Midnight Sommelier - Anne Malcom Page 0,21

Ryder were quick, firm friends. Jax, the ultimate romantic, was deeply in love with her. For her part, she handled the infatuation brilliantly and without bruising my delicate son’s feelings.

I would admit I was falling just a little in love with her already. I’d always been so sure that I didn’t want a girl, having firsthand experience of what kind of havoc two teenage girls could wreck on even the most stable of households.

Luna was polite. Funny. Mature. Respectful. Smart. Athletic. She and Ryder routinely spent their afternoons sparring at the Black Mountain sports center. They had a boxing ring, donated by the Langmore family, of course.

I wondered how much her father had to do with all of this. I hadn’t seen him since that first fateful meeting a month ago. Well, I had seen him, since I’d taken to becoming a low-key stalker. I was now an expert at listening for the sound of his motorcycle coming and going.

It didn’t surprise me that he drove a motorcycle, considering the vibe I’d gotten from him within seconds of meeting him. Luna drove a sporty little Jeep. The bike, from what I could gather on Google, was top of the line. Not to mention the house they’d bought in our gated community. Luna wore nice clothes. She loved fashion, and her dream was to become a designer or stylist—she hadn’t decided yet.

She did not seem like a kid who had a brooding, motorcycle-riding badass for a father. One that bought her a Jeep and very expensive clothes.

There was no mother to speak of. And I listened intently for any mention of a mother. I watched for one. My attention on the comings and goings of the house next door was bordering on obsessive.

“Is this okay?” Luna asked me, jerking me out of the trance she had no idea was about her father.

Thank God.

I focused on Luna. She was wearing a pair of high-waisted faux leather jeans—mine—a black high-necked bodysuit with a super low back—hers—and a spike heeled pair of bright red ankle boots—also mine. We’d decided on a bright red lip to tie the whole look together.

“You’re perfect,” I said, meaning it. We were shopping in my closet—I was sitting on the chaise lounge in the middle of the room drinking wine. She was drinking soda, of course.

“As much as I love my boys, and I really, really do, I’m sad that I didn’t have a teenage daughter who was exactly my size that I could swap clothes with,” I continued.

“Oh, you do not share clothes,” Alexis interrupted, entering the room with her own glass. She looked to Luna. “Seriously, she threatened to stab me for borrowing her sweater. You look absolutely amazing, by the way.”

I scowled at my sister. “That was my favorite sweater,” I snapped. “And you didn’t just borrow it. You ruined it. I think you got off easy not having any puncture wounds to speak of.” I looked at Luna. “I promise I’m not going to stab you if something happens to the pants.” I paused. “The shoes, however...”

She grinned. “I promise, Bridget. no harm will come to the shoes. I worship at the altar of Lagerfeld, McQueen, and Givenchy. Never would I commit a crime so horrific as to ruin a pair of Manolos.” She looked down at her feet. “Though I will question your sanity for letting a teenage girl you barely know borrow such a beautiful and expensive pair of shoes.”

I smiled at her. “Ah, something you will learn about me and I’m surprised you haven’t already, I’m nowhere near sane. And I also don’t believe in letting these babies gather dust in my closet. It’s bringing me just as much joy as it’s bringing you to see you showing them off.”

She smiled at me sadly. “You could show them off, you know. Go out dancing or something. Ryder and I will hang out with Jax, make sure he doesn’t throw any wild parties.” She glanced to Alexis. “The two of you should go. You never know, you might have fun.”

“Fun?” I repeated. “No, this is fun for me.” I held up my wine glass. “I’m also currently very into The Vampire Diaries. The only people I want to be around are in this house right now. The rest?” I shook my head.

Luna giggled. “You know, my dad is a Vampire Diaries fan...” She trailed off.

Both Alexis and I damn near choked on our wine. I recovered first. “Are you serious?”

Her eyes were alight