Page 12 of The Dating Dare

“I know,” Tara sighed, feeling the hollow ache in her heart again.Cut it out already.To cheer herself up, she decided to tease Jack. He was such an easy target. He blushed and fumbled so wonderfully. He really was a sweetheart. “You know Mom and Dad secretly hoped for you and Aubrey to get together for the longest time.”

“What? That’s… ugh. What are you talking about?” he stuttered, turning a blotchy pink.

“Nothing,” she said, all innocence.

“Aubrey’s like a little sister to me. She’s like you. How could Mom and Dad…? I feel nauseous.”

“Geez, bro. Calm down. I’m just messing with you.” Tara released the laughter she was holding back, clutching her stomach.

“You’re a little brat. When are you going to grow up?” Jack tried to glare at her, but he was holding back a grin. He was also a really good sport. “You know what you deserve?”

“No.” Her laughter abruptly ceased. “Please not that. Mom told you guys not to do that anymore.”

“She did? I have no recollection of that,” her sweet oppa said as he lunged for her. He grabbed her around her midriff and used his other hand to tickle her belly.

“Ahhh. Stop. Please,” she wheezed as she giggled like a kindergartener high on cotton candy.

Alex walked in on them and stopped in his tracks. After studying the scene for a few seconds, he dashed all her hopes for help from him. “It looks like you have the situation handled, Jack. I’ll be in the garage if you need reinforcement.”

Figures. Jack and Alex were fraternal twins and they always, without fail, sided with each other. Even so, it still stung. Shrieking with tortured laughter, she yelled, “You are heartless, Alex Park. Heartless.”

“Good morning to you, too, baby sister.” With an annoyingly jaunty wave, he went on his merry way.

“Assholes, the both of you.” The insult gave her no satisfaction when it wheezed out of her in a breathless pant.

“Tara, you know better than to use such language toward your big brothers,” her mom chided as she walked into the kitchen. But she wore a wide smile, as though she found the situation hilarious but felt it was her duty as a good mom to teach her youngest how to respect her elders. Just as Tara was about to howl in frustration, her mom continued, “And Jack. Stop that. You’re thirty years old, not seven.”

He promptly released Tara and walked over to Mom to peck her on the cheek. “Sorry. I’ll do my best to remember that I’m old.”

Her mom affectionately slapped her son on the shoulder and turned him toward the hallway. “Be on your way. I want to chat with my daughter.”

“Yes, Mother.” Jack winked at Tara and grabbed a Fuji apple from the fruit basket before he sauntered out of the kitchen, throwing and catching the apple in the air.

“You slept in today,” she said, switching fluidly to Korean. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Of course, I am.”Oh, no. Mom knows. She always knows everything.“It was a long day, and I just needed some extra sleep.”

“Are you sure that’s all?” Her mom peered at her with her X-ray vision. Tara’s heart threatened to tear through her chest like the Kool-Aid man. “It’s okay to feel a little down. Aubrey just got married. You could feel sad for all those girls’ nights in and out you used to have, and worry about your friendship changing.”

Tara should’ve been relieved that she hadn’t been sniffed out by her mom for her late-night adventures. But talking about this wasn’t a huge improvement, especially since her mom zeroed in on her inner workings.

“I know, Mom. I just need to let it all settle in. Aubrey will always be my best friend. Just because her life has changed doesn’t mean that our friendship will change. We’ll always be there for each other.”

“That was my line. When has my puppy gotten so wise?” Mom cupped her cheek with a warm hand and smiled. “You’re right. Just give yourself time.”

“Thank you.” Tara couldn’t believe her luck that her mom wasn’t bringing up her lack of a husband.

“And… maybe it’s time you started thinking about your future. I married your dad when I was only twenty-three—”

“I can’t hear you.” She’d been too quick to be relieved. To avoid listening to her mom’s story for the 378th time, Tara plugged her ears with her fingers. “I already told you I don’t have time for marriage. The brewery is more important to me.”

She probably said this a bit louder than necessary, thanks to the fingers muffling her voice, because her mom drew back with a cringe. With an exasperated eye roll, she drew Tara close, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and walked out of the kitchen.

Tara blew out a long breath. If she wanted a minute of peace, she was either going to have to hide out in her room or go into the brewery early. Her brothers wouldn’t be coming in until around two, so Tara decided to head out to her happy place. She loved her family, but privacy was a rare commodity.

After a quick shower, she threw on her work uniform—jeans and a loose, lightweight shirt—and headed out. Tara rode her bike everywhere in town. She claimed that it was for the environment and her physical well-being, but the fact of the matter was that it was so much fun. It reminded her of being a kid. She even rang the bell occasionally when no one was around.

It was a brisk, sunny spring morning, and she hummed under her breath as she whizzed down the road. She reached Weldon Brewery before she knew it and let herself inside. It was her home away from home. The place where she felt most herself, but this morning it was all wrong.

---