The Moonglow Sisters - Lori Wilde Page 0,47
escaped her lips and he chuckled, the sound vibrating through her mouth. Gia wound her arms around his neck and wriggled nearer, letting him know he could certainly deepen the kiss if he wanted.
Oof, but he tasted so good. Hot and spicy with just the right amount of moisture.
The man knew his way around a kiss!
His lips were sweet, sweeter than she’d ever believed possible, and her giddy thoughts bounced all over the place. I am kissing my friend. Oh gosh, oh gee, what have I done?
Then, all at once, he stopped. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”
“No . . . no . . . it’s fine.” Oh, so much more than fine!
“Just part of the show?” His grin turned wry.
“Just part of the show,” she echoed.
“Okay.”
“All right. I’m just gonna . . .” She stood there staring into his gorgeous eyes.
“Go?” He arched his left eyebrow and the right side of his mouth.
“Yeah,” she said. “That.”
“Night.”
“Good night.”
As if in a dream, she turned, fingering her lips, and practically floated back across the lawn.
The breeze was soft and steady, bringing festive sounds and provocative smells from the restaurants farther down the beach. Music drifted from somewhere nearby. A solo guitar strumming “Sisters of the Moon.”
The sun was still quite bright as spring barreled toward summer, and the longest day of the year. Dusk was still two hours away.
Drawing closer, she heard Madison mutter, “The girl’s got it bad.”
Was her sister talking about her?
“Jealous?” Shelley murmured.
“I can hear you,” Gia said.
Madison was unpacking the sewing kit, putting the supplies within reach. Needles, thread, thimbles, a new pair of scissors sharp enough to slice through layers of material. She set the scissors on the small table situated between two of the chairs. The blades caught the sunlight, glinted.
Her oldest sister plunked down in a chair, reached for a needle, and threaded it with purple thread that matched the square she would be quilting.
Yay! At last. They were finally getting somewhere thanks to Madison’s strict schedule. Her sister’s overly orderly ways could tax a less structured person, but Gia had to admit, Maddie’s organizational skills came in handy.
As always, Maddie was dressed camera-ready. Full makeup. Hair flat-iron smooth, the ends of the lob gently curled below her jawline. Stylish clothes. Tailored white slacks and a chic, button-down, navy-blue sleeveless blouse. Flawless mani-pedi. Gold sandals. A large gold cuff bracelet, diamond stud earrings, the crystal necklace she seemed never to take off. A Margot Robbie look-alike.
Shelley’s hair frizzed about her face and she wore a long prairie skirt that looked like it had come from a thrift store and an oversize T-shirt. No makeup and she was barefoot. But she moved with such self-assured grace her outward appearance hardly mattered. Once upon a time she’d been so into fashion. What had happened to her in Costa Rica?
“Before we begin . . .” Gia touched the quilt as if it were a lifeline. “Should we explore some ground rules?”
“Ground rules?” Madison’s eyebrows shot up.
“Explore?” Shelley looked amused.
They were making fun of her. Damn, sometimes it sucked being the youngest with two headstrong older sisters.
“Ground rules,” Gia confirmed. “And yes, let’s explore the off-limit topics to keep things running smoothly. Raoul is off the table. Don’t mention his name.”
“We get it,” Madison said. “No mention of Shelley’s transgression.”
“Hey—”
“Shelley, please,” Gia interrupted. “Let it go. And, Madison, I don’t want you to bring that up around me again. That was five years ago. You’re different. Shelley’s different. Everyone is different. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Madison saluted.
“Woo, look at you.” Shelley batted her hair from her face. “All different and everything.”
Gia blinked at them meaningfully. “May I continue?”
Shelley swept an expansive hand. “Go on.”
“No talk of politics, money, sex, or religion. No talking about your show, Madison. Or—”
Shelley raised a hand. “Ahem, what can we talk about?”
“Grammy, quilting, Moonglow pears, the beach, flowers, kittens, puppies, sunshine and rainbows.”
“We get the drift,” Madison said. “Nothing incendiary. Let’s get this show on the road so we can finish the damn quilt and get on with our lives.”
Gia’s nose itched the way it did when she got irritated. Madison was not being a good sport, but at least she was here. Take what you can get.
With Gia’s off-limit-topics ground rules in place, things started off well enough. But Madison seemed antsy. She pressed her mouth into a straight line and didn’t glance up from her work. What was going on inside her oldest sister? There had to be a million emotions