head rest against her forehead, and take in her scent. Her flowery perfume sets me at ease, knowing what I’m about to say. “All right. If it’s what you want. But I warn you, my sister’s a bitch. I hate being forced to talk to her.”
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
“Yes, I do. I ’m not letting you around that woman without supervision.”
“You don’ t trust me? And what the hell, ‘supervision’? I’m not Madeline!”
“Relax. I don’t mean you. I just don’t trust Karen. At all. She’s just so crazy. Especially when she talks about the ranch.”
Actually, I just prefer if Karen didn’t talk at all. Especially not to Amy. Whatever she says can’t be good. Nothing coming from that mouth can be good. Always criticizing me, blaming me for everything that happens. Goddamn woman …
Amy frowns and lets out an annoyed breath.
“Shit, just thinking about having to talk to her make s me want to make a run for it,” I say, to make her believe it’s not her that I’m talking about.
Amy laughs. “Really? What about your accident then? You still have to tell her.”
I drop my eyes to the floor. Fuck. I hadn’t thought about that yet. “ Um… Maybe.”
“Oh, c’mon, Jack. She’s your sister. She deserves to know this. Family comes first, right?”
“Right …” It’s true. If I don’t tell Karen, sooner or later she’s gonna find out anyway. Town’s gossip and all. And then she’ll be even more pissed that I didn’t tell her first.
“Don’t worry. I have your back,” Amy says with a wink. “I won’t let her kick your ass. I learned some Kung Fu jabs from a Jackie Chan movie that I can’t wait to try out.”
I laugh, and all I can think about is kissing Amy, because of all the stupid things she says to make me feel better.
“ You do that. I’ll call an ambulance for you while you two brawl.”
We both laugh, and I reach for her hand to lace my fingers through hers. Touching her makes me feel okay. My mouth is so close to hers, I can feel her breath tingle on my skin, and I dive in for a kiss. I can’t help myself. She’s just that attractive to me. As if there’s some kind of magnetic force between us, pulling me in. Her shining eyes, sweet smile, rosy lips make me want to do everything for her.
Even if it means she’ll go play music at a place I disgust. I hate having to go there, and I hate that I know this’ll lead to more crap. But I can take it. What I can’t take is Amy and that look in her eyes when she wants something. I just have to give it to her. Even if it’ll kill me.
Shit, what the fuck did I just agree to?
Chapter 6
Amy
Jack’s been all tensed up ever since we stepped into the car to get to town. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re using my car now, and he’s missing his own truck, or if it’s because he’ll be meeting his sister in a few. Either way, he’s on edge , and anything I say could set him off. I’m not waiting for another binge drinking session again, so I decide to shut my mouth the entire trip.
“Daddy, can we go visit Uncle Benny?” Madeline says, and she leans forward, clenching the seat in front of her.
Jack groans, and lets his head fall against the headrest.
“We’re going to Karen’s bar, Maddy,” I say, to fill in for Jack. He doesn’t seem to want to open his mouth right now, except for the occasional annoyed moan.
“But I want to see Uncle Benny! I don’t like Aunt Karen. And I want an ice cream!”
Chuckling, I say, “It’s too late in the evening for ice cream.”
She puts up a sour face, so I try to cheer her up by distracting her with something else so she doesn’t start crying.
“We’ll go play the piano instead. Aunt Karen has a lovely piano. Do you want to play?”
Her eyes light up as though there are fireflies behind her sockets. “Can I?”
“Yeah, of course you can! Would you like that? We could play the piano together.”
“Daddy never lets me
“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”
“Yes, I do. I ’m not letting you around that woman without supervision.”
“You don’ t trust me? And what the hell, ‘supervision’? I’m not Madeline!”
“Relax. I don’t mean you. I just don’t trust Karen. At all. She’s just so crazy. Especially when she talks about the ranch.”
Actually, I just prefer if Karen didn’t talk at all. Especially not to Amy. Whatever she says can’t be good. Nothing coming from that mouth can be good. Always criticizing me, blaming me for everything that happens. Goddamn woman …
Amy frowns and lets out an annoyed breath.
“Shit, just thinking about having to talk to her make s me want to make a run for it,” I say, to make her believe it’s not her that I’m talking about.
Amy laughs. “Really? What about your accident then? You still have to tell her.”
I drop my eyes to the floor. Fuck. I hadn’t thought about that yet. “ Um… Maybe.”
“Oh, c’mon, Jack. She’s your sister. She deserves to know this. Family comes first, right?”
“Right …” It’s true. If I don’t tell Karen, sooner or later she’s gonna find out anyway. Town’s gossip and all. And then she’ll be even more pissed that I didn’t tell her first.
“Don’t worry. I have your back,” Amy says with a wink. “I won’t let her kick your ass. I learned some Kung Fu jabs from a Jackie Chan movie that I can’t wait to try out.”
I laugh, and all I can think about is kissing Amy, because of all the stupid things she says to make me feel better.
“ You do that. I’ll call an ambulance for you while you two brawl.”
We both laugh, and I reach for her hand to lace my fingers through hers. Touching her makes me feel okay. My mouth is so close to hers, I can feel her breath tingle on my skin, and I dive in for a kiss. I can’t help myself. She’s just that attractive to me. As if there’s some kind of magnetic force between us, pulling me in. Her shining eyes, sweet smile, rosy lips make me want to do everything for her.
Even if it means she’ll go play music at a place I disgust. I hate having to go there, and I hate that I know this’ll lead to more crap. But I can take it. What I can’t take is Amy and that look in her eyes when she wants something. I just have to give it to her. Even if it’ll kill me.
Shit, what the fuck did I just agree to?
Chapter 6
Amy
Jack’s been all tensed up ever since we stepped into the car to get to town. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re using my car now, and he’s missing his own truck, or if it’s because he’ll be meeting his sister in a few. Either way, he’s on edge , and anything I say could set him off. I’m not waiting for another binge drinking session again, so I decide to shut my mouth the entire trip.
“Daddy, can we go visit Uncle Benny?” Madeline says, and she leans forward, clenching the seat in front of her.
Jack groans, and lets his head fall against the headrest.
“We’re going to Karen’s bar, Maddy,” I say, to fill in for Jack. He doesn’t seem to want to open his mouth right now, except for the occasional annoyed moan.
“But I want to see Uncle Benny! I don’t like Aunt Karen. And I want an ice cream!”
Chuckling, I say, “It’s too late in the evening for ice cream.”
She puts up a sour face, so I try to cheer her up by distracting her with something else so she doesn’t start crying.
“We’ll go play the piano instead. Aunt Karen has a lovely piano. Do you want to play?”
Her eyes light up as though there are fireflies behind her sockets. “Can I?”
“Yeah, of course you can! Would you like that? We could play the piano together.”
“Daddy never lets me
Similar Books
