Page 11 of Our Chance

Adele snorted. “Please, this has everythingto do with Maverick and the fact you two are fucking each othernow.”

She had a box of bolts in her hand, and ather sister’s crude words, she dropped the whole lot onto the floor.“Damn it!”

“Aha, I’m right, aren’t I?” Adele asked.

Freya glanced around the shop. The lastthing she needed was for their father to hear. At least, shedidn’t want him to hearwhat she’d been up to.

“Keep your voice down.”

“What? You’re worried about the gossip?You’re not a kid anymore and it’s not like you sleep under yourparents’ roof. You gotright out of there.” This time Adele rolled her eyes. “It’s a smalltown and people talk. You do realize that everyone, and Imean everyone,already knows about you and Maverick?” Adele asked.

She opened her mouth, then closed it andpressed her lips together. “No, they don’t.”

“Please, little sis, don’t playdumb. Trust me on this,they know, and there is no way of getting away from it.” Adelesighed and at least she didn’t have to beg her sister for help inpicking up the bolts. She’d have no choice but to count them all tomake sure the inventory was there. At least she enjoyedcounting.

Once on their knees, Freya sat back aftergathering what felt like a thousand mini bolts. “Do you think theyall know?”

“Yeah, trust me, this is a small town.”

She frowned and looked at her sister. “Ifthis is a small town, why did it take you so long to see your messed-up ex cheatingon you?”

Adele sighed and sat back on her heels. “Youreally want to know?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I didn’t want to see it,” Adele said.

“What? Why?”

“You saw Hank. He was this amazing guy. Hewas smart, funny, and of course wealthy, and our parents likedhim.” She shrugged. “Also, I don’t know, I kind of liked himtoo.”

“You married the guy and you onlykindof liked him.”

“I … we … okay, it was … I thought I mightbe pregnant with his kid. That’s why we ended up tying the knot, and in all honesty, Iregretted it the moment we, you know, did it.”

“What?” This was news to her.

“Yeah, and trust me, the day after we gotmarried, my cycle started. How is that for Karma?” Adele blew out a breath. “Anyway,enough about Hank and me. It doesn’t matter anymore anyway. I neverfell in love with him, but I did know what he was doing. When Irealized I was just setting myself up for misery and the truth wasat the end of the day, when he wanted to have sex, and I couldn’tstand the thought of him touching me because of the women he’d beenwith that day, I knew it was over. I bided my time, got theevidence, and all of that is history you know about. Let’s not talkabout me. What about you and Maverick?”

Freya sighed. “You’re notmad?”

“Why would I be mad?”

“You did date him first.”

Adele laughed. “I don’t know if you couldcall what Maverick and I were, dating. I mean, we hung out, and wehad some fun. He was a parents’ worst nightmare, and I wanted to scare Mom and Dad. I wasyoung, and, well, now I’m not. Also, he’s not had the best of timein recent years. You and him, I bet you’re awesometogether.”

She took a deep breath. “He’s really great.”She couldn’t help but smile.

“You see, that right there, that smile,that … feeling, I’venever felt that with anyone,” Adele said.

“I, ugh, I think I might be in love withMaverick, and it’s crazy because we’ve only been seeing each othera month, and we’ve been kind of sneaking around.”

“Well, maybe it is time for you tostop sneaking, and tolet everyone else who already knows see that you’re both together.Also, bring him around for dinner with the parentals, that will bea fun day.”

****

Maverick was not having the best of days.First, he woke up with a migraine that didn’t ease at any point,and resulted in him taking a couple of painkillers that eventuallynumbed the pain long enough for him to work. One of thepart-time students nearlyexploded a damn car because he’d been too hungover tofocus.

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