That was enough to make Sam smile. Evie hated his horse and Majesty hated most humans, but somehow they’d come to an understanding. If only the happiness and well-being of his beloved horse was enough. “You know I appreciate that. Evie’s a real one.”

“She is, but you? Sounds like you’re just overwhelmed.”

“Maybe that’s it. I don’t know why I’m complaining.”

“’Cause you’re human. You set a goal and you reached it. You also have the rest of your life ahead of you. Ask Miss Leona. You think winning an Oscar instantly solved her problems? Shit, she had to help raise the three of us. We turned her gray under those custom wigs.”

Sam laughed for real this time. “True.”

“Listen, you got some time off. Hang around here as long as you like. I know Jesse loves having you around.”

“I don’t know about that.”

The whole family was spread out over three fairly large houses on their own private cul-de-sac. He had an apartment in LA, and now that Evie’s restaurant was up and running in New York, he was welcome to crash in the family town house in Harlem, but Pleasant Lane was always home. That was until Zach kicked him out of their house and made him crash with Jesse. He loved Evie, but since the minute they’d gotten engaged and convinced their grandma it was okay for them to be living in sin, Sam had been playing musical houses around the cul de sac, switching between his brothers’ and grandmother’s homes. His cousins Lilah and Corie were already living in Miss Leona’s. He could sleep over there, but his grandmother had enough to deal with. He’d suck it up and stay with Jesse. Didn’t mean he had to like it.

“What happened?” Zach laughed.

“I got a forty-minute lecture about condiment placement last night. I accidentally moved the steak sauce onto the wrong shelf.”

“You can come stay at my place until Sunday night, but Evie’s back Monday morning.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“I was gonna say you could help Jesse with his dating profiles. Might help take your mind off things, but maybe not.”

“Wait, back it up. What dating profile?”

“Evie convinced him to try out a few dating apps.”

“There are, like, seven eligible women in this town. Why doesn’t he just go down to Claim Jumpers if he’s looking for local love?”

Zach shrugged. “She signed him up for one of those weird ones that matches moderately wealthy people.”

“Uh, I’m definitely going to talk to him about that. Speaking of dating, Walls said some shit about how I’ve been sulking since Natalie and I broke up. You think I’ve been sulking?”

Zach stepped back and looked Sam over for a second.

“I wouldn’t say sulking—”

“Wow. Really?”