Page 64 of Sparks Still Fly

“And I told you that I can’t help the things I do in my sleep! If you really didn’t like my head being so close to yours, you should have moved, Red!” Raf’s voice is low, but I can hear the exasperation in it.

“I was also asleep, Rafael. On my side of the car. Away from you. Next time, please keep your drooling to yourself.” Charlie kicks off her shoes a little bit too forcefully toward where Rafael is standing.

“All right, gata. You win. I’ll keep my drooling face away from yours as soon as you keep your hands to yourself. Deal?” Raf’s smirk has Charlie’s face going so red I’m worried she might burst. I peek at Bon and Adam, who are watching the two with rapt fascination.

“Stop calling me names,” Charlie hisses as Raf’s smile gets wider.

“Uh, you two should probably stop fighting now.” Adam’s voice is gentle, and both Raf and Charlie roll their eyes in his direction.

“Yes, Dad,” they say in unison, and Bon explodes with laughter. Adam chuckles at their antics, and eventually, even Charlie looks less pissed. Bon turns and catches sight of me.

“Mae! You’re he— Why are you wearing my brother’s clothes?”

Oh, bloody hell. Leave it to Bon to just say the thing that pops into her head.

I love her for it, except when it serves to point out the thing that Owen is quietly flipping out about in the kitchen.

I go to her and give her a hug, laughing lightly as I do. “Well hello to you too, bestie!” I hug Adam next, then Raf, then I spend an extra few seconds hugging my sister tightly, and her body relaxes as I do. She whispers a thank you, and I nod, stepping away from the group and into the kitchen where we always seem to congregate.

“Owen, why is Maeve wearing your clothes?” Bon looks to her wide-eyed brother, a look of pure mischief on her cute face.

“Well, uh, you see, there was this, uh, thing, in uh...”

Raf’s laugh booms out of him as he leans over slapping his knee. I pull my lips between my teeth, so I don’t accidentally join him, and Bon narrows her eyes at me conspiratorially. I shake my head at both her and Charlie, for good measure. Who knows what’ll come out of their mouths next.

“There’s a bat in the guesthouse. I kind of freaked out last night and ran here, and since I didn’t have my own clothes to sleep in, Owen let me borrow his.” There. That ought to shut them all up.

“That seems rational,” Adam says as he nods. “Have you been back to see where the bat is?”

Damn it, Adam.

“Uh, no. I uh... Well, you see—” I can’t take any more of Owen’s nervous babbling so I interject again.

“Owen was working out, and I didn’t want to go back there by myself, so we haven’t been over yet. I have absolutely no desire to see that ugly thing again.” I keep my eyes on the small group currently smiling at us like they know something we don’t.

Little do they know just how little they know...

“Did you just finish your workout, O? You look a little flushed. Need some water?” Raf’s eyebrows bounce on his forehead, the little shit.

“Uh...yeah. I did.” Owen swallows hard and reaches for a glass in the cupboard behind him, filling it with water straight from the tap and downing it.

“Must have been a really hard workout. Your hair looks like it’s been pulled in all directions.” The little jerk laughs again.

I love Raf, but I might kill him today.

Owen spits out his water, coughing as he sits the glass down loudly on the countertop.

“You know what, why don’t the three of you go check on the flying rat in the guesthouse and let us get lunch ready? Not to feed into the patriarchy but go take care of the big scary thing while us women converse in the kitchen, please.” I start to shoo the three of them away from the kitchen, shooting a glare at Owen that hopefully communicates get it together, man.

The three of them walk out, and I catch the reassuring clap on the back Adam gives Owen as he looks back at me, and I wave my hand, signaling for him to keep walking.

“So I take it you’ve seen your husband’s dick, then?” None of us have much of a filter, but Charlie was born without one, especially when it’s just the three of us.

“Gross, Char. That’s my brother!” Bon pretends like she’s throwing up, making an awful sound as she does. Then she looks up, bright eyed. “But, I mean, without giving us any details of the how and when, did you?”

“Oh my life, Elaina soon-to-be Holm! I cannot believe the nerve! Both of you.” I point at the two of them who look at one another with eyebrows raised.

“She did,” Charlie says matter-of-factly.

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