Page 25 of Homecoming

“I love the way that man makes you smile,” Renata said. “You deserve that so much.”

“Kara?”

She looked up and choked back a gasp at the sight of her sister Kelly holding her son, Connor, in her arms. Kelly was blonde, with fragile features and a delicate build—Kara’s total opposite.

“I thought that was you. Are you home because of the boys being arrested?”

Kara owed her sister nothing, so she went with a one-word answer. “Yes.”

“Matt’s going to offer to help out on the case if he’s needed.”

“He should definitely do that.” Dan would chew up and spit out the man who’d broken Kara’s heart when he cheated on her with her own sister.

“You should move along, Kelly,” Renata said. “Nothing to see here.”

Kelly gave their cousin a foul look. “Mind your own business.”

“I could say the same to you. Kara doesn’t want to talk to you, and of course you know that, but you still have to come over here and interrupt our good time.”

“Don’t be a bitch, Renata. It’ll give you wrinkles.”

“What does being a lying, cheating whore do for your complexion?”

Again, Kara had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Renata was the best.

“I can’t believe you’d be so rude in front of your nephew and cousin.”

“We’re not being rude to him,” Renata said. “He can’t help who his parents are.”

Kelly gave them a hateful look before she stormed off to wherever she’d come from.

“Please don’t ever let me get on your bad side,” Kara said with a laugh. “That was magnificent.”

“I was rather pleased about the complexion comment. I usually think of something that good after the fact, but with her, it was right there in the moment.”

“She inspires our inner bitches.”

“I can’t believe she had the nerve to come over here and act like nothing is wrong.”

“It’s a reminder of why I don’t live here anymore. Running into her out of the blue isn’t something I ever want to have happen.”

“She can’t touch you anymore, and she knows it. Youwon, Kara. You got the guy of guys, and she knows her little Matt can’t hold a candle to Dan. That keeps her awake at night.”

“She’s still so freaking pretty.”

“Only on the outside. The inside is a festering cauldron of nasty.”

Kara sputtered with laughter at Renata’s way with words. “Does it make me a bad person that I hope Matt reaches out to Dan about helping with the defense?”

“I want popcorn and beer to watch Dan deal with him.”

“Me, too! I was thinking Dan would chew him up and spit him out.”

“I so want to see that. I want it more than I want Myles the ass pain to go away and leave me alone.”

“If there’s a show to watch, I’ll make sure you have a front-row seat.”

“I’m so glad you’re home. I’ve missed you so much.”

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