The Revenge Pact (Kings of Football #1) - Ilsa Madden-Mills Page 0,109
Hawaii after the wedding—
that was fun at the last minute—and I hate that we won’t be here, like a real holiday, but it’s for the best and then I’ll be back—” She stops and takes air in. “I won’t even get started on the decorations. I wanted some tulle and fairy lights draped from the ceiling, but we don’t have the electrical outlets and the wedding planner is losing her damn mind. I mean, it’s to be expected. This is all so last minute—”
My sister can talk. Well, we both can. I interrupt her before she passes out. “I’ve missed you, and yes, you can order me around to do your wedding things, but, Mom—”
She gives me a wan smile and a kiss on the cheek. “Right. She’s out on the sunporch, waiting for you.” She grabs my arm before I turn that way. “Hey, I’m glad you’re here, for real.” Her eyes water. “It must have been hard to leave Braxton, but this means a lot…” Her voice trails off. “River, it’s so uncertain. This wedding…me moving out…it’s what she wants. I wanted to go back and forth between here and New York, but she wants me to get on with my life…”
“And your life is going to be great.”
She nods, then takes a deep breath. “I have to run out, but I have to go put that dress on, then pick up the dog at the groomer…” She hugs me again, pressing her face to my neck. “I’ll be back, ’kay? I’ll grab us takeout. The house is a wreck, so…”
She dashes out the door, and I’m heading through the house when Callie rushes at me from the den, and I swing her up. She plants a kiss on my face. “River, River, River, lemme tell you about it.”
“What?”
“Christmas play. That’s what. I was an elf and Mama and Nana said I was the best one! I didn’t mess up, not much, maybe a tiny bit, but I got to give gifts to the babies’ class! They let me! Me! I’m a big girl, like really, really big.” She moves her hands apart dramatically. “Can you tell I growed?”
“You’re almost as tall as me!” I swing her around and she squeals.
I set her down after promising to play a game with her later. She dashes for her room to find what she wants to play, and I take a long breath as I run my eyes over the house, taking it in, feeling that Ah, yes, this is home I’ve been missing so much. I pass by the framed photo of me, Dad, Rae, and Mom and brush my fingers over it.
I step out to the sunporch, a big addition Dad put in when I was a kid. Heated with comfy furniture and a big-screen TV, the windows face the west, the sun shining in. The view is of snow-covered hills.
She’s asleep on one of the couches, a blanket tucked around her shoulders. I settle down on the end, being quiet and moving her legs so they rest in my lap. Her face is pale and thin, but there’s a peace about her.
“You little devil,” she murmurs groggily as she stirs and opens her eyes.
“Yep. I have arrived,” I say grandly, sweeping my arms out. “The favorite son. Goldfish killer, skunk lover, and all-around troublemaker.”
She sits up and scoots closer to me, pulling the blanket around her. Her gaze runs over my face, searchingly. “You skied. Your face…” Her voice is full of wonder. “Thank you.”
“I’ve barely slept the past few days.” I grin.
“How was last night?”
I feel a slow blush rising up my cheeks. “Um…good?”
“I won’t ask for the details.” She laughs, the sound so free it hits me right in the gut.
I ease my arm around her shoulders and tug her against me.
“I want to meet her,” she murmurs.
“You’ll adore her.” My mind goes back to this morning when I left Anastasia in our bed. Walking out of that room and away from her wore me out mentally. It took the three-hour drive here in a rental car to get my head together, and even then, I only barely managed it. I could have asked her to come with me, I could have, but it wasn’t fair to take her away from Lila and Colette, plus she has to get back to her parents, and between the wedding and the holidays, the logistics wouldn’t have worked out.