Free Waiting for Ty by Samantha Ann King

touch him, kiss him, convince him to stay. Instead, he forced a small smile. “I’m an optimist. Remember?”
    “I know I was supposed to help you move next weekend, but I think we need some time. Some distance.”
    “Okay. I understand.” And he did. It had been a crazy weekend. They both needed to process it, analyze it. Maybe that was what it would take for Ty to change his mind.
    Ty stood and grabbed his bag. He crossed the room, while Landon silently begged him to stay. When he stopped at the bedroom door, Landon’s breath caught. His heart skipped a beat.
    But Ty didn’t say anything. Just shook his head and walked away.
    Landon didn’t move until he heard the front door open and close. Then he curled into the fetal position and hugged a pillow to his chest.
    It smelled like Ty.

Chapter Eleven
    Landon’s sisters were decorating his dining room table. Place mats, knickknacks. He understood the place mats would protect the wood. But what was the point of all the doodads they insisted on cluttering the table with? And why did they keep rearranging them?
    Nikki finally stepped back, her hands on her pregnancy-thickened waist. Despite the slight increase in her girth, she didn’t look pregnant. If he hadn’t known, he wouldn’t have guessed she had her first bun in the oven. Maybe that was why she was wearing a baby-blue maternity T-shirt that read The Force is Strong With This One.
    Meredith stood beside her, arms crossed over her chest. She was curvier than her sister, although he thought the baby might be helping Nikki catch up. They surveyed their handiwork. He hoped they were done, because the boredom was about to kill him. They’d spent the entire weekend hanging “wall art” and buying and organizing frivolous junk. And if they asked him one more time what he thought about this or that particular piece of junk, his brain was going to implode.
    Nikki nodded her blond head. “It’s perfect.”
    Meredith turned to Landon, her tight, pale curls bouncing in a high ponytail. “What do you think?”
    He couldn’t tell them what he really thought. They’d worked too hard and were too pleased with themselves for that. And despite the agony they’d subjected him to this weekend, he still loved them. Both of his sisters were tiny, reaching about midchest on him, but their fragile appearance hid a strength that surprised most people. He loved that about them, even when their collective strength was directed at him, like now. They were amazing women. So he smiled brightly, and it probably appeared real because he was so damned glad they were finally done. “Looks great. Thanks.”
    “Are you sure?” Nikki asked. “You don’t think that grouping would work better if we...”
    He didn’t hear the rest as his eyes crossed and his brain cells began to topple against each other like dominos. This was torture, pure and simple.
    A hand waving in front of his face brought him back. “I was only joking,” Nikki said, her blue eyes flashing mischievously. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
    It was a little early for dinner, but Landon was happy to feed her. During her first trimester, the morning sickness had been so bad that she’d lost weight. Since the nausea had ended in December, she was making up for lost meals. They walked to a nearby Mexican restaurant. At four o’clock on a Sunday afternoon, it was dead.
    They snagged a prime table next to the window, and he helped his sisters with the heavy, bright-colored chairs before sitting across from them. After they ordered, Nikki said, “Jake just hired a new software engineer who would be perfect for you. She’s smart, beautiful, outgoing.”
    Landon barely swallowed his groan. Not bad enough they’d spent the entire weekend decorating his condo. Now Nikki wanted to fix him up. And she would harp on it until he gave in. He loved his sisters. He really did, but why couldn’t he have had brothers?
    “You can’t keep sulking over Mollie,” Nikki