Page 146 of Forever Never
“Kimber was just telling us about Ian’s idea for a phone app for playdates,” Kiri said, catching Remi up to speed.
“And I just introduced Hadley to the Sweet Valley Twins series,” Kimber said. “She read the first ten in a weekend.”
“I can’t believe how fast they’re growing up,” Remi admitted. “It seems like just yesterday they were crawling around in your living room, and Kyle was using his law books as blockades.”
Kimber finally looked her in the eye. “That was both another lifetime ago and also yesterday.”
“I remember when you girls were a few centuries younger,” Kiri began. “Do you remember the trouble you two got into when you caught Remi cutting her hair before kindergarten picture day and you cut yours to match?”
Remi winced. “I forgot all about that,” she confessed.
“Mom was not happy,” Kimber reminisced with a faint smile.
“Speaking of, I heard you two are still in trouble,” Lars teased.
“It’s time the world faced it. The Ford sisters are never going to be good at coloring in the lines,” Remi said, raising her glass.
“I’ll drink to that,” Lars chuckled.
“And how’s that husband of yours?” Kiri asked. “Seems like he’s off-island more than he is on this winter.”
Kimber toyed with the stem of her glass. “He’s fine. Busy with work. He caught a few cases that required a lot of extra time. But he’s enjoying it.”
There was a flat, resigned quality to her tone that had Remi’s sisterly radar activating.
Kiri rested her elbows on the table and picked up a puzzle piece. “Remi, how about you? What brought you back to town?”
“Think Brick will put a ring on it?” Lars asked, pulling up a chair.
She choked on a mouthful of a full-bodied merlot. Coughing and sputtering, she reached for a cheesecake bite to wash it down.
“I was missing my family,” she said, stuffing a bite of cheesecake into her mouth. “Thought I’d take a few weeks of vacation and have a nice long visit.”
“And put a smile on Brick’s face,” Kiri said, fitting the piece into place.
Heat flooded Remi’s cheeks. “We’re just enjoying spending time together. There will be no putting rings on anything.”
Any day now, he was going to come to his senses and turn her loose again into the world, ruined forever by his invincible penis.
“I see a few new finds in here,” Remi noted, changing the subject. “Where did you get that basket?”
* * *
They ateand drank and chatted for another half an hour. And when Kimber said she needed to head home to get the kids from school, Remi volunteered to go with her.
“You look relaxed,” Kimber observed as they walked, avoiding patches of ice and piles of still pristine snow.
“Me?” Remi asked innocently. “I must have gotten a good night’s sleep.”
“That’s not the face of someone who slept well,” Kimber said dryly. “That’s the face of someone who had a half dozen orgasms in rapid succession.”
“Let’s talk about something other than my face and orgasms,” Remi insisted.
Her sister let out a sigh, watching the cloud of breath appear and then vanish in the cold. “I’m sorry for going PMS 5000 on you. I was spiraling, and it really had nothing to do with you.”
“I’m sorry for blowing back up at you.”
“You held out admirably. Which only served to push me over the edge,” Kimber admitted.
