Ridin' Solo (Sisters From Hell Book 1) by Marika Ray (the two towers ebook txt) 📗

When Wyatt passed me into the house, he gave me a quick wink that had my cheeks heating. That little bitch of a sister acted like she’d invited him, when it had actually been Bain. And all of them should have let me do the inviting, considering he was my partner. Sometimes I hated having four nosy sisters and all their friends.

I swung the door shut and tried to control my breathing before anyone noticed how flustered I’d become. Izzy came over and leaned into my side.

“Are you two a couple?” she whispered behind her hand.

My eyes felt like they were going to bug right out of my head. “No. Why would you think that?”

She shrugged. “Well, it is a couples baby shower. Thought maybe he was the other half of your couple.”

I shook my head so hard I felt a headache coming on. “Absolutely not. We work together.”

Izzy shot me a look. “Then you better stop staring at his ass.”

“Hey, why does Esme get first dibs?” Vee whined as she breezed past us into the living room where Esme had Wyatt by the arm, introducing him around.

I rolled my eyes and prayed for patience. The door blew open behind me and had Izzy and me jumping. Amelia stood there with her arms out wide, her little baby bump on full display in a tight maternity dress with ruching down the side.

“The baby mama has arrived!” she shouted, Titus right behind her with a shit-eating grin.

The guests erupted into another round of hugs and squeals and claps on the back for the guys. We eventually all got seated, and I found myself right next to Wyatt, both of us perched on dining room chairs dragged into the living room that were more for show than comfort.

While Esme announced the first game and Izzy handed out the creepy dolls, Wyatt leaned over.

“You look gorgeous in that dress, Captain,” he whispered and then took a doll from Izzy’s outstretched hand.

My cheeks flared with heat again. I should grab a cold drink to press against my skin. As much as I’d like to say the compliment didn’t mean much, I sat up straighter, feeling like the dress was the best outfit choice I’d ever made. I felt feminine. And pretty.

And why the fuck did I even care?

Good Lord. One compliment from a hot guy and suddenly I was preening like Vee in front of a single man of eligible age—which in her mind was anyone under seventy and above eighteen.

“Okay, so if you see someone put their doll down, you can steal it from them. Doll napping is legal, Daddy.” Esme winked at Dad who just lifted a bushy eyebrow like this was all beneath him.

Let’s be honest. It was.

“Whoever has the most dolls at the end of the party wins a surprise,” Esme finished with an enthusiastic eye waggle.

“I’m just going to put my doll down right now.” Wyatt whispered out of the side of his mouth. I struggled to keep in a laugh. “Thing creeps me out.”

“That’s what I said!” I whispered back.

“Shht,” Esme admonished me with a crazy look in her eye. She turned a beaming smile to the rest of the group. “Okay, so on to the icebreaker. We have a clipboard for each couple.” Again, Izzy handed Wyatt a clipboard. She skipped right over me to hand Dad a clipboard. “On it are twenty things either Titus or Amelia has said over the years. It’s up to us to guess which one said it. Whoever has the most right answers wins another surprise. We have ten minutes to complete the paper. Ready, set, go!”

I looked over at Wyatt, who tilted his head. “I guess that makes us a couple?”

I inhaled nice and slow, telling my heart to just slow down already. Despite the words, Wyatt and I were not now, nor ever would we be, a couple. Despite how nice that sounded. Or how my entire set of inner organs just melted to a mushy oatmeal consistency over the idea.

Leaning over, we got to work on the list with Wyatt being almost zero help since he just moved here and didn’t know either Amelia or Titus. It was fun to see him laugh over the things my sister had said over the years. We got the thing filled out with a minute to spare, having as much fun as we did putting the decorations together two days ago. This friendship thing was really working out with Wyatt. My cheeks—and if I was fully honest with myself, my heart and libido—hadn’t gotten the memo about just friends, but I was sure they’d fall in line at some point.

“What is this huge thing?” Amelia’s voice broke into the conversation Wyatt and I were having in quiet tones.

I looked over to see her and Titus standing on either side of the heavy object we’d helped move inside from the garage.

“Well, open it and see, sweetheart,” Mom said, already tearing up again. She’d been alternately crying and smiling throughout the entire shower.

“Wait! It’s not time for presents yet.” Esme hopped out of her chair.

Mom quickly snagged her hand and tugged her back. “Let’s go off script just this once, okay?”

Esme paused, but sat down, graciously giving the floor to the mom-to-be.

Amelia grabbed one end of wrapping paper, and Titus grabbed the other. On a head nod, they both ripped it apart, revealing a crib. The spindles of wood looked antique, but it was whitewashed to look brand new. It had obviously been well taken care of over the years.

Amelia’s hand flew to her mouth on a cry. “Is this what I think it is?”

And that’s when the tears hit the back of my eyes too. That wasn’t just any old crib from Walmart. That was the original crib that all five of us Waldo sisters had slept in when we were born. Mom had done a masterful job of repainting it to look chic.

I looked over at Esme with