to be on the page. If you don’t knock off the sexual innuendoes, you won’t have to worry about Ewan smothering you in your sleep because that’s something you’ll beg for after I cut off that protruding part of your body you call a brain. Got it?”
He gripped her wrist and fought to loosen her death grip on his earlobe. Growing up with rough brothers had obviously trained this woman well. She was as tenacious as a Rottweiler. The idea of what she was doing to his ear should have pissed him off, but he was even more aroused now than he’d been all night. She was a wildcat dressed up in “peace and love” hippie garb. Jesus, she was awesome.
“Got it,” he said, relieved when she released him.
“Good,” she said, turning toward a hallway that led away from the living room.
“I’m going to bed. Night.”
“Night,” Ewan and Tris grumbled in unison.
For a moment, Sky expected both brothers to pounce on him and he regretted poking fun at them earlier. He was shocked when Ewan put a commiserating hand on 46
Ruby Tuesday
his shoulder. “Fucking ear twist is deadly,” he said. “Come on. I’ll show you where my room is. I’ve got a pair of sweatpants you can sleep in.” Sky smiled appreciatively. Yep, he thought as he followed Ewan, he was definitely going to like it here.
* * * * *
Teagan was startled awake by a loud noise next to her bed, followed by some colorful cussing.
Riley was home.
She glanced at the clock, surprised to discover it was nearly dawn. “Where have you been all night?” she asked sleepily.
Riley turned around. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”
“You knocked over a chair and yelled ‘Shit’. What do you think?”
“Long night,” Riley replied wearily. “The tramp dumped Aaron.” Aaron Young and Riley had been best friends practically from the cradle.
“So what? You hated the tramp.”
Riley sighed and sank down on her bed. “Aaron is unhappy. No, scratch that, he’s miserable. I think in his fucked-up head, she was the woman he was going to marry. He called earlier from his house, drunk as a skunk.”
“Aaron was drunk?” Aaron never drank. That was Riley’s role in their friendship.
She partied ‘til she dropped and Aaron carried her home.
“I know,” Riley said. “It freaked me out, so I went over and tried to cheer him up.”
“I didn’t see you leave,” Teagan said.
“Took the fire escape to the back alley.”
“Ah.” The fire escape was Riley’s main exit from the apartment. Teagan assumed it was because her sister was always moving in fast forward. Stopping to answer 47
Mari Carr
questions was enough to piss Riley off. God forbid she take time enough to descend a flight of stairs to the pub’s front door.
Then Teagan smiled, trying to imagine Riley cheering anyone up. Riling someone up, Teagan could comprehend, indeed would expect of her sister. There was no one else she’d want at her back in a fight more than Riley—but putting a smile on another person’s face? Mary Sunshine, her sister would never be. “Did it work?” she asked.
“I guess so. We just sort of talked until he passed out. I was too tired to drive home, so I dozed on his couch for a couple hours.”
“Well, you missed some excitement here,” Teagan said.
“Oh my God, that’s right! Sky Mitchell! I can’t believe I forgot about that. Don’t tell me. He listened to one of your Blowin’ in the Wind shit songs and hit the road.”
“I thought you liked my singing,” Teagan said, unfazed by Riley’s comments. Her sister’s continual insults about her folk songs had become an integral part of the fabric of their relationship.
“I love your freaking voice. You know that. You just waste it on stupid songs.”
“Well, for your information, Sky did not leave after one song. He listened to the whole set and then invited me to join him at his table.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Riley yelled, suddenly wide awake. She rushed across the room and jumped beside
He gripped her wrist and fought to loosen her death grip on his earlobe. Growing up with rough brothers had obviously trained this woman well. She was as tenacious as a Rottweiler. The idea of what she was doing to his ear should have pissed him off, but he was even more aroused now than he’d been all night. She was a wildcat dressed up in “peace and love” hippie garb. Jesus, she was awesome.
“Got it,” he said, relieved when she released him.
“Good,” she said, turning toward a hallway that led away from the living room.
“I’m going to bed. Night.”
“Night,” Ewan and Tris grumbled in unison.
For a moment, Sky expected both brothers to pounce on him and he regretted poking fun at them earlier. He was shocked when Ewan put a commiserating hand on 46
Ruby Tuesday
his shoulder. “Fucking ear twist is deadly,” he said. “Come on. I’ll show you where my room is. I’ve got a pair of sweatpants you can sleep in.” Sky smiled appreciatively. Yep, he thought as he followed Ewan, he was definitely going to like it here.
* * * * *
Teagan was startled awake by a loud noise next to her bed, followed by some colorful cussing.
Riley was home.
She glanced at the clock, surprised to discover it was nearly dawn. “Where have you been all night?” she asked sleepily.
Riley turned around. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”
“You knocked over a chair and yelled ‘Shit’. What do you think?”
“Long night,” Riley replied wearily. “The tramp dumped Aaron.” Aaron Young and Riley had been best friends practically from the cradle.
“So what? You hated the tramp.”
Riley sighed and sank down on her bed. “Aaron is unhappy. No, scratch that, he’s miserable. I think in his fucked-up head, she was the woman he was going to marry. He called earlier from his house, drunk as a skunk.”
“Aaron was drunk?” Aaron never drank. That was Riley’s role in their friendship.
She partied ‘til she dropped and Aaron carried her home.
“I know,” Riley said. “It freaked me out, so I went over and tried to cheer him up.”
“I didn’t see you leave,” Teagan said.
“Took the fire escape to the back alley.”
“Ah.” The fire escape was Riley’s main exit from the apartment. Teagan assumed it was because her sister was always moving in fast forward. Stopping to answer 47
Mari Carr
questions was enough to piss Riley off. God forbid she take time enough to descend a flight of stairs to the pub’s front door.
Then Teagan smiled, trying to imagine Riley cheering anyone up. Riling someone up, Teagan could comprehend, indeed would expect of her sister. There was no one else she’d want at her back in a fight more than Riley—but putting a smile on another person’s face? Mary Sunshine, her sister would never be. “Did it work?” she asked.
“I guess so. We just sort of talked until he passed out. I was too tired to drive home, so I dozed on his couch for a couple hours.”
“Well, you missed some excitement here,” Teagan said.
“Oh my God, that’s right! Sky Mitchell! I can’t believe I forgot about that. Don’t tell me. He listened to one of your Blowin’ in the Wind shit songs and hit the road.”
“I thought you liked my singing,” Teagan said, unfazed by Riley’s comments. Her sister’s continual insults about her folk songs had become an integral part of the fabric of their relationship.
“I love your freaking voice. You know that. You just waste it on stupid songs.”
“Well, for your information, Sky did not leave after one song. He listened to the whole set and then invited me to join him at his table.”
“Shut the fuck up!” Riley yelled, suddenly wide awake. She rushed across the room and jumped beside
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