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“What kind of trouble are we talking about?”he asked, his goofy humor returning.

“You know exactly what kind,” Hallie replied.

She gave him a stern look before stepping away from the dance floor with Terry.It wasn’t every day that her sister actually wanted to talk to her, and she was curious to know what this was all about.

Meanwhile, Luke disappeared into the crowd.Glancing back, Hallie lost sight of him, and she just knew he was be up to no good.










Chapter 13: Devoted Sisters

“What’s so importantthat you have to tear me away from my beloved boyfriend now, Terry?”Hallie asked, taking advantage of the situation to be as cheeky as possible.

“Beloved boyfriend, yeah, whatever,” Terry said, her pointed chin sticking out aggressively.“It’s a little bit obvious he’s been flirting with every woman here.”

Hallie didn’t want to look just then, but she couldn’t help searching out Luke in the crowd.Of course, he was surrounded by a group of women, chattering away with them.

“That’s just how he is,” Hallie said lightly.“I’m not one to be jealous.”

“Anyway, I don’t care about your stupid relationship, except when it affects me,” Terry said abruptly.She had always been too blunt, and Hallie remembered many times in her childhood when her sister’s words made her cry.

She had grown wise by now and not let Terry’s words affect her so strongly, but sometimes she just wished her sister could get a drastic personality makeover.

“What do you mean?”Hallie asked.

“I think you know.You’re mommy and daddy’s precious girl all of a sudden just because you’ve grown up and got yourself a man.”

Hallie frowned, but then she should have known Terry wouldn’t take this well.“So, what’s wrong with that?”

“I see what’s going on.”Terry’s eyes with their heavy black eyeliner and overstuffed mascara were trying to stab into her.Her eyes were blue like their father’s, but in this moment they held no familial sympathy or kindness.“You’re trying to push me out of owning the ranch.”

Hallie was a bit stunned.She hadn’t actually expected Terry to care this much about it.

“I’m not trying to do anything,” she deflected.“I can’t help it if mama and daddy are giving me more responsibilities now.”

“Don’t play dumb with me,” Terry growled.

“I honestly think you’re overreacting,” Hallie said, though she was starting to feel a bit nervous.This reminded her of the time Terry hit her on the head with her own doll.She’d feared her sister was literally going to murder her.In her ten-year-old imagination, she had seen the headline: “Girl beaten to death with own Barbie.”