Rason & Eliza - Cee Bowerman Page 0,4

like? Is she as pretty as you?”

“I like her already.” Mesha laughed as she looked at Hank, her finger pointing at me. “She’s not an asshole like you, and she thinks I’m pretty.”

Hank put a hand out and wiggled it side to side. “I mean, you are… a little. She’s prettier.”

“They look oddly alike, Hank,” Nicole noted with a grin. “You’re just being an ass.”

“Are we… you and I... all three of us…”

“You and I have the same mother and father. Mesha has the same father but a different mother.” Hank answered the question I hadn’t been able to voice. “You and I are whole siblings, and the ugly one is just half.”

Mesha threw one of the decorative pillows at our brother with a laugh.

Our brother. My brother. My sister just threw a pillow at my brother. This morning when I woke up, I was the nerdy book lady with three cats and four parakeets. Now I was a sister, a sister-in-law, and future aunt.

It was hard to wrap my head around. I couldn’t wait to tell my mom.

“Will you three stay here for just a minute? I’ll go get us some bottled waters, and I want my mom to meet you. Is that okay?”

Hank's smile was so gentle that I was already half in love with him. “Take your time, sweetheart. We’re not going anywhere.”

2.

“If you want someone to blow smoke up your ass, call the Marlboro Man.”

Mesha

RASON

“Why are we here?” Robin whined. I already regretted letting her run errands with me today. I’d been trying to distance myself gradually because of the way she’d initially reacted when I suggested we see other people, but she’d begged me to spend time with her today. All she’d done was complain. “Why can’t we go to that big bookstore instead of this rinky dink shop? The big one is closer to the mall and I want to go there next.”

“I’m not going to the mall with you.” I told her as I shook my head and held the door open for her. “It’s not going to happen. I already told you that.”

“Let me change your mind.” Robin smiled and tried to take my hand. I pulled away and sighed, trying not to show my exasperation. “I’m going to drop you off when we get finished here anyway. I’m headed over to my parents’ house to work with my dad.”

I’d been to my parents’ house the last three Sundays helping my father with his new project. Last week, I’d even brought company. My friend Harley had ridden his motorcycle behind my Jeep while I drove with our other friend and coworker Marlin.

My mom had been beside herself when I’d called a few days in advance and told her they were coming. She’d gone all out with the food she’d prepared, and the guys had begged her to adopt them and let them move in. She’d blushed at the praise and laughed at their antics, but I knew she was genuinely proud that they’d enjoyed her cooking.

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not.” I laughed. “Remember? We’re not dating, so I’m not going to take you anywhere near my parents.”

“We’re not seeing other people though,” Robin confirmed.

“Yet.”

“I don’t know why I put up with you.” Robin huffed as she walked away.

“Stop putting up with me and go away,” I mumbled under my breath as I turned to go down one of the aisles in the bookstore I liked.

“You want me to go away?” I heard the bookstore owner ask softly, her eyes wide. “That’s rude.”

“No! Not you.”

I’d been coming to this store for years and had seen this employee at least a hundred times or more. Every single time I set eyes on her, I was blown away. I’d tried to flirt, but I had clearly failed in my attempts. She always just laughed politely and smiled before she handed me what I had asked for and walked away. I had gotten absolutely nowhere with her.

“Would it help if I asked your imaginary friend to leave?” the pretty woman asked me with a smile.

“Unfortunately, she’s not imaginary and I’m not the crazy one,” I whispered conspiratorially as I nodded toward the row that Robin had walked down.

“You brought her back after last time?” the owner whispered, glancing around as if she was waiting on Robin to pounce.

I wasn’t surprised the woman remembered our last visit. I’d come in looking for a book my dad asked me to find, and Robin had thrown a foot-stomping