Into the Sunshine: Of Love and Loss Series Book Two

4

Iris allowed Everett to guide her to the sofa. His hand settled on the small of her back with gentle pressure directing her. They sat closer than propriety deemed prudent. The warmth of his body radiated through her clothes and began to melt away the tension and discomfort from earlier.

To her surprise, Everett took her right hand in his, intertwining their fingers. Then, he draped his left arm around her shoulders, pulling her tenderly to his side until her right thigh pressed against his left. The weight of his arm became comforting and protective, like a shield against the storm brewing outside.

They sat in silence for a handful of minutes, listening to the soft creaks of the house and feeling one another breathe. Watching each other out of the corner of their eyes, they slowly became aware their chests rose and fell in sync.

But then, without warning, a deafening rumble of thunder shattered the peace.

Iris flinched and subconsciously tightened her hold on Everett's hand before forcing her fingers to relax. "Looks like you were right about the weather."

Rain drummed against the windows, becoming a steady downpour that seemed determined to drown out all other sounds. Everett's arm remained wrapped around Iris, providing a sense of safety and security she hadn't felt since Mason died. She wanted to melt into his side so the sensation would fully embrace her. Instead, she fought it by scooting in the opposite direction, putting a sliver of space between them.

"Sally's going to be soaked before she makes it to City Hall," he murmured, glancing at Iris before returning his attention to the storm.

Iris kept her gaze firmly locked on the windows instead of giving in to the urge to look at him. "You didn't believe her about going to the druggist?"

Everett scoffed. "With how fired up she was? Not for a minute... I've never seen her riled before—"

"Sally?"

"Yep."

Iris turned to him, unable to hide her surprise. "Really?"

"Really."

"In all their years of being your neighbor, you've never seen Sally—"

"Your sister is one of the gentlest, most docile women I've ever—"

"You didn't grow up with her," Iris grumbled. "Sure, she's a quiet little door mouse most of the time, but believe me, if something of hers goes missing without her permission, she'll come after you and take no prisoners."

He chuckled as he studied Iris, his eyes softening in a way that made her innards tremble when he said, "And by her reaction today, it's fair to say Sally's as staunch a defender when it comes to her sisters."

Iris scooted a little farther as she nodded. "Her and Celia... It's where Sally learned all her dastardly, authoritarian tricks." A quiet giggle escaped her as a childhood memory flashed within her mind. "Heaven help you when Father went into town."

He smiled. "What would happen?"

"At the time, I thought I may as well have been tossed in prison and told I'd never see daylight again," she muttered, entranced by the delighted glow that sparked to life in his green hazel eyes. "In reality, it was only chores. But they had to be done Sally's way—which was, in truth, Dictator Celia's way because how I wanted to do it was horribly wrong."

Everett's smile widened to a full-fledged grin. "Dictator Celia," he chuckled. "It irks you even to this day, I take it."

Iris snorted a laugh. "How could it not when coming from someone who punched their left side because it wasn't perfectly symmetrical to her right?"