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“Caller ID is a thing for a reason.” Tori put her fists on her hips, determined to make her point. She did not want to discuss Miranda.
“Right!” Aili was still laughing lightly as she sobered. “But you did look good with another one on your hip.”
“Oh, now we’re talking about that?” Tori snorted and shook her head.
“Oh come on, you have always wanted more, and Harley would be an amazing big sister.”
“Am I getting a baby sister?” Harley looked up, the joy covering her face.
So much for being subtle. Aili failed on that front, and she should know better. Also, why did all conversations lately have to go down this line? First her parents had mentioned it, and Siena had even hinted at it a few times. Tori couldn’t get away from the fact that she was twenty-nine and hadn’t found her soulmate yet.
“No, honey.” Tori cringed as Harley pouted. She turned to Aili with a mock glare. “Thanks for that.”
Aili gave an unrepentant shrug. “I’ve got a friend I can set you up with. You still have your before-thirty goal, don’t you?”
“You and Siena!” Tori pointed at her. Her exes really were out to get her hooked up with someone. “But yes, I do still have that goal.”
“Let me set you up, then.”
“Uh. No. Do you remember the last time you set me up?” Tori did. Distinctly. And it wasn’t something she wanted to ever repeat.
Aili pursed her lips, frowned, and then made a sour face. “You’re right. That was a bad match. This one will be better.”
“Uh…no thank you.”
“You can’t dream about Miranda forever.”
“Aili!” Tori made a movement with her hand across her neck, telling her to silently cut the crap. The last thing she needed was Harley figuring out what they were talking about and then bringing it up for the next ten years. “Fine. I’ll answer the call tonight.”
“Thank you!”
“Harley, let’s get you to class. You can bug Aunt Aili later, okay?”
“Yeah! Bye Aili!” Harley ran up to give her a hug.
“I’ll see you later, kiddo. I think they are doing some dancing down in your room today.”
“Come on, Mommy.” Harley pulled Tori out of the door with more strength than Tori had ever thought a four-year-old could possess. Still, she missed those days when her baby had been a baby, with chubby hands to kiss and when she could prop her on her hip and carry her around. Maybe someday she would have another baby, but not any time soon, and certainly not with the cold Miranda.
Fuck, was that really her name?
“Oh shit. Not again, no.” Miranda’s voice was nearly panicked.
Tori got out of her car quickly. Miranda stood in the middle of the parking lot, her jaw tight and her eyes narrowed. “What’s wrong?”
Fierce eyes like daggers pinned Tori with a look.
“Of course you would show up.”
Taken aback, Tori put her hands up in the air. What had she done to deserve that? It must be something else bugging her, and Tori was the scapegoat. “What do you mean?”
Miranda scoffed. “How am I supposed to control a child who has never been told no in her life?”
“You mean Rebel?”
“Of course, I mean Rebel.” Miranda ran a hand through her hair, creating a mussed look that Tori couldn’t deny stirred her in a way it shouldn’t. Not with the stupid quip Miranda had already made about her. “She’s gone again. All I did was put her bag in the trunk. I turned around, and she was gone.”
“It’s okay.” Tori met Miranda’s eyes and nodded, trying to keep her calm since Miranda looked like she was about to go into a full-blown panic. “I’ll help you find her.”
