Page 57 of Pucking Rebound

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Jordy

“Chill, baby,” I whisper into Lola’s ear then slide her off the table and hold her tight to my chest.

“We’re just leaving.” Lucia bursts out laughing. “We’ll let you get back to, eh, dinner.”

“Sounds delicious,” Sofia adds, making them both cackle like a pair of witches.

Twin sisters are the worst. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” sounding embarrassed, Lola mumbles against the fabric of my shirt.

“Stay where you are,” I bellow, stopping Lucia and Sofia from tiptoeing out of the kitchen with their hands full of food they’ve stolen from my fridge. “We need to set some new rules.”

Looking sheepish in their pink scrubs they stare at me. “Okay.” They nod in harmony, which they always do, dirty blonde buns wobbling on top of their heads, dark circles under their eyes. I worry about how hard they work.

“You can’t let yourself into my apartment anymore,” I say firmly.

“I agree.” Sofia scrunches her nose up at the same time Lucia’s mouth makes the shape of anOin surprise.

Drifting my thumb back and forth against Lola’s back to comfort her because I can feel her heart beating like a trapped wasp in a jelly jar against my stomach, I add, “I will have groceries delivered to your apartment every week and arrange for security to put it away for you.”

In their fifth year of specialist training to become pediatricians, my sisters are two of the most intelligent people I know, but between them, they have zero skills in organizing their day to day lives. They’d rather save lives than plan their own. Which is pretty fucking awesome when you think about it.

“Why didn’t we think about doing that?” They look at each other in amazement, asking the same question.

“Because I’ve let you raid my fridge for far too long, but that stops tonight.”

“Deal.” They say together, both sounding the same. It’s fucking weird how similar they are, but I can tell them apart. That’s my brotherly superpower.

“And one last rule. You’re not to ask me fifty million questions when I introduce you to Lola.”

Sofia winks at me. “Promise.”

At the same time, Lucia replies, “I can’t guarantee I won’t have questions.”

Lola pulls in a breath. “What the hell, Jordy? Why are you introducing me? We’re supposed to be keeping us a secret.” She snaps her head back, looking up at me and I’m momentarily stunned by how beautiful she is.

Regardless of how much she’s cried over the last couple of days, I know my sisters won’t point out how puffy her face looks.

“They’ll only text me as soon as they leave, asking who you are if I don’t introduce you.” I point at my sisters, who are smiling back at me, looking smug as hell. “Because they never do as they are told.” I feign exasperation when secretly I love them and would do anything for them.

“He’s got a point.”

“It’s true.”

They nod excitedly together.

Ten years between us, I was the whoopsie my parents never expected. The whoopsie that confirmed my parents were still having sex after fifteen years of marriage, which my sisters hated, and said was embarrassing to have a baby brother when they were at elementary school.

I’m the whoopsie that made them want to puke.

Top girls.

Growing up with them, it was always two against one, but they were and still are always there when I need them. They were here for me when Sienna and I broke up and they always defend me when Mom decides to try and talk me out of being a hockey player, which she’s been trying to do since I was drafted.

“I will protect you from Thing 1 and Thing 2,” I promise Lola.

“Hey,” Lucia scolds, shoving a piece of soda bread into her mouth.

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