Page 101 of Suddenly Entwined

“Need to cool off?” I ask as I pull down some bowls from the cupboard.

“Who me? Nope. But I think you might.”

There’s playfulness in her tone of voice and I sense her behind me a moment too late, arching my back as she drops a handful of ice cubes into the collar of my shirt.

“Argh!” I scream, pulling my tee loose so the cubes clatter onto the floor.

I point a finger at her as the kids run into the kitchen, watching us with amusement and confusion as I scoop up the fallen ice cubes. “You’re gonna pay for that.”

“No way…” Caro backs up slowly but the girls are blocking the exit.

“Stop her, girls. Don’t let her get away!”

The little traitors part, letting Caro right through the gap as she runs into the hall with laughter bubbling from her lips.

“Whose team are you on anyways?” I laugh, racing past them with water dripping through my fingers.

“Caro’s team!”

“We’re on Caro’s team!”

“Apparently!” I yell.

But who can blame them? I’m team Caro too.

Chapter thirty-four

Carolina

“What are you rugrats doing here?”

I hear my brother before I see him, greeting Natalie and Louisa as they burst through my parents’ front door in search of Chris. Apparently, they’ve been over before to help my mom in the garden or learn a thing or two from Dad in his impeccable garage. When I walk in next, Chris peers over the top of Louisa’s head, her arms and legs wrapped around him like a koala.

“Hey, Berg busy tonight…”

His voice trails off as a shadow stretches in front of me, Berg standing close at my back.

Chris turns and lets Lou slide down to the ground. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing!” My tone is a little too bright, so I clear my throat and try again. “Just here for family dinner.”

“Right,” he says, slowly.

“Girls,” I hear my mom call. “Come help me with dessert.”

They don’t hesitate, making themselves right at home in the same kitchen I grew up in.

“Where’s Anna?” I ask, really hoping she’s here somewhere.

She’s become a friend of mine during the last few months, and she’d be a great buffer between my brother and I for when I drop this bomb.

“Late client. She’ll be here shortly.”

Berg climbs the stairs and clasps my brother on the shoulder before we all move to the living room. The three of us surround the coffee table, nobody making a move to sit on either of the couches or arm chairs.

“Couldn’t give her the night off, man?” Chris asks, a smile on his face as he glances at his phone.

If Berg makes some sort of joke about me working all night, I’m gonna kill him. Right after my brother does.

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