Page 7 of Karma's Kiss

“I can’t believe you still want to join me in motherhood one day. Every time you call, the kids are doing something crazy. It should be warning enough.”

“It sounds crazy, sure, but fun.”

“Fun, right. I’m staring at a pile of my fancy kitchen utensils the kids must have snuck back out here without me looking. Think they were using them to make mud pies.”

I laugh. “I’m sitting in the Cactus right now.”

“Aw. Tell your dad I said hi.”

I flit my gaze over to his picture and smile.

“So you got in last night as planned?” she asks.

“Yes and no. My mom ended up dragging me to John’s Ice House after I landed.”

She cracks up at this. “Oh god. How’d that go? Bet everyone was excited to see you and tell you straight to your face just what they think of your current predicament.”

“Ding ding ding.” I laugh. “Honestly though, it really wasn’t so bad. Pam O’Neal was there. Haven’t seen her in a while. She was nice. But you’ll never believe who I ended up talking to the most.”

“Who?”

I lower my voice and whisper into the phone. “Sawyer Garnett.”

Her response is immediate and vehement. “Oh god.Ew.I hope you told him to go screw himself.”

“Not exactly…”

“What do you mean? What was he like? He doesn’t have Facebook.”

“Arrogant as ever.Handsomeas ever.”

She gags, totally disgusted. “He led me on like you wouldn’t believe. I fell hard for him and he didn’t give two shits about me. Same thing happened to Jenna and Laura too.”

“But that’s all water under the bridge now.”

“Water under the bridge?Pfft.You think because I have a husband I adore and two wonderful but insane children, I’ve forgiven Sawyer? Absolutely not. I rue the day I first laid eyes on him.”

“All right…forget I mentioned it.”

“What’d he want with you anyway?”

I run my finger pad along the handle of my coffee cup wondering if it even bears mentioning. I don’t want to lie to her though, even by omission.

“He sort of…I don’t know, acted like he was asking me out.”

Her voice reaches a new scary octave. “DID HE ASK YOU OUT?”

“Kind of?” I wince. “It was just some teasing banter over a game of pool.”

“Yuck. I hope you put him in his place. Wait—” She cackles maniacally. “Oh—OH, this is perfect! Don’t you see?!”

“I don’t see,” I drawl sarcastically.

“Oh ho.Oh my god.This is going to be the best thing ever. If you go out with him, we can give him a taste of his ownmedicine! Teach him a lesson! You’re going to be karma! A vigilante hero!Myvigilante hero.”

“What are you on about?”

“Don’t act like it wouldn’t beinsanelysatisfying to take Sawyer down a peg or two. The shining prince of Oak Hill.” She sounds disgusted. “And hey, you can channel all that rage you have for Matthew—kill two birds with one stone. You’ll be doing the entire female population a huge favor.” I don’t say anything, which means she’s forced to double down on her plea. “Pleasedo this for me. You’re so freaking hot! What a huge waste to have won the genetic lottery and not use it to help others! Think of it as charity!”

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