Page 54 of Bound By Temptation

“Hello, ladies,” he announced with his dark hair wet from our shower. My treacherous body tingled at the thought and stilled my ability to ask GramO what she meant.

Meadow put her hand on her hip.

Mom smiled widely.

I didn’t know what to think. GramO said about time… What the hell did that mean? I wanted to ask her, but not with him in the room.

“Hello!” Luna, my other sister, called from the living room, closing the door behind her. Gizmo was going crazy with all the company. Me, I wanted to go back in my room and lock myself in it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. What is this? Visit Indie day?”

Meadow smiled at me. “Yep. Had to come see what my baby sister was up to.”

All I could think was I was so glad she didn’t bring the kids.

“We’re in the kitchen!” I called out as Ax moved right to Mom, bent down and kissed her on the cheek. Then he went to Meadow who stopped when he did the same thing to her. Then he made a trip to GramO.

I was so focused on GramO and Ax that I missed my sister coming into the room.

Ax towered over GramO and had to bend down deep to kiss her cheek. “Hello, ma’am,” he said on a smile, still bent down and looking in her smiling—yes, smiling—eyes.

Was I in the twilight zone here? Had to be. GramO had seen the devastation that Ax left me in. She knew the tears I cried to her. And now she was welcoming him like he never left a day and was a regular staple in my life. What did she know that I didn’t? I wanted to know. Then again, I didn’t.

Shit. How’d my life turn into this emotional rollercoaster when all I wanted to do was to make damn cakes!

“What the hell did I just walk into?” Luna said, catching my attention. As always, she was dressed to the nines with a pencil skirt and blazer. It was the weekend, and she still looked like she was going into the office. Professional was the only mode she had. Fun … not so much.

“The fun that has become my life. What are you doing here?” I asked her, fully turning from Ax and GramO as they started talking in hushed tones. It took everything I had not to storm over there and hear exactly what they were saying to each other.

What was she telling him?

What was he telling her?

I wanted to know so badly, but alas I had to deal with my family.

“And hello to you too,” Luna said, making her way to me, and part of me felt bad for snapping at her.

“Hi. Now why are you here? Why are you all here?” I asked, turning to GramO because she started giggling. Yes. Giggling. I was in a different world. Laughing I’d heard my whole life. Giggling like a schoolgirl, not so much.

My mother hip checked me, nodding over to GramO and Ax. “That one already has Olive around his finger.”

I rolled my neck, then looked up at the ceiling seeing plants hanging. I really needed to water all of them. Hello … random.

“Shut it,” I said to her, then to the room I asked, “Is anyone gonna tell me what’s goin’ on? Did I miss something or forget we were having a party?”

Luna lived hours away in Atlanta and didn’t come to Sumner often. Something had to be up.

“I came to make breakfast,” GramO said, pointing to the grocery bags I hadn’t noticed on the counter. This was a great thing considering she was an excellent cook. The sausage, biscuits and gravy needed medals.

“Okay. So that one has a pass,” I announced to GramO’s chuckle. And I thought I heard Ax’s in there too. “Now you three?”

“I had a little bird chirp in my ear yesterday,” Meadow said.

“Bird? Did you kill it?” Yes, I was a sarcastic bitch. Fully admit it.

“You want me to kill your niece?”

For the love of God. “What does Farah know?”

---