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“Whatever you want,” Chloe said, placing the plates on the coffee table along with the paper towels before going back into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water, and after a slight hesitation, she grabbed her laptop.
“I thought you weren’t going to work today,” Katie said, throwing her a questioning look as she dipped a chip into some of the jelly that fell onto her plate.
“I wasn’t, but I was thinking that we could get something special for Christmas,” Chloe said as she dropped down on the couch and settled the computer on her lap.
“Can we get a real tree instead?” Katie asked, pausing in her search for a movie worthy of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich to throw her a questioning look.
“What’s wrong with the tree that we have in the attic?” Chloe asked as she logged into the computer the school gave her as part of her scholarship package this year.
“It’s missing limbs and it has a candy cane stuck to it,” Katie pointed out.
“Fine, we’ll get a new tree,” Chloe said, deciding not to mention that they’d cut one down from the backyard since it would only encourage her sister to take matters into her own hands.
“And I’ll be in charge of decorating it?” Katie asked after a slight hesitation.
“Go nuts,” Chloe murmured as she clicked on the folder on the right side of her screen and typed in the password that she’d set, scrolled through the list of websites that she’d compiled a few months ago and clicked on the link at the bottom.
Within minutes, Chloe was scrolling through a list of essays, short papers, and term papers, noting the topics ranging on everything from a book report onThe Grapes ofWrathto a twenty-page term paper on the effects mitochondrial DNA had on forensics and everything in between. She could get a few short essays done today and make a hundred and fifty dollars or she could repurpose her paper on the Magna Carta for two hundred dollars.
Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, Chloe clicked on the smiley face icon at the top and noted that there was a little more than five hundred dollars in her account. With a few clicks, she transferred the money into the online bank account that she’d set up after her uncle broke the news to her that they were on their own. She-
“He’s back.”
* * *
“Open the door, brat,”Cole said on a bored sigh as he stepped back and glanced to his left to make sure that their uncle’s truck wasn’t parked behind the house. When he didn’t see the truck parked by the shed, Cole shook his head in disgust. Nick was never here, but Cole thought that he would at least make the effort so that Chloe and Katie wouldn’t be alone during Christmas break.
He really was a prick, Cole thought as he turned his head just in time to see Chloe step out of the house and close the door behind her. For a moment, he didn’t say anything as he stood there, running his eyes over her, taking in her long golden-blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun at the back of her head, the incredibly beautiful blue eyes that were already narrowing on him, and the stubborn set of her adorable chin before he ran his gaze over the rest of her, taking in the Indiana Jones tee-shirt and grey and black flannel pajamas pants that ended with socks with puppies on them and found himself wondering why he ever thought that she was simply cute.
She was beyond freaking adorable.
She was also hiding something from him, Cole thought as he met Chloe’s determined gaze head-on. He watched the way that her eyes narrowed even further, the way that she slowly exhaled as she watched him, mentally preparing herself to lie her adorable ass off to him.
The only thing that he didn’t know was why.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” came the warm welcome that had his lips twitching.
“My mother asked me to bring cookies over,” Cole drawled, holding up the plate of sugar cookies that his mother made for her as he sent the empty driveway a pointed look before looking back at her. “Where’s your uncle?”
“Inside enjoying a lovely turkey dinner,” Chloe said, keeping her gaze locked with his as she pushed her glasses back up her nose.
“And his truck?” Cole drawled, watching as she slowly exhaled again before she answered.
“In the shop,” she said without blinking an eye.
“That’s really unfortunate,” Cole said as movement to his right drew his attention to find Katie standing in the window, watching his every move as she took a big bite out of what appeared to be a really messy peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
“It really is,” Chloe murmured in agreement.
“I thought you said that your uncle was enjoying a lovely turkey dinner,” Cole said with a pointed look at the little girl glaring at him.
He had to bite back a smile when he heard the telltale sound of Chloe slowly exhaling before she said, “He is, but Katie hates turkey.”
“It’s not supposed to be brown,” Katie said with a firm nod as she took a big bite of her sandwich.
Nodding slowly, Cole returned his attention to the teenage girl who was reaching up to push her glasses back up her nose to hide her wince. “It was delicious,” Chloe muttered.
“It sounds it,” Cole murmured absently as he watched her for a moment. “What’s going on, Chloe?”
