at once.
Kyla tipped up her chin. “Good. Because I might never touch it.”
Stone put his arm around her shoulder. “I don’t care if you have money or not.”
She looked up to kiss him, but Stone hesitated. “I’m not sure if I should do this in front of your brothers.”
Eric nodded at him. “Go ahead. We’re cool with you now.”
Stone curled his arms around her and held her tight. Then he set his hands on her shoulders. “But just out of curiosity, why are you working at a job you hate when you’ve got lots of money available?”
Good question, asked the voice in her head.
“Guess I had something to prove,” Kyla said.
“Mom’s dead, Kyla. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone. You never did,” Toby said.
Kyla shrugged. “To myself, I did.”
“So quit,” Stone said. “Take some time to figure out what you’d like to do. Take some time to spend with me.”
“Ugh. They’re getting romantic. Can we watch the game at your place, Toby?” Eric asked. “We still have time to get there.”
Kyla threw a pillow at him. “Please do. Get out of here.”
“Kyla’s got a boyfriend, Kyla’s got a boyfriend,” the three brothers chanted as they left the apartment.
“Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it little sis?” Eric said, closing the door behind him before a pillow hit bounced off it.
Kyla cleared her throat. “You, too, Aubrey?”
Aubrey sat staring and smiling at them. “Oh. Yes, of course.” She wiped away a tear. “I’m just so happy for you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find you a boyfriend next,” Kyla said. “We’ll get to work on it tomorrow.”
“Let me just get out of here.” Aubrey gathered her things and quietly slipped out the door.
Stone looked at her, awed. “It’s a miracle you ever dated at all.”
And it’s time for you to start dating again, said her mother’s voice. I’m sorry.
“Sorry?” Kyla said.
“For what?” Stone asked cautiously. “I am. Sorry that is, if I did something. I’m just not sure what it is. But I’m sorry.”
Kyla looked up at the ceiling. “I’m sorry, too.”
“Okay…” Stone said cautiously. “Maybe we should just kiss and make up. For whatever it is.”
“And miss the Super Bowl?”
“Oh, right.”
She slugged him playfully, and then clicked off the TV, tossing the remote over her shoulder. “I’m kidding. We’ll tune in after half-time.”
Stone trailed a finger across her lips and kissed her like she’d never been kissed.
“Thank you,” she whispered, hoping her mother heard her.
Stone grinned. “You’re welcome.”
She slugged him again.
He held up his hands. “I swear to god I’m going to figure this out one of these days.”
Not likely, her mother’s voice said, and Kyla giggled as she kissed the man who was incredibly, the perfect new start for her.
“I’m going to do it,” Kyla said.
“What?” Stone asked cautiously.
“I’m going to get a bigger apartment. And maybe a place on the Cape. And I’m going to contact my baby’s mother and set aside some money for college.”
“That’s great,” Stone said, pulling her closer.
“Maybe I’ll go to college, too. But right now, I’ve got more important things to do.”
Stone looked at her. “Me?” he asked quietly.
She pushed him down on the couch. “Yes, you. I’ve got many more lessons to teach you.”
Ex Therapy
By Lisa Scott
Aubrey Carter walked into her therapist’s office and sat on the couch. Then she popped up and paced the room. “You’ve got to help me.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” her therapist, Diana, said. “What’s going on?”
Aubrey stopped to wring her hands. “My sister, Kyla, has a new boyfriend, and now she’s determined to find me one.”
Diana shrugged. “So tell her you don’t want one.”
“That’s just it—I do. I don’t want Kyla finding me one, though. She thinks she’s this great matchmaker.” Aubrey looked around the room and lowered her voice to a whisper. “But she’s not.” Aubrey sat on the again, pulling down the throw on the back of the couch and draping it over her lap. “I know she won’t be able to relax with her new guy until I’m paired up. I think she feels guilty. Kyla and I have always been single together on Valentine’s Day. It’s our night. We compose a top ten list of reasons why we we’re glad we don’t have men. We go out for karaoke and make up lyrics to stupid love songs. We share a box of chocolates. She eats the gross maple nougats; I eat the coconuts.” Aubrey sighed. “She’ll be worried about me alone on Valentine’s Day. It’s only a week away. She’ll probably invite me out with