“Hmm,” she said around a sip of wine. Gypsy had seen exactly what her sister was talking about between Miranda and Jack, and Dylan and Emma. But Gypsy had never experienced that kind of connection herself. “I wouldn’t know.”
“That’s my point. You haven’t dated in years. You’ve put your entire personal life on hold. I’d like to see some love in your life, and the only guy you’ve let close is Wyatt.”
“We’re not close,” she said with conviction. “That man is pure heartache waiting to happen.”
“Why do you even try to deny it? You’re doing things that friends do for each other. And he’s so into you, he can’t even look at another woman when you’re around. If you could see the way his gaze follows you around the bar…” Miranda tsked.
“That doesn’t mean much considering how rarely he’s at the bar. Who does he look at in the weeks between visits?”
Miranda laughed. “Who cares?”
Gypsy frowned at her.
“I’m not talking forever here,” she said. “Look, I know you’re protecting yourself and Cooper from a string of bad fits. Who could be better for that position than a guy who pops in for hot sex, then leaves you alone to raise your kid and run your bar?”
A guy who stays.
Gypsy wasn’t sure where that thought came from, but she couldn’t deny that, ultimately, she wanted what Miranda had with Jack. What Dylan had with Emma. Love. Real love. Deep, lasting love.
But that wasn’t Wyatt. Not with his lifestyle. “I already have too much going on. And he’s going to be struggling with this new responsibility.”
Miranda accepted the subject change. “So, what happened with his niece?”
Gypsy glanced toward the window to make sure Wyatt’s entrance wasn’t imminent. “Honestly, I feel for the guy. His sister-in-law walked out on her daughter’s fifth birthday party and left full guardianship to Wyatt. He’s beside himself. He left Belle with me so he could go talk to the attorney, which made him late picking Belle up. I had to take her to my interviews, which didn’t go over well with my first choice. I offered her the job, and she walked out because she thought that me asking her to watch Belle for a minute was unprofessional.”
“Good riddance. You need way more flexibility in a bar manager.” She sipped her wine. “That must be why Wyatt sent himself to purgatory—I mean the grocery store.”
“Yep.” Gypsy shook her head. “I never could have imagined him jumping into a situation like this with both feet. I mean, he signed the papers, taking complete responsibility for Belle. That’s…huge.”
“Sounds like there might be more to this playboy than you think.”
Gypsy was already shaking her head when the sound of tires on gravel drifted through the windows. Nerves prickled up her arms, and she fixed Miranda with a look. “Don’t go anywhere. I’m hoping he won’t stay long if you’re here.”
Gypsy moved into the kitchen to straighten things up, then ran her hands through her hair and smoothed down her blouse.
“Now I see the problem,” Miranda said. “You like him. You’re staying at arm’s length because you’re really into him.”
“You couldn’t be more wrong.”
“I know how you act when you like someone.”
Jesus. Gypsy put a hand on her hip and faced Miranda. “I was wrong. You need to leave.”
“Oh no. Absolutely not. I’ve heard his ass is amazing, and I’ve never had the chance to get a really good look.”
“Miranda…” Gypsy warned.
Her sister didn’t have time to respond before a knock came at the front door. Wyatt didn’t wait for Gypsy to answer, just walked in.
Miranda smirked and lifted her brows in a that’s-interesting expression.
Gypsy took some grocery bags. “What in the heck did you buy? I only had five things on the list.”
“Five things aren’t enough to make a proper supper—” Wyatt caught sight of Miranda and stopped short. “Oh, hi.”
“Hi,” Miranda responded with a little too much enthusiasm.
Wyatt and Belle moved toward the kitchen and settled bags on the counter. Wyatt offered his hand and one of his killer smiles. “I’m Wyatt. I’ve seen you at the bar, yeah? You must be Gypsy’s sister.”
“Miranda.” She shook his hand. “I help out once in a while.”
“He couldn’t find anything,” Belle said with a roll of her eyes. “I had to show him where everything was with the grocery store app, and girls kept stopping us for his autograph.” She added a dramatic sigh. “Tourists.”
Miranda burst out laughing.
Grinning, Wyatt gestured to Belle with a container of bread crumbs. “This is Belle, my niece, five going on twenty-five.”
Miranda and Belle exchanged hellos before Belle’s attention strayed toward the Disney music. She wandered into the living room and introduced herself to Cooper, who in turn offered her an apple slice.
“Look at that,” Miranda said. “Instant friends.”
Gypsy cut her sister a don’t-start glare before stepping up to the counter beside Wyatt and peering into the bags. There was meat and veggies and fruit and seasonings, and God knew what else.
“Staying for dinner, Miranda?” Wyatt asked as he pulled groceries out and set them on the counter.
“No,” Gypsy answered for Miranda. “She’s not staying. And neither are you.”
“Don’t be like that, sugar,” Wyatt said.
Miranda crossed her arms, leaned back on her stool, and gave Gypsy that I-wouldn’t-miss-this-for-the-world smirk. “Yeah, don’t be like that. Sugar.”
Great, now they were ganging up on her. Wyatt was way too big for her kitchen, and he looked way too comfortable there too.
Good God. Wyatt-freaking-Jackson was standing in her kitchen, unpacking groceries. This was weird. Really weird.
It was one thing to have him drop Belle and go, but it was another to have him making himself at home in her house. He’d gone from someone to occasionally shoot the shit with to the guy making her dinner in her own kitchen. And it had happened overnight.
She suddenly couldn’t see the lines demarcating their relationship anymore, and that, more than anything, made her insanely nervous.
He set a pink-wrapped package of meat on the counter along with green beans, butter, Crisco, pepper, hot sauce…
“I hope you’re planning on taking this home,” she said, “because I don’t cook enough to need any of it, and I don’t have room for it either.”
“Just making sure I have everything I need.” He smiled at Miranda, but Gypsy could see the stress and fatigue beneath. “Are you up for chicken fried steak?”
“And grits,” Belle yelled from the living room. “And green beans.”
“Grits,” Cooper imitated. “Green beans.”
“I’m with them,” Miranda said. “Count me in.”
Gypsy lifted her hands out to her sides. Her world was spiraling. She shot a look at Miranda. “No.” Then to Wyatt. “No. I have work to do.
“When I promise a lady dinner,” Wyatt said, “I provide dinner. Since you won’t go out with me, I’m improvising. My guys tell me I’m good at that.”