That was a natural human thing and there was nothing wrong with it.
But...
âI mean, come on, thereâs only one Dorothy, and either you or Everett is gonna end up the lonely old
cat person. Iâm really hoping itâs you, buddy.â
Everett was always flying solo. Now that he was in a relationship and even got two kids of his own.
Jeffrey didnât dare to mess with this because he had no death wish.
â¦
After leaving the diner, Dorothy declined Kennethâs offer to give her a lift home.
Night had already fallen, and it just wouldnât do for them to be seen together, a man and a woman
alone. Especially since Dorothy had no idea how many eyes Everett had out there.
âLetâs just drive you home, then! Jeffrey, it's on your way to drop Dorothy off at her apartment,
right?â Karen wouldnât rest easy until her best friend was safe at home, so she shot Jeffrey a
meaningful look.
He quickly nodded, âTotally on my way! Absolutely!â
It would always be on his way to drop her off as long as they were in this countryâs realm. And if
they were abroad, heâd hire a private jet to send her home.
âAlright then, Iâll head off,â Kenneth said with a wave, grabbing his car keys and not insisting further.
After he left, Karen sidled up to Dorothy and whispered, âWhatâs going on with you and Kenneth?â
âI wish I knew.â Dorothy hadnât eavesdropped on the menâs conversation and could only sense that
something was off with Kenneth when he returned.
Karen then turned her gaze to Jeffrey. âWhat did you guys talk about?â
âUh⦠just, you know, shooting the breeze.â With Dorothy there, Jeffrey wasnât about to spill the
beans.
âWhat could Kenneth possibly have to chat with you about?â Karen frowned, tugging at his sleeve,
âSo did he agree to help us out?â
Jeffrey shook his head, âNo dice.â
âWhatâs his condition? Why didnât you just agree?â
âBecause Iâm not ready to kick the bucket.â
Seeing that Jeffrey seemed to be hiding something, probably not wanting her to know, Dorothy
stepped in and took Karen by the arm, âI have to work tomorrow, so letâs just get me home. You can
grill him after.â
âFine.â
When they pulled up to Dorothyâs apartment building, she waved them off and reminded them of a
few pregnancy precautions before finally stepping out of the car.
As soon as Dorothy was out of earshot, Karen burst out, âWhat did Kenneth actually say?â
âHe wants to go after Dorothy.â
âAnd then what? I know that! Heâs been at it for years, so itâs hardly a secret.â
Jeffrey let out a heavy sigh that contained a mix of frustration and resignation, âHe wanted me to
pick sides between him and Everett.â
Karen was taken aback and falling silent.
âThatâs why I couldnât agree to that! Itâs plain as day how much Everett loves Dorothy. Iâm not blind; I
can see it.â
Karen nodded in agreement; rubbing her temples, she added, âSo whatâs Kenneth to do? Chasing
Dorothy isnât new. If she was interested, sheâd have said yes by now. She wonât be giving no
answers after all he invested in.â
âYour brother⦠heâs a hopeless romantic,â Jeffrey affirmed him about this. But perhaps Dorothy was
a bit out of his league.
Of all the people to fall for, he had to compete with Everett.
âJeffrey, you wonât tell Everett about this, will you?â Karen hesitated before her tone softened, a
blend of pleading and coquettishness, âKenneth is still my family, and Iâm scared of what Everett
might do if he finds out.â
Karen had been frightened since Jeffreyâs last madcap episode.
Kenneth was no match for Everett. Hell, he couldnât even hold a candle to Jeffrey.
If Everett wanted to get at Kenneth, it would be a piece of cake!
âAlright, Iâll keep it under wraps. But youâd better tell your brother to keep it together. If Everett
decides to act, thereâs nothing I can do to stop him.â
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