You didn’t think at all,” Linnea fired back. She felt the last shreds of self-restraint give way and couldn’t hold in the flood of words. “I’m doing my best,” she shouted, lifting her hands in fury, “my level best, to be half as gracious as Cara was to me when she took me in. And Lovie before her. I opened my house to you”—she glared at Anna—“and let’s be honest, you haven’t been easy. And now,” she said, spearing Cooper with her gaze, “you’re asking me to take you in? What do you think this is? The Holiday Inn? I’m fed up! I’m done! You all can just leave me alone.”
Anna paled.
Cooper narrowed his eyes.
Linnea bunched her fists and hurried from the room, making a beeline to the rear porch. Outdoors, the breeze whisked her hair as she paced the deck, gulping air, trying to calm down. She felt deflated and, worse, embarrassed for having lost it like that. My God, she was screaming at the top of her lungs. She put her hands to her face. That was the opposite of how she’d wanted to act—calm, gracious, accepting. She felt like a complete, utter failure. She just wanted to run away.
She heard the wood creak behind her and, turning, saw Cooper walking slowly toward her.
“Lin,” he called out, his tone tentative.
“Not now,” she said, turning away, wiping her eyes.
“Hey, sis, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said.
They both knew that wasn’t true.
“I know this wasn’t cool. I’m sorry for that.”
“I’m sorry I shouted like that.”
He laughed mirthlessly. “I haven’t heard you shout like that since I beheaded all your Barbie dolls.”
Linnea snorted. “Yeah, I was pretty mad about that.” She sighed and pushed her hair from her face. “I don’t know why I got so mad. I mean, yes, you might’ve given some thought to the whole living situation here. But to be honest, I’m really not freaked by the two of you hooking up.”
“Okay.” He sounded relieved.
“It’s weird,” she added, “but that’s not why I exploded. I think it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I’m feeling trapped. Cornered. And you know what happens to a cornered animal.”
“If you don’t want me to move in, I get it.”
She shook her head. “No, that’s not it. I don’t mind if you move in. You’re welcome to.” She smiled. “I want you to.”
Cooper stepped closer, studying her face. “What’s really bothering you?”
She sighed and turned to face her brother. He stood still, arms at his sides, ready—eager—to hear what she would say. She and Cooper had always been close growing up. She’d been there for him when he fell apart. And now he was here for her.
Linnea began, “It’s like everyone wants a part of me. Not just you,” she added quickly.
“Who else?”
“Anna. John.”
“What about John?”
“You didn’t hear? He’s back,” she said. “Knocking on my door. I know he’d like to be more than friends.”
“I thought that ship had sailed.”
“I thought so too.” She put up her hands. “Anyway, now Gordon is arriving soon. He wants to move in with me.”
“Here? No way.”
Linnea looked up at him, surprised by his knee-jerk reaction. “Why do you say that?”
“You hardly know the guy.”
“We practically lived together last summer. You weren’t here.”
“But he had his own place.”
“Yep.” She conceded that that was the salient point.
He blew out his cheeks. “I don’t think you should do it.”
Linnea narrowed her gaze. “Why? Don’t you like him?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Linnea knew Cooper was careful with his words. He didn’t often speak out against someone, nor was he afraid to share an opinion. “Please. You knew him at Oxford. I want to know what you think.”
Cooper rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s a decent guy,” he began. “But he’s…” He paused. “Buttoned up.”