Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
She clucks her tongue in approval. “What a good boy I raised, helping your mother like—Jessica! I didn’t see you!”
Just like that, Mom abandons me for Jess, who looks a bit stunned as she’s enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. My mom gives killer bear hugs.
“Hi, Mrs. Riley,” Jess says shyly. “How’re you doing?”
“I’m great, honeybunch! Was cooking all morning, and everyone knows that cooking is good for the soul.” Mom fixes Jess with a stern look. “And I don’t ever want to hear those words leaving your mouth!”
Jess blinks. “What words?”
“Mrs. Riley. Pshaw!” My mom slings an arm around Jess’s shoulders. “You call me Ma or Mama or Annette. Anything else is unacceptable!”
“Noted,” Jess says with a nervous laugh. “Thanks for having me over again, Mrs.—Mama. Last time I was here, I left in an honest-to-God food coma. I can’t wait for another one.”
My mother’s expression shines even brighter. She likes people who like food. So do I.
“You’re going to love everything,” she informs Jess. “Papa Riley made ribs!”
“Oooh, sounds awesome.”
Mom turns to me. “Blakey, shut the front door please. We didn’t raise an animal—” Her forehead suddenly creases.
I turn around to see what’s got her all agitated. Through the door I left open, I spot a familiar silver Lexus pulling up the drive. The windows are tinted so I can’t see the driver, but… Fucking hell. The Lexus was here the day of Brenna’s baby shower too.
I slowly turn back to my mother. “Kyle trade in his Beemer for a Lexus?” I ask hopefully.
She shakes her head. “He’s in the kitchen with Beth and Britt. They came together in Bethy’s car.”
Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck.
“Hello, everyone.” Molly’s timid voice sounds from behind me. Those two words prick into my spine like a sharp needle.
This is Brenna’s doing, obviously. My sister always invites Molly to every occasion known to man. But this shit is getting ridiculous. I can’t even enjoy a nice relaxing lunch with my folks without having Molly shoved down my throat?
“Turn around and say hello,” my mother murmurs, her voice audible only to me. “She’s here now. We can’t be rude.”
I’m not the rude one. What about her? Why the fuck does she have to keep showing up like this?
I draw a breath to calm myself, then turn toward my ex-fiancée. “Hi,” I say tightly.
The smile on her face looks forced. I don’t even bother trying to muster one up. Jess does, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Hello again,” she says to Molly.
“Hi. Janet, was it?”
“Jess.”
“Oh, sorry. I’m so bad with names.”
She’s a lawyer. She can pull names out of her ass. I scowl at her before glancing at Jess. “Come on, babe. Let me unload these dishes, and then we’ll get you a drink.” I need a drink too. Or ten.
The dining room is empty, but the kitchen is bustling. Beth and her husband are at the counter flipping through what looks like a booklet of beach resorts, while my baby sister, Britt, leans against the fridge offering her two cents.
“No, don’t go there,” she advises. “The food is disgusto-central! What about Mexico? The resort where the girls and I spent spring break was gorgeous.”
“We’ve already been to Mexico,” Beth muses. “What do you think, Kyle? Don’t you want to go somewhere cooler? Oooh! Like Bora Bora!”
“Never trust a place with a double name,” I declare from the doorway.
“Blakey!” Britt gives me a big hug, then greets Jess with a warm smile. “Hey, Jess. Nice to see you again.”
“Samesies,” Jess answers before slapping a hand over her mouth. She pins me down with a death glare. “Oh my God. I’m picking up your stupid lingo. You’ve corrupted me.” I grin, but she cuts me off before I can make a filthy remark about corruption. “And name one other place with a name like Bora Bora,” she orders.
I pause. “New York, New York. Duh.”
Everyone laughs.
“You want a beer, man?” my brother-in-law asks, rising from his stool.
“Hit me. Jessie?”
“I’ll just grab a water, thanks.” She wanders over to the cupboards and opens the one that holds the drinking glasses. I guess she remembers where we keep them from the last time she was here.
I find myself tracking her every motion as she uses the built-in ice maker on the fridge and then presses a button to dispense water. A warm feeling creeps up my chest. She looks so comfortable in my parents’ kitchen. She looks like she belongs here.
Footsteps in the hall suck all the warmth from my body and replace it with a chill. Brenna and Molly walk in, and it’s easy to figure out why Bren is scowling at me. Molly’s eyes look watery.
Of course they do. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that she turns on the waterworks when she’s in court just to win some sympathy from a jury. Twelve on a jury…yeah, at least half of them would probably be suckered in by those crocodile tears. Molly is very convincing.