“Love the look,” she said.
I glanced down at myself, then back up to her, and laughed. It was all about being comfortable when I was at home. I had on black yoga pants, a pink tank top and fuzzy pink kitty slippers. Stormi and I had the same ones and we wore them proudly any chance we got. I was pretty sure it was the slippers that River was smirking at.
“Thanks,” I told her. “What are you doing here?” I winced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that to sound rude. You are welcome here any time, but I’m just surprised.”
River and I had been talking a little here and there since finding out we were related but we hadn’t seen each other in person recently. I was a little shocked she had come over.
“When we were on the phone last night, I got the feeling you could use someone else to talk to.”
Had I sounded that bad?
River waved her hand in the air when she spoke. “Not professionally, but as your sister.”
I got the feeling that with her career she was confident, tough, and caring. But when it came to her personal emotions she was a bit unsure of herself. Talking with her hands seemed to help her push her point across.
Now she was going to make me cry. Damnit, I hadn’t been a big crier until Bronson came back into my life, stirring up all these feelings I’d shoved down deep. And now River. Her coming to my house and commenting on being there in the sister capacity was a big deal for her.
And for me too.
I opened the door wider and moved to the side. “I could definitely use my sister.”
“Great because I wasn’t leaving until we talked,” she said as she moved past me, another smirk on her face.
Interesting. River could be sassy too.
I was looking forward to getting to know her better.
The short time we spent together that day was definitely a start.
The credits rolledon the first movie.
Stormi hadn’t made it through the whole thing. She was out cold on the pile of blankets and pillows she’d made into amakeshift bed on the floor. I was so close to following her into slumber as I lay curled up on the sofa, my head resting against Bronson’s thigh.
His fingers tenderly sifted through my hair lulling me to sleep better than any lullaby. My last thought before my eyes drifted shut was how perfect the evening had been with my two favorite people.
With myfamily.
“Wake up, sleepyhead.”
Bronson’s featherlight kiss left my lips tingling and his deep voice sent goosebumps breaking out across every inch of my skin. When my eyes fluttered open and I stared into his mossy green gaze, my body sparked to life.
Just one look could do that.
Turning my head to the spot on the floor where Stormi had been sleeping, I noticed she was gone.
“I put her in her bed.”
My head swiveled back to the man I had known almost all of my life and I felt like I should pinch myself. I couldn’t believe he was mine. It wasn’t a dream, it was real.
As real as anything could get.
He waggled his brows. “I’m happy to put you to bed too.”
I shot him a seductive smile. “As long as we don’t have to sleep. I’m well rested now.”
He scooped me up off the couch and headed down the hall.
“Sleeping was definitelynoton my agenda,” he said.
