I can’t get away from her.
I’m fuming when my sister opens the door. Her eyes widen when she sees the expression on my face.
“Everything okay?”
“You have new neighbors.”
“Oh, lovely!” Sarah says, poking her head over my shoulder. I follow her gaze, seeing a woman who isn’t Rae pulling bags out of the trunk.
Another woman? Is Rae…into chicks? Is she a lesbian?
I try to keep the surprise off my face, but something clenches at my stomach.
Am I disappointed? Why the fuck would I care?
I hate Rae Montgomery with all the fire in my soul. She robbed me of my future business, and she betrayed my best friend. I don’t know why she’s here, or who the other woman is, but it doesn’t concern me. All the better that Rae’s batting for the other team. Makes it easy to ignore how hot she is.
Before I can stop her, Sarah dodges around me and walks toward the woman next door.
“Hi!” my sister calls out, raising her arm. I start protesting, then shrink back into her house, watching.
The other woman lifts her eyes, a soft smile tugging at her lips. She has the same chocolate brown hair as Rae, but hers is cut short. She smiles at Sarah, dropping the bag she was carrying and extending a hand.
“Lucy,” she says.
“Didn’t think anyone would ever buy this place,” Sarah says, jerking her thumb at the old house next door.
“My sister just bought it. Rae! Come meet our new neighbor!”
Sister?
I want to disappear. I wish I hadn’t come to visit Sarah today, but it’s Saturday, which means family night. I stay rooted to the ground, though, watching as Rae appears in the doorway, a small child in her arms. She smiles at Sarah, and my heart stutters.
I’ve never seen her smile like that. I didn’t even know she was capable of it.
Her smile lights up her face. It changes everything. Makes her look soft, happy, and kind. Her eyes crinkle at the corners, and her nose scrunches ever so slightly. Is it just me, or do her freckles seem brighter? Even the scar on her eyebrow suits her when she smiles.
She’s cute.
I shake the thought away. She’s a robbing, stealing, lying, backstabbing excuse for a sister, is what she is. Who cares if she can smile? Even psychopaths can smile.
“This is Roman,” Lucy says, taking the child from Rae’s arms.
Sarah beams. She loves kids. My sister’s gaze shifts to me, and my eyes widen. Don’t call me over, I scream with my eyes. Don’t you dare.
“Benji!” Sarah waves me down. “That’s my brother. Benji, what are you doing there? Get over here. Come say hi.”
I see the exact moment Rae realizes it’s me. Her soft, hopeful smile slips right off her face, and the hardness returns to her eyes. The light inside her dims.
Guess the feeling is mutual.
Trudging over to their front lawn, I jerk my head at Rae, then turn to Lucy. “Nice to meet you.”
“And this is Roman,” Sarah says, shaking the little boy’s hand. He hides his head in his mother’s shoulder, and the two women laugh. I steal a glance at Rae, and I see her face soften again.
I don’t know why I find it so surprising. Everyone loves kids, don’t they? Why would Rae be the exception?
Maybe she has a heart, after all.
“Who’s that?” a little voice says behind me. My niece and nephew poke their heads out the front door, and Sarah waves them over.
“Bradley! Gabby!” she calls out, and introductions are made all around.
If I didn’t know any better, this would look like a normal, friendly interaction. New neighbors meeting each other. Welcoming a new mother to the neighborhood. I listen to Sarah asking Lucy to come along to her Mom and Tot’s swimming lessons and her weekly mother’s group. She asks Lucy what she does for work.
“I’m actually transferring to the university in September,” Lucy says, putting Roman back down on his feet so he can go meet the other kids. “I’m studying to be a special ed teacher.”
Sarah’s eyes widen, and a smile splits across her face. “I teach at Woodvale Elementary! How many years have you got left? I could get you a job there.”
My sister laughs delightedly at me, and I want to disappear. The last thing I want to do is make it easy for the Montgomerys to adjust to life in Woodvale.
“That would be incredible.” Lucy and Rae exchange a glance, and Rae smiles again. My heart clenches.
Sarah lets out a happy sigh, her eyes full of hope. Then, my sister opens her mouth, and my heart sinks.
“Why don’t you come over for dinner? You probably haven’t even got pots and pans unpacked.” Sarah smiles at the two women, chucking Roman on the cheek.
“Oh, we couldn’t,” Rae says, her cheeks turning red. She doesn’t look at me, but I know I’m the reason she’s refusing. Through their open front door, I can see a few unopened boxes, and Rae’s rental car is full to the brink. They haven’t unpacked anything, and Sarah is probably right. There’s no way their kitchen is ready to be used.
“Nonsense,” Sarah says. “We’ve got lots of food, as long as Benji doesn’t eat it all. Oliver is out back at the grill. I’ll tell him to throw a couple more burgers on.”
Lucy smiles, throwing a hopeful glance at Rae. Rae gulps, flicking her eyes to me.
They’re not the hard, cold eyes I’m used to. She’s not telling me what to do or stomping on my life and burning everything I’ve worked for to the ground.
She’s asking permission.
I grunt, shrugging. Sarah’s face brightens, and I know my sister is my weak point. I’ll do anything for her. Give her anything. Put up with my soul-sucking new boss for a few hours, if it means Sarah gets what she wants.
The three kids are already thick as thieves, and Sarah hooks her
