Page 2 of Hers to Kiss
“Huh?” She peered at him through slits and let out another cough. “Um…”
Pete rolled his eyes. “Unbelievable,” he muttered. Still the same Keke. Only interested in herself; never noticing anyone else. He’d always be invisible to a woman like her.
She grinned again, unfazed. “How about you give me a hint?” she purred. “I like games.”
Funny. He did too. Just not this one.
“Keke!”
Roberta stood at the top of the steps leading into the office. She rushed down. Pete put a finger in his ears to block the pitch of their squeals. While they embraced in a fierce hug, Pete jogged up the steps. No time to stick around for the peals of laughter and the high C sounds of chatter when they had to prep for kids that would be arriving within the hour.
“Hey!” Keke called out. “You never told me your name.”
Pete turned around. “And I think I never will.”
Bertie gave them both a funny look. “Keke, what are you talking about? That’s my brother, Peter.”
Pete sighed. His sister ruined everything for him. He was going to have fun counting the days it took Keke to figure out that he was her unwitting—yet very willing—victim of her oppression from childhood.
Keke’s jaw dropped. Her tawny skin showed the slightest tint of pink. “Pete?”
“Yeah, that’s it.” He slammed through the door.
* * *
Keke gripped her best friend’s arms. “Bertie, are you serious?” she whispered fiercely, watching Pete’s form retreat into the office. The door slammed behind him. “That’s little Petey? No. I don’t believe it.”
Bertie’s lips twisted into a wry smirk. “Yes, that’s Petey. Don’t even start.”
“Your brother…isgorgeous.” Keke crossed her arms. “How didthathappen?Whendid that happen?”
Bertie shrugged. “Our mother was a late bloomer, so we all think he inherited that gene.”
“He’s taller than me now!”
Bertie chuckled. “Yeah, he is. Remember how we used to tease him? I thought he would never outgrow me. Now I’m the short one!” Her mouth tipped downward.
Keke waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, whatever. You’re petite. All guys like a petite girl. Half the time, the guys I want to date are too short.”
Bertie looked around the wooded area. “Who are these guys you speak of?”
Keke looked at her sideways. “I wouldn’t be looking for any men in the woods. All of them would be serial killers. But your brother…” Keke stared at the office door.Little Petey.Not so little anymore. The guy was a man now. “Huh.”
“No ‘huh.’” Bertie’s voice held a warning.
Keke threw up her hands in dramatically feigned innocence. “What?”
Bertie put her hands on her hips. “Do I have to remind you of our honor code?”
Keke rolled her eyes.
They had drafted the honor code on a long piece of paper to make it more official—or medieval. One of them. Rules Keke and Bertie lived by that would govern their relationship until death. “Do you remember how old we were when we wrote them?”
“Rule number one is you can’t like my brother.”
Keke scrunched up her face, recalling her initial reaction to the rule when Bertie first voiced it. “I swore to you that I’d never like him—and I don’t think you meant romantically.”
“Ew. No, you’re right. I didn’t mean romantically at the time—’cause I couldn’t fathomanyoneliking my brother—but it’s about loyalty. And like is still like even if it’slikelike.”
