Page 4
Okay, pranks is putting it nicely.
I cock my head to the side and widen my eyes at my sister-in-law. Trying to convey my disapproval of her letting in an unwanted visitor. Isabella has never been inside my home, and I wanted to keep it that way.
Everyone’s attention turns to the petite woman now standing in my kitchen. Brooks, Madden and Drew all glance at her then turn their attention on me. Their eyes are wide and amused. Isabella is wearing short denim cutoffs and a loose t-shirt that’s short, so her tanned stomach peeks out when she moves. She has her long black hair piled up on top of her head in a big, loose bun.
She’s an attractive woman, I’ll give her that. But she’s still annoying as hell… I bet she’s one of those chaotic people who loves surprises.
She glances around the room, taking in my family, who are all abnormally quiet at the moment. “I’m so sorry for interrupting your party, but I was wondering if you’ve seen Mo? For reasons unknown… he seems drawn to you.”
“Your cat's name is Mo?” I ask, wondering where she came up with such a ridiculous name.
Her lips form a straight line as if trying to conceal her annoyance in front of my family. “Well, at first I thought he was a girl and named him Moana… but then the vet told me he’s a… he. So I shortened it to Mo.”
I try to keep a straight face… I really do. But my mouth won’t cooperate and turns up in a smirk. “You insulted his manhood, and you’re confused why he likes me better than you? Seems self-explanatory.”
Isabella’s eyes turn hard and murderous, but she forces a smile on her pretty face. “Thanks for clearing that up for me. Now, have you seen him?”
Noticing her eyes dancing around the room again, taking my home in and probably making mental notes on how to make my life more miserable, I narrow my eyes at her. “He was on my porch earlier, but I haven’t seen him since.”
She meets my steely gaze and lifts her chin like she’s trying to appear bigger than she actually is. I want to laugh at the thought. This woman is the chihuahua to my German Shepherd. She has to be at least a foot shorter than me.
A loud meow interrupts our stare-down. We both look in the direction the sound came from and see the cat in question meandering down the hallway toward us like this is his home.
I scrub a hand down my face with a groan. “How did he get in here?” I direct the question to Brooks since he’s the troublemaker.
He throws his hands up in defense. “I opened your bedroom window earlier to let some fresh air in… Odette changed a dirty diaper back there and the stench was awful.”
My eyes flick to Odette, and she rolls her eyes. Mo walks toward me and rubs himself against my legs while he purrs loudly.
Isabella smiles. “Wow, he really likes you.”
“Great. Just what I wanted.” I cross my arms and quirk a brow. “Was there anything else you needed? Besides a basic feline anatomy lesson?”
She opens her mouth to speak, but Brooks interrupts her. “Do you want some birthday cake? There’s plenty!”
I shoot a glare in his direction and he grins back at me.
She glances at me briefly, just long enough for me to see the defiance in her gaze. “Sure, I’d love some cake.”
Her tongue peeks out to wet her lips as she eyes the desserts on my kitchen island. This draws my attention to her full, dark-pink lips, which give her the appearance of having a constant pout. Which is contradictory to what I’ve seen of her personality so far. Whenever she interacts with the mail lady or her sisters—at least I’m assuming they’re her sisters because they all look alike—she’s all charming smiles with an easy way about her, like she doesn’t have a care in the world. Until she talks to me… then she’s not so smiley.
Sophie cuts a big slice of cake and hands it to her with a smile. “It’s David’s thirtieth birthday today!”
Isabella’s big brown eyes twinkle with mischief. “Only thirty? I thought you were much older.”
The kitchen fills with my family’s laughter at her comment. Her effortless charm and witty comebacks have even my own family enraptured. Maybe if she didn’t live next door to me, I’d like her more…
“He’s always acted much older than he is, ever since he was a child,” my mom tells her.
Brooks swings an arm around Isabella’s shoulder, which makes me feel an unwanted prickle of annoyance. I can’t pinpoint why it annoys me, but it’s definitely not jealousy.
“Yep, he’s always been a boring, old goodie-two-shoes,” Brooks tells her with a chuckle.
I use my thumb and index finger to adjust my glasses. “I believe the word you’re looking for is responsible.”
“That’s exactly right,” Mom says as she sidles up next to me and loops her arm through mine. She briefly wrinkles her nose at Mo, who’s still rubbing against my legs. My mother has always been very against animals living indoors. “My David is the most responsible, safe, consistent person I know.”
“Which could also be described as predictable, mundane, and vanilla,” Brooks retorts before winking at Isabella.
