A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram #2) by Darynda Jones

He took her hand into his. “Is it that bad?”

“You’re pretty wonderful, Quincy Lynn.”

The look he gave her was full of suspicion. “All right. What’d I do?”

She chuckled softly and bent to kiss his cheek as well.

“Damn it. Am I fired? You’re firing me, aren’t you?”

“No,” she said with a soft chuckle. “It’s what you’re about to do.”

“Uh-oh.”

“How would you like a roommate?”

An emotion born of panic and something akin to gut-wrenching terror flashed across his face, then he looked over at the unconscious kid beside him and calmed. “Will I get to order him around? Make him rake leaves and shit?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’m in.”

Sun knew it would be no walk in the park, unless it was one of those parks where all the kids hang out drinking beer they stole from their dad and smoking pot they stole from their mom, but she had faith in her BFF. He was amazing with Auri and Sun would be right there if he needed advice. Or a shoulder to cry on when he realized teens had their own form of logic that defied the conventions of all things in the known universe.

He’d be fine.

The staff managed to get Auri and Cruz assigned to rooms across the hall from one another once they got out of ICU. Auri would get transferred first, even though they probably wouldn’t release Cruz until later that evening or possibly the next day.

But they were both still in ICU at seven that morning when Hailey walked in. She stopped short when she saw Levi, and her jaw fell open. She looked at Sun in a panic.

Thankfully, Hailey’s brother was still asleep as she tiptoed backwards. Sun eased around him and took Hailey to the nurse’s break room where the Jell-O was cheap and the coffee flowed free. She should know. She was on her eighth cup. In her defense, they were tiny cups.

Once they were out of Levi’s line of sight, Hailey threw her arms around Sun. “I’m so sorry, honey,” she said.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Sun said, thrilled to see her.

“I had to lie and say that I was Auri’s aunt. Oh, my God, Sunshine. This is crazy. What happened?”

“I wish I knew. I have an idea, but I can’t be certain until I interrogate the redhead. Under a thousand-watt lightbulb.”

Hailey grinned sadly. “I’m just glad she and Cruz are okay. Is it true?”

“About his dad? Yes.”

She covered her mouth with a hand. “That poor baby.”

“Wait, how did you know?”

Hailey deadpanned her.

“Right. Small town.” Sun couldn’t let the depths of her sorrow take hold again. She was barely keeping her shit together as it was. “I was going to call you this morning so you could tell Jimmy.”

She nodded. “I’ll tell him later. He’ll want to come up.”

“Of course. They’re moving her to a room in a little while. She would love to see him.”

“And Levi?” Hailey wriggled her brows. “I notice he hasn’t left your side.”

A sheepish grin spread despite herself. “He hasn’t left Auri’s side.”

“Auri’s too. I just think he feels very differently about the two of you.”

They giggled softly.

“Okay,” Hailey said, “I’m going to head out before my brother wakes up and busts us.”

“Oh, any news on the Clay Ravinder front?”

“No. There’s another meeting soon, though. I’m sure of it.”

“Be careful.”

“You too. And give that beautiful girl a hug for me. And tell her I love her. And tell her Jimmy loves her. And we’ll be up later. Oh, and see if she needs anything from home. Slippers. She’ll probably need slippers. And toothpaste. Ask her if she needs toothpaste.”

“Okay,” Sun said with a soft laugh.

They hugged, and Sun reveled in the feel of it. Held it longer than she probably should have. She pulled back and noticed someone watching them from over Hailey’s shoulder. While they’d moved out of Levi’s line of sight, they’d walked directly into Quincy’s. The man sat in the same chair, legs outstretched across the same floor, arm draped over the same bed, only this time his eyes were set ablaze by the two women he watched through the glass door.

“Oh, crap,” Sun said.

Hailey spun around and gasped.

Quincy stood, checked on Cruz with a quick glance, then walked out of the main ICU area and toward them.

Sun searched her brain frantically for a logical explanation. No one knew she and Hailey were friends, and since Hailey was basically undercover, no one could know. It would be too dangerous for her. However, if she were to tell anyone, it would be the man walking toward them now. The one with the quizzical brow that framed a look of absolute astonishment.

Sun rolled her eyes. They were getting sloppy. First Auri. Now Quincy. The entire sting was crashing down around her.

Having found no explanation, her brain went into fight-or-flight mode. She turned to Hailey and railed, “And don’t let me tell you again,” she said, glaring at the blonde beside her. “You—you degenerate. You get out of here and don’t come back. I don’t want to ever—”

“Sun,” Hailey said, pointing at the other blonde, the one standing so close Sun could feel the heat radiating off him.