“Don’t make me get my Grinch on,” he shoots back in a gravelly voice.
Fuck!I hold the phone away from my ear and breathe out slowly,trying to rearrange my thoughts. I’m caught between curiosity and an instinctive urge to run for my life.
“We can’t wait to welcome you into our home.” His voice now is gentle, sincere. “Don’t overthink it, kid. I know my daughter hasn’t told me everything about her breakup, but one thing Idoknow is that you were there for her. It makes no sense for you to be sitting there, all alone in Ohio.Ohio, for Christ’s sake!”
I don’t know what to say to that.
“And anyway—if you don’t come, she’ll make you pay.” He laughs.
“That much is for sure.”
“Finally, something we agree on. See you tomorrow?”
I close my eyes and shake my head. Somewhere, somehow, a reply makes its way to the surface.
“See you tomorrow,” I say.
20LOIS
I squint at the arrivals board, checking the line on the screen for the fifth time and pat my brother’s head.
“Stop moving, you’re making me feel sick!”
I’m perched on his back in the middle of the airport hall. Lane’s flight has landed, and I’m scouring the crowds, craning my neck for a glimpse of him. I rest my chin on Jeff’s curly hair and wrap my arms around his shoulders.
“Is he here yet?” he groans, shifting on his feet.
“You’re the one who nagged me to come—so quit the whining and move me up. I’m slipping!”
He tightens his grip on my knees and jiggles me higher. People are glancing over at us, and I can see why. My brother’s well over six five—add me on top, and we’re pretty hard to miss.
Suddenly, I spot Lane sloping through the automatic doors. “There he is!”
He’s moving slowly, fiddling with his baseball cap, his eyes scanning the space, and my heart races faster with every step he takes.I missed that idiot!
“Lane!” I yell, waving. “Over here!”
“Lois, you’re destroying my back!”
“Hey, you spend all day downing protein shakes.” I tug his ear. “Now it’s time to walk the walk.”
He tries to bite my finger, and I laugh, slapping a hand over his mouth. I glance up and lock eyes with Lane. He’s standing in the middle of the hall, watching me with interest.
I slide down my human footstool and dart my way through the crowds. Before either of us knows it, I leap into Lane’s arms, flinging my arms around his neck and locking my legs around his hips. He is nearly knocked over, clearly not expecting it, and drops his bag to wrap his arms around me. He squeezes me tighter, before leaning back for a better look.
“It’s gonna take more than a hug to get yourself off the hook,” he warns. “You didn’t reply to a single one of my messages yesterday, you little brat.”
“You should’ve just called—”
“So I could speak to your dad again?”
“He freak you out?” I grin.
He tries to stay looking pissy, but his green eyes are shining, and I can tell he isn’t that annoyed at all.
“Made a new friend?” He glances over my shoulder, and I turn to follow his gaze. My brother is standing where I left him, waving me to hurry. “You know how to pick ’em, don’t you?” Lane frowns. “The guy’s stacked.”
“Wait a minute—are you saying…?”
