The Bookworm's Guide to Dating (The Bookworm's Guide #1) - Emma Hart Page 0,2

some baby books.”

She snapped her fingers. “Damn, baby books. That’s a way better idea than I had.”

“What was your idea?”

“I was going to give her a sex education book.”

“I’m not sure a newborn baby has much use for a sex education book, Saylor.”

“No, but since she got pregnant because she didn’t use a condom, Ivy clearly does.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. I was going to have to take back my comments about the good customer service.

“Maybe go with the baby books,” I said. “I’ll find something else.”

“Can I do the sex ed book anyway? Or maybe I’ll give it to Kai for Christmas. Hmmm.” She turned away without waiting for me to answer, muttering to herself about not being able to find baby books even if she wanted to.

I selected a few baby books and set them on top of one of the small bookshelves for her to grab later. I knew she’d forget and get wrapped up in something else, so this solved that problem before it even became one.

The bell over the door dinged, signaling the entrance of a customer, and by the sound of it, it was one of the nurses who looked after our grandparents at the retirement community.

They got mad if we called it an old people’s home.

I preferred ‘institution for the age challenged,’ but my grandpa told me that was ageist.

I wasn’t even sure he knew what that was.

I looked around at the books that littered the floor around me and sighed.

Saylor was right.

This was way more mess than organized.

***

COLTON: What do u want for ur birthday?

I frowned at my phone. It was eight-thirty, which meant my big brother was really cutting it fine if he was being serious. I hit reply to text him back.

ME: A lie in and books?

COLTON: I don’t know why I asked

ME: It’s a bit late anyway, don’t you think?

COLTON: I was going to offer to buy u dinner

ME: We buy each other dinner on our birthdays every year, it’s hardly revolutionary

And by ‘buy dinner,’ I meant that I cooked him dinner and dessert from scratch on his birthday, and he gave me a choice of the three takeout places in town.

Such was my life.

COLTON: Fine. What do u want tmrw? Pizza? Indian? Chinese?

ME: I don’t know, it’s not tomorrow yet.

COLTON: I’ll even push the boat out and treat u to a sit down meal in Bronco’s

ME: Oh, so fancy. Careful there, you might break the bank.

COLTON: We’re not all Michelin star chefs, Kinsley

ME: Colt, I made you spaghetti Bolognese last year. I’m not exactly Gordon Ramsay.

COLTON: Mm, that was good spaghetti though

ME: I know.

COLTON: Wanna make that?

ME: Do I want to cook for myself on my birthday? Not really.

COLTON: I know. Why don’t we all go to Bronco’s and I’ll pay for ur dinner

ME: Who is all?

COLTON: Everyone. Josh, Kai, Ivy, Tori, Say, and Holley

ME: No Amber?

His response about his girlfriend took too long to come. And by too long, I meant that it didn’t come at all.

ME: Colton.

COLTON: We’re not talking right now. I want u to have fun, not worry about that

ME: I’m not doing karaoke. No way.

COLTON: Aw, man. I wanted to serenade u with Bohemian Rhapsody

ME: I cannot think of a worse birthday present, honestly.

COLTON: Are u sure? Me and Josh have practiced our parts and I think Kai is on board

ME: I’ve heard Kai sing, I’m still going to pass.

COLTON: Spoilsport

ME: Dinner at Bronco’s it is. Now go away, you’re interrupting my Sookie marathon.

COLTON: Sookie? Isn’t that that dumb vampire show?

ME: I’m sure it is dumb, but I wouldn’t know, I’m reading the books.

COLTON: I have no idea how I got u for a sister

ME: God liked you the day I was born, obviously. I’m a blessing.

COLTON: Blessing to Satan, maybe

ME: Stop talking about yourself, Colt. You’ll hurt your feelings.

COLTON: Oh, go read ur book u brat, ffs

I laughed and put my phone down. It was good to know that even as we got older, our sibling banter didn’t change. There was a weird comfort in that, even if he was a total shit.

I also wasn’t surprised that he and Amber weren’t talking. Their relationship had been on the rocks for a long time, and while I was in no position at all to give any dating advice since I was historically very bad at it, I was firmly in the camp that it was time for them to end it.

Not only was my brother almost thirty, but he just wasn’t