Free August: Calendar Girl Book 8 by Audrey Carlan Page B

boyfriend and I needed to discuss in the future. It felt good, though, to have those serious discussions to look forward to. I’d never had them with any of my other boyfriends, and I’d thought the sun and moon rose with them. I was such an idiot. Now, I had a new path, and it was all sunsets, surfing, and snuggling in the Malibu hills with my personal hunk.
    Giggling in that way only two fully loaded glasses of vodka-flavored lemonade could make me do, I responded. “My sister, silly.”
    Cyndi’s face paled, and her hand came up to her mouth. Instantly, her eyes filled with unshed tears. Shit. What did I say? “You have a sister from your mother?” Her voice croaked as I nodded. “Max didn’t mention that.” She choked on a half-sob. What was with these people? It was like mentioning the word sister was a hot button to emotional breakdown.
    I let the phone ring but responded while I waited. “Makes sense. I only told him about it last week.”
    She stood so quickly that she swayed. Aspen caught her around the arm and hand to the belly. “You okay?”
    “I have to get to Max. Jesus, this is the reason he’s been so strange.”
    I looked around, not knowing what the big deal was. “If you say so,” I said, not sure why the air had become so strained. Everything had been fine as far as I could tell.
    “Hello?” Maddy answered. “Mia?”
    Aww, there was my light. “Hey, baby girl,” I responded and turned to look out onto the open landscape. The hills rolled in swaths of green speckled with orange flowers here and there. Way off in the distance, I could see the back of a red barn. To my right, I could see an outline of another barn, only this one was a pale yellow that matched the house. A big “C” was scrawled on the front above the doors. A few horses meandered around near the building at least two football fields away from where I stood. There were more animals I could barely distinguish in the distance. I made a mental note to go check out the barn and all the farm animals. I’d never been on a farm before. Maybe Max would teach me how to ride a horse. Two things I’d check off the proverbial bucket list. Farms and horseback riding.
    “Where are you now, Sis?” Maddy asked.
    “Dallas, Texas, on a full-on farm.” Full-on farm. Farm full. Farms full of farm. I snorted as I tried and failed to rethink how to say what I wanted to say correctly. The alcohol made things a tad fuzzy.
    “Oh, no way! That’s so cool. Do they have animals?”
    I nodded, though she couldn’t see it. “They do. And horses. I’m going to see if Max will take me for a ride.”
    “Man, you’re so lucky. Matt and I just finished up an intense day of signing up for fall classes.” Her voice changed, a hint of sadness so subtle it just barely lurked within the happiness she always exuded.
    Turning around, I realized I wasn’t alone. Cyndi and Aspen sat, watching me. Mostly Cyndi, as though she were hanging on every word I’d said. Aspen, on the other hand, would glance my way, smile, and suck down more lemonade. Hank would have a handful of tipsy blonde tonight if she kept up the drinking at the rate she was swallowing them down.
    If Maddy was signing up for fall classes, that meant she was puttering around not doing much. In the past, when she was between semesters, we’d spend the time together. Now though, with me working for the service, I didn’t have that luxury. “I’m sorry I can’t come to Vegas and spend the break with you.” I slumped back into the chair and put my hand to my temples rubbing out the thrum of stress that slowly crept in while thinking about how much I missed my girl.
    Maddy sniffed, and I knew she was crying. “It’s okay. I have Matt now…I guess.”
    “You guess? What changed?” I asked, instantly sobering up, the mama side in me coming fast and quick to the surface.
    “Nothing. We’re good. Really good, actually. Mia, he’s started talking about moving up the