to say
more than she should, and oh, yeah, he kissed like heaven on earth.
“I want a Jax,” Chloe said.
“You didn’t even see him.”
“No, but I can see the look he put on your face plain enough. Nice jacket.”
“I forgot to give it back.”
Maddie, Maddie, Maddie,
she told herself.
That’s a big fat lie. You didn’t forget. You wanted the excuse to see him again.
“I drove through town three times,” Chloe said. “I never found a Jax.”
Maddie slid her a look. Perfect dark red shiny hair. Cute, sexy clothes. Tight, toned body. An arresting face with piercing
green eyes that said Trouble with a capital T, and that she was worth it. “There’s no way you have a hard time attracting
men.”
“It’s not the attracting that’s the problem. You ever try to have sex with a third wheel in the bed?”
“Um, no,” Maddie admitted. “I’ve never—”
“I meant my asthma,” Chloe said dryly. “But good to know how your mind works. My
asthma
is the third person in my bed. And it usually kicks ass.”
“You mean you can’t—”
“Not in mixed company, or I end up needing an ambulance for the ensuing asthma attack.” She sighed. “I really miss co-partnered
orgasms.”
“Oh, my God, will you get over the no-orgasm thing?” Tara said, coming up behind them. “Some of us
never
get them.”
“Never? But you’re married.”
“Okay, so never might be an exaggeration. The point is, there are more important things than sex.”
“Name one,” Chloe said.
Tara lifted a bottle of wine.
“A close second,” Chloe admitted. They moved through the living room as the wind rattled at the living room windows. The shag
carpet had once been some sort of blue but had faded to a dingy gray, looking like a dead lawn that hadn’t been watered in
two decades.
“The place needs Christmas decorations,” Chloe decided. “And a tree.”
Maddie plopped down on the faded blue quilted couch and a huge cloud of dust arose. Chloe joined her, immediately drawing
the neck of her shirt over her mouth and nose to protect herself. “And possibly a fumigation.”
Tara shook her head and pulled Chloe off the couch. “Kitchen. The dust in here will kill you, sugar.”
Maddie followed her two sisters, musing on the odd dynamic between them. Tara clearly cared while pretending not to. Chloe
soaked up that caring like a love-starved child, while also pretending not to. As for Maddie, she had no idea where she fit
in, or even if she could.
A loose shutter slapped against the side of the house and made her jump. The lights flickered off and then, after a long hesitation,
back on again.
The three of them grabbed each other’s hands and eyed the kitchen. It looked like the one in the inn, minus the table and
many
square feet. They sat hip to hip on the Formica counter. Tara poured the wine, handing a glass to Maddie, then poured one
for herself.
“Hello,” Chloe said, holding out her hand for a glass. “What am I, chopped liver?”
“Too young,” Tara said.
“I’m past legal by three years!”
“Do you need a bra to keep your boobs from falling?” Tara asked. “Do you need a pair of Spanx to keep the tire hidden?”
“Tire?”
“Yes, the tire, the spare tire around the middle that doesn’t go away in spite of a rigorous workout regime.”Tara gestured to her stomach, which in Maddie’s opinion looked damn fine. She’d like to have a “tire” like that.
And probably she could, if she gave up chips.
“Do you get hot flashes that keep you up at night? Then you’re not old enough to drink.”
Chloe rolled her eyes and snatched a glass for herself anyway. “You know, you have some serious anger issues. And resentment
issues. And holier-than-thou issues.”
Maddie braced for the yelling. “Listen—”
“
Excuse me?
” Tara tossed back her wine and poured another, topping off Maddie while she was at it as she whirled on Chloe. “Holier than
thou?”
“If the
more than she should, and oh, yeah, he kissed like heaven on earth.
“I want a Jax,” Chloe said.
“You didn’t even see him.”
“No, but I can see the look he put on your face plain enough. Nice jacket.”
“I forgot to give it back.”
Maddie, Maddie, Maddie,
she told herself.
That’s a big fat lie. You didn’t forget. You wanted the excuse to see him again.
“I drove through town three times,” Chloe said. “I never found a Jax.”
Maddie slid her a look. Perfect dark red shiny hair. Cute, sexy clothes. Tight, toned body. An arresting face with piercing
green eyes that said Trouble with a capital T, and that she was worth it. “There’s no way you have a hard time attracting
men.”
“It’s not the attracting that’s the problem. You ever try to have sex with a third wheel in the bed?”
“Um, no,” Maddie admitted. “I’ve never—”
“I meant my asthma,” Chloe said dryly. “But good to know how your mind works. My
asthma
is the third person in my bed. And it usually kicks ass.”
“You mean you can’t—”
“Not in mixed company, or I end up needing an ambulance for the ensuing asthma attack.” She sighed. “I really miss co-partnered
orgasms.”
“Oh, my God, will you get over the no-orgasm thing?” Tara said, coming up behind them. “Some of us
never
get them.”
“Never? But you’re married.”
“Okay, so never might be an exaggeration. The point is, there are more important things than sex.”
“Name one,” Chloe said.
Tara lifted a bottle of wine.
“A close second,” Chloe admitted. They moved through the living room as the wind rattled at the living room windows. The shag
carpet had once been some sort of blue but had faded to a dingy gray, looking like a dead lawn that hadn’t been watered in
two decades.
“The place needs Christmas decorations,” Chloe decided. “And a tree.”
Maddie plopped down on the faded blue quilted couch and a huge cloud of dust arose. Chloe joined her, immediately drawing
the neck of her shirt over her mouth and nose to protect herself. “And possibly a fumigation.”
Tara shook her head and pulled Chloe off the couch. “Kitchen. The dust in here will kill you, sugar.”
Maddie followed her two sisters, musing on the odd dynamic between them. Tara clearly cared while pretending not to. Chloe
soaked up that caring like a love-starved child, while also pretending not to. As for Maddie, she had no idea where she fit
in, or even if she could.
A loose shutter slapped against the side of the house and made her jump. The lights flickered off and then, after a long hesitation,
back on again.
The three of them grabbed each other’s hands and eyed the kitchen. It looked like the one in the inn, minus the table and
many
square feet. They sat hip to hip on the Formica counter. Tara poured the wine, handing a glass to Maddie, then poured one
for herself.
“Hello,” Chloe said, holding out her hand for a glass. “What am I, chopped liver?”
“Too young,” Tara said.
“I’m past legal by three years!”
“Do you need a bra to keep your boobs from falling?” Tara asked. “Do you need a pair of Spanx to keep the tire hidden?”
“Tire?”
“Yes, the tire, the spare tire around the middle that doesn’t go away in spite of a rigorous workout regime.”Tara gestured to her stomach, which in Maddie’s opinion looked damn fine. She’d like to have a “tire” like that.
And probably she could, if she gave up chips.
“Do you get hot flashes that keep you up at night? Then you’re not old enough to drink.”
Chloe rolled her eyes and snatched a glass for herself anyway. “You know, you have some serious anger issues. And resentment
issues. And holier-than-thou issues.”
Maddie braced for the yelling. “Listen—”
“
Excuse me?
” Tara tossed back her wine and poured another, topping off Maddie while she was at it as she whirled on Chloe. “Holier than
thou?”
“If the
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