Page 40 of Twilight Echoes
“I’m doing opening night.” She planted her hands on her hips.
“We’re having an argument in the bathroom, naked, after wild sex. Do you have any idea how hot that is?”
She poked him in the chest. “You can’t avoid this with deflection. And me dancing in the first few months isn’t going to hurt the babies.”
“That’s not my issue,” he said. “Why is Amanda living at the farm?”
“For safety reasons.”
He kissed her cheek. “I rest my case.”
“You’re so infuriating.” She stomped her foot and marched out of the bathroom. She hadn’t thought about that aspect of their situation. Or the idea that she might have to go spend thenext nine months living in Vermont, hiding from crazies who wanted to kill her and her babies.
She paused in the middle of her bedroom.
Holy shit.
She was pregnant.
With Darrell Hughes’ babies.
Fucking twins.
Twins that would change the world.
Well, she did say she missed her sister, Amanda.
9
Avery slipped from her bedroom suite and made her way down the staircase toward the kitchen where her nose was assaulted with all the wonderful scents that came with visiting her parents.
Bitter brew, cinnamon, maple syrup—not the processed stuff. Fluffy sourdough bread that had to be soaked in egg and baked in the oven. Her mother always stayed up, making that treat for the family when they gathered. Crisp bacon sizzling in the frying pan brought her back to simpler times when she and her sisters were children.
Avery had never wanted for anything and that included love and affection. Her parents were kind and supportive. But they also taught their daughters the value of being strong and independent. Her father had wanted his girls to be able to take care of themselves, not rely on a man. He saw nothing wrong with being traditional. The royal family was full of out-of-date traditions, and they went through the motions of every single one of them. Her family believed it was important to carry on those traditions, even if they were only in ceremonies.
But that didn’t mean Avery and her sisters couldn’t be or do anything they wanted.
Avery rounded the corner into the massive kitchen. Her father stood over the stove, tending to the bacon. The one thing her mother trusted him to do and not screw it up.
“Good morning, Dad,” Avery said as she poured herself a cup of steaming hot coffee. She smiled even though she suspected her cheeks were red. Being with Darrell had been the most natural thing in the world. Even waking up with him in her childhood bed felt normal.
Having wild morning sex in her bathroom didn’t feel strange at all.
Seeing her dad shortly after?
Not so much.
“Where’s Darrell?” her father asked as he placed a few bacon strips on some paper towels.
“Just getting out of the shower. He’ll be down in a minute.” That’s two sentences she never thought she’d say.
To her father.
In her parents’ home.
Heat flushed from her head to her toes.
“How are you feeling this morning?”
