“We’re having a girls’ night out.” She shrugs while her smile spreads wider.
“Here?” I feel my eyebrows creeping up my forehead while I do a quick assessment of her clothes—I don’t need to fend off any fuckers who look at my baby sister’s body. Her decent clothing makes my pulse calm down a bit.
“Yeah.” Another shrug. “Why?”
“You’re engaged!” I sound outraged even to my own ears.
“And what?” She snorts like she used to do when she was a kid when she wanted to spray water out of her nose—I bet she doesn’t do it in front of Archie. “I’m dancing.”
“You’re pregnant!” I feel my pulse skyrocketing.
“And what?” She snorts. “I’m not sick.”
“Yeah, but—” I look down at her stomach, swallowing nervously. “But the sound… It will hurt the baby.”
She laughs, smacking me on the shoulder. “Ken, you’re such a softie. You’ll be a great uncle.”
I will be an uncle. Twice. Once Freya gives birth, I’ll have to be more responsible because I can’t be a bad uncle. I gotta be the best. But Leila? Leila’s kid is like my own. I saw her grow up. I changed her diapers. And now she’ll be a mom, and I’ll be changing her baby’s diapers since I won’t have any of my own.
And for the first time, I don’t feel so good about it.
“Oh, Kenneth,” she says with soft eyes, and then they instantly change as she looks back at the dance floor where Kayla is jumping like a mountain goat with Alicia, who seems very comfortable to be in this crowd. I narrow my eyes, not believing she can be this free, and scan my surroundings. Sure enough, I find Mark lurking nearby, nursing a glass of something I assume is water. He doesn’t see my stare—all his attention is focused on the girls and the crowd around them.
“Does she know Mark’s here?” I ask, meaning Alicia.
“Duh.” She smiles. “Like they can be separated from each other for an hour. When he heard where we were going, we barely talked him out of bringing Ghost.” She refers to their German shepherd, who adores Alicia maybe even more than Mark. “But he’s good. He’s just worried, you know.”
I nod because I do. With Alicia’s history, it’s no wonder Mark is overprotective. Which brings me to a valid question.
“Where’s Archie?” Because I’ll never believe that possessive motherfucker let her go to a popular local hook-up place.
She rolls her eyes, groaning so loudly I’m sure I can hear it through the music. “He agreed not to come if Mark would be here.” Then she adds with a chuckle, “But I’m pretty sure I saw Justin’s truck outside, so I suspect Archie might be there too.”
I laugh at that because it sure seems like a possibility. Justin is Kayla’s forever fiancé, but he’s obsessed with her. And Justin knows this place, hence his phone call to me. There is no way he let her come here without checking multiple times to make sure it’s safe. This place is not dangerous per se, but it can be. Any place can be, especially where alcohol is served, so I don’t blame the men wanting to keep an eye on their better halves.
“What are you doing here then?” I ask, confused. “You all are taken, and this is the singles spot.”
“Not all,” she says suggestively and glances back.
“What?” I play dumb.
“We’re here to get Josie laid. She sure needs it.”
I watch my evil sister watch my face change. Her smile spreads wider, and now she reminds me of the Cheshire Cat with all her teeth.
“What the fuck?”
“What happened?” Her eyes go round. “Is something wrong?”
“You can’t just go around and make people get laid!” I yell at my sister that I don’t like very much right now.
“Don’t get your panties in a twist—she’s a grown woman.” She bumps her fist on my arm and smiles again. “Plus, she’s been under a lot of stress lately.”
“What stress?” I click the bait.
“You know, with breaking up with her boyfriend, being jobless and homeless. And all the hell the town has been giving her.” She clicks her tongue, shaking her head.
“The hell?” I feel my brows drawing together.
