Strong, Sleek and Sinful - By Lorie O'Clare Page 0,116
curious to concerned. Kylie focused on Megan. There were similarities between her and Perry, one being the focused look Megan returned to Kylie.
“That almost sounded condescending.”
Kylie shook her head, relaxed in her chair and knowing in spite of what the girls and Megan thought her reasons for being here were, she wasn’t here to make lasting friends but to save lives.
“Not at all,” she offered, keeping her tone soft and watching the wary expressions exchanged among the girls. “Do you know who your girls are chatting with and when?”
“Not always,” Megan admitted, stroking her youngest daughter’s hair.
Denise cuddled closer to her mother. Kylie did see a close relationship between mother and girls.
“I’m not a mother,” Kylie admitted, meeting Megan’s knowing look. “And I admit I haven’t given much thought to becoming one. It’s clear you five are very close. I’m not trying to judge you.”
“Good thing,” Megan said, laughing easily. “I work two jobs and have to rely on my daughters to help a lot around here. I also have to believe I’ve raised them well enough that they know the difference between right and wrong.”
“We do,” Dani said quickly, pushing herself off the floor and bending over her younger sister to give her mother a hug.
“You wouldn’t meet someone off-line you didn’t know, would you, Dani?” Megan asked when Dani straightened.
“Of course not, Mom.”
“You better not,” Dorine grumbled.
Dani spun around and Kylie caught the fierce look she gave her younger sister. Kylie tried grabbing Dani’s attention, but the girl stalked out of the room and there was the sound of her ascending stairs as the room grew quiet.
Kylie glanced at the front window when everyone else did. A moment later the front door opened and Perry immediately grabbed her attention.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded, shifting his dark gaze from her to his sister.
“Nothing.” Megan looked tired when she leaned her head back and smiled at her brother. “That is, unless you view teenage emotions as an issue.”
“Dani?” he asked, barely taking a second to note who wasn’t in the room.
“I don’t think she cared for the conversation.” Kylie stood, straightening her blouse.
“More than likely because she doesn’t want anyone to know she’s thinking about meeting someone,” Dorine offered, standing as well, and clasped her hands behind her back as she walked out of the room, whistling.
Megan sighed, pushing herself off the couch and leaving Denise to curl into a ball in the corner, simply watching the adults with a look of vague understanding on her face. Diane, however, groaned and patted her mother’s arm.
“She won’t do it. Don’t worry. Dani isn’t an idiot.”
“She better not,” Megan said, crossing her arms and glaring at her oldest, probably because the one she needed to glare at had stormed out of the room.
“Dani has been chatting with him for like forever,” Dorine announced, prancing back into the room with a victorious grin on her face. “They are totally in love and she is finally going to meet him for real,” she added, clasping her hands over her heart and making a show of swooning.
Maybe only spending half her childhood with a sister and the other half alone made Kylie ill prepared for what happened next. She wasn’t sure, and she didn’t bother taking time to analyze it. Dani flew into the room, appearing out of nowhere, and bulldozed Dorine over the coffee table. Denise howled on the couch, jumping toward her mother, and Diane screamed, falling backward and landing on her rear with a thud.
“Dani!” Perry roared, grabbing her backside and yanking her backward through the air.
“You little bitch,” Dani howled, her arms and legs whaling around her while her long brown hair flew like a cloak blinding her face. “How dare you say such a thing.”
“It’s the truth!” Dorine wailed, her legs up in the air hanging over the coffee table while tears streaked down her face.
“Perry!” Megan yelled, reaching for Dani. “Don’t hurt her.”
“Enough!” Perry yelled again, and silenced the room.
Kylie felt like an onlooker, momentarily forgotten in a family dispute that she had no part of. Except that she had instigated the matter.
She clasped her hands behind her back, standing to the side, while her mind now went into analytical mode. Watching quietly, she observed and noted how each of them reacted to an ugly situation. What was said next, though, would possibly prove invaluable.
Dani struggled out of her uncle’s arms but then hugged herself instead of walking into her mother’s arms. “She’s a big fat liar, Mom,” Dani said,