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I take him by the shoulders and growl like an angry puppy. “Are you really going to withhold Captain Aster from me? That’s cruel and unusual punishment.”
He finally breaks into a smile. “I already sent it to your e-reader.”
I cough dramatically. “I have to go home. I’m ever so sick.”
He lays a palm across my forehead. “I don’t detect a fever.”
“I’m sick in the head.”
He smiles down at me. “Without a doubt.”
And that’s how we’re standing when half my family walks into the bookstore.
We break apart, but all three Donnellys stare at us open-mouthed. My stepmother’s look of shock quickly turns into a knowing smile—Ava adores gossip. Especially about me.
She can never seem to decide if she wants to be my “bonus mom” or my best friend. Since she’s only ten years older than I am, she usually aims for trusty pal. Now and then, she tries to scold me for something, with uncomfortable results for everyone.
My half-siblings, Finn and Willa, just go on goggling at us. They’re twelve and eight, so in their minds, the innocent way Miles and I were touching each other is probably even more scandalous than whatever Ava has in her head. Finn will let it go, but if I know my baby sister, I’m never going to hear the end of this one.
“Hey, guys.” I throw on a big smile. “What are you doing here?”
She said oh-so innocently.
Ava greets us both with a little too much enthusiasm but then puts on a sad face. “Christopher forgot I had plans with friends this afternoon, and he won’t be home to be with the children for another hour. Could I possibly leave the littles here with you?”
Sam and I gave them that collective nickname years ago, but our younger siblings are quickly becomingbigs.
“Nice of Dad to take the afternoon off,” I say as Willa throws herself at me in a big hug. I squeeze her tight. However irritating I might find my dad and Ava, they made someadorable kids.
“He does a few times a month,” Ava says. “You know how he is—he doesn’t want to miss anything.”
“Yeah, he sure would hate that.” I can’t put much life into my voice. When my older brother, Sam, and I were growing up, Dad missed entire birthdays for work. He’s become rather more dedicated to his new family in his later years.
I’m glad he’s around for them. Honestly, I am. But sometimes the proof of it stings like salt in an old wound I can’t quite bandage over.
“We’re going to have noodles!” Willa grins up at me, her dark hair straggling out of a complicated braid around her head.
“Dad never cooks.” Finn runs his fingers through his hair, making it stand up in spiky bits that look suspiciously like Miles’s unruly hair. “He says that’s not his skillset.”
At least some things haven’t changed.
“I’m working today,” I tell Ava. “Maybe I could have changed my shift around if I’d known about it, but?—”
Her face crumples. “Oh, please. It’s just for an hour. I need to make it to this luncheon.”
Naturally, her luncheon is more important than my work. It’s not the first time she’s brought the littles to the bookstore at the last minute, but I’m terrible at saying no to her. Actually, I can tellherno any day, but it’s more difficult to look into my little sister’s eyes and tell her to get lost.
Because she’s too stinking cute for words.
I turn to Miles, who gives a quick nod. What did I say about the man being the very best?
“Okay.” I manage not to sigh, but I don’t love that Ava uses me as free babysitting when I’m at the bookstore. At least we can all pretend I’m not busy working on book covers when I’m at home, but there’s no excuse here. “They can hang out for a while.”
Willa screeches her approval, and Finn flops onto one of the plush chairs.
“Thank you so much,” Ava says. “Christopher will be here in an hour. Hour and a half tops.”
By the time I register that tidbit she tacked on, she’s already out the door.
