out.
“That’s true. But I think ‘habit’ is the operative word.” Deirdre’s chin jutted forward.
Her hands fisted on her hips.
It was like looking in a freakin’ mirror.
There was a strangled laugh and Avery turned her attention to Jeff and Chase.
“Sorry,” Jeff said smothering his smile. “I just never can get over how much you resemble
each other when you square off like that.”
“Well, I think orange dye on a woman is kind of sexy,” Chase said. “Add a little sawdust
and . . .” He managed to shrug and leer simultaneously. “I’m a goner.”
Jeff guffawed.
“Fine. Laugh all you want.” Avery settled on a bag of mini pretzels. Which was a poor
substitute for the air filled cheesiness of her favorite snack. She was munching the
little twists when the doorbell rang. “I’ve got it.” She strode to the front door,
pulled it open. Kyra stood on the front porch with Dustin in her arms. Madeline stood
beside her. She was already hugging Maddie when she spotted movement on the sidewalk.
“Halo Avery!” The voice was loud. The accent British. The tone overly familiar. The
tabloids had gone crazy over Kyra from the moment they’d discovered she was pregnant
with Daniel Deranian’s child. It had only grown worse since Dustin was born. “Are
Deirdre and Chase inside?”
The photographer was tall and lanky. A pack of paparazzi jostled each other behind
him. They looked completely out of place on the modest tree-lined street. Like a pack
of wolves hunting sheep in a grocery store.
A digital flash went off. Avery fell back a step.
“Come on, Kyra luv!” The Brit coaxed. “Just one clean shot and we’ll be on our way.”
“That’s Nigel and he’s lying,” Kyra said with a shake of her head. “Last week in Atlanta
I was at a drive through waiting for Dustin’s Happy Meal when I heard his voice on
the speaker. I hesitated for just a second, because you don’t hear all that many English
accents at a fast food place and I’d already paid for our food. A whole herd of them
jumped out from a bush right next to the cashier’s window.”
Another flash erupted. Avery looked up and the flash went off again. She had a brief
vision of what she was—and wasn’t—wearing.
“Avery. Darlin.” Nigel urged. “If you can just get her to turn around for . . .”
Avery grabbed Kyra’s free hand and pulled her the rest of the way into the foyer.
Maddie tumbled in after her. Avery shoved the door closed behind them.
“I’m so sorry,” Kyra said. “I don’t even know where they came from. I didn’t see anybody
tailing us down from Atlanta. Although there was this really homely woman wearing
what looked like size 13 shoes in the stall next to me at the rest stop.” Kyra sighed.
“That’s how bad it’s gotten. I’ve been reduced to checking out feet in stalls! But
I thought we were safe. I didn’t even think about wearing a disguise. Plus there was
no way I was making an eight hour drive in a burqa.”
Dustin rubbed his eye sleepily. One side of his face showed signs of contact with
what must have been a corduroy car seat. His dark curls looked smashed from sleep.
Chase and Deirdre came into the foyer. Maddie set down their overnight bags. “I need
to get Dustin’s booster seat and porta crib out of the car.” She squared her shoulders
and turned back to the door with all the enthusiasm of a condemned prisoner about
to face a firing squad.
“I’ll get them.” Chase took the mini-van keys and offered a mock salute. “Cover me!
If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, send reinforcements.”
“If I had a gun I’d gladly cover you,” Kyra said. “I don’t know how to get rid of
them. I just keep praying that a real celebrity will show up to distract them.” She
propped Dustin up in the crook of her arm. “I mean where are Kim Kardashian and Lindsay
Lohan when you really need them?”
Keep reading for a
“That’s true. But I think ‘habit’ is the operative word.” Deirdre’s chin jutted forward.
Her hands fisted on her hips.
It was like looking in a freakin’ mirror.
There was a strangled laugh and Avery turned her attention to Jeff and Chase.
“Sorry,” Jeff said smothering his smile. “I just never can get over how much you resemble
each other when you square off like that.”
“Well, I think orange dye on a woman is kind of sexy,” Chase said. “Add a little sawdust
and . . .” He managed to shrug and leer simultaneously. “I’m a goner.”
Jeff guffawed.
“Fine. Laugh all you want.” Avery settled on a bag of mini pretzels. Which was a poor
substitute for the air filled cheesiness of her favorite snack. She was munching the
little twists when the doorbell rang. “I’ve got it.” She strode to the front door,
pulled it open. Kyra stood on the front porch with Dustin in her arms. Madeline stood
beside her. She was already hugging Maddie when she spotted movement on the sidewalk.
“Halo Avery!” The voice was loud. The accent British. The tone overly familiar. The
tabloids had gone crazy over Kyra from the moment they’d discovered she was pregnant
with Daniel Deranian’s child. It had only grown worse since Dustin was born. “Are
Deirdre and Chase inside?”
The photographer was tall and lanky. A pack of paparazzi jostled each other behind
him. They looked completely out of place on the modest tree-lined street. Like a pack
of wolves hunting sheep in a grocery store.
A digital flash went off. Avery fell back a step.
“Come on, Kyra luv!” The Brit coaxed. “Just one clean shot and we’ll be on our way.”
“That’s Nigel and he’s lying,” Kyra said with a shake of her head. “Last week in Atlanta
I was at a drive through waiting for Dustin’s Happy Meal when I heard his voice on
the speaker. I hesitated for just a second, because you don’t hear all that many English
accents at a fast food place and I’d already paid for our food. A whole herd of them
jumped out from a bush right next to the cashier’s window.”
Another flash erupted. Avery looked up and the flash went off again. She had a brief
vision of what she was—and wasn’t—wearing.
“Avery. Darlin.” Nigel urged. “If you can just get her to turn around for . . .”
Avery grabbed Kyra’s free hand and pulled her the rest of the way into the foyer.
Maddie tumbled in after her. Avery shoved the door closed behind them.
“I’m so sorry,” Kyra said. “I don’t even know where they came from. I didn’t see anybody
tailing us down from Atlanta. Although there was this really homely woman wearing
what looked like size 13 shoes in the stall next to me at the rest stop.” Kyra sighed.
“That’s how bad it’s gotten. I’ve been reduced to checking out feet in stalls! But
I thought we were safe. I didn’t even think about wearing a disguise. Plus there was
no way I was making an eight hour drive in a burqa.”
Dustin rubbed his eye sleepily. One side of his face showed signs of contact with
what must have been a corduroy car seat. His dark curls looked smashed from sleep.
Chase and Deirdre came into the foyer. Maddie set down their overnight bags. “I need
to get Dustin’s booster seat and porta crib out of the car.” She squared her shoulders
and turned back to the door with all the enthusiasm of a condemned prisoner about
to face a firing squad.
“I’ll get them.” Chase took the mini-van keys and offered a mock salute. “Cover me!
If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, send reinforcements.”
“If I had a gun I’d gladly cover you,” Kyra said. “I don’t know how to get rid of
them. I just keep praying that a real celebrity will show up to distract them.” She
propped Dustin up in the crook of her arm. “I mean where are Kim Kardashian and Lindsay
Lohan when you really need them?”
Keep reading for a
Similar Books
