Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark #3.5)(69)

Was Tabitha asleep? Or was she the one in the kitchen?

Right before stepping into the doorway, she realized it might be Shawn. Oh, damn! There was a good chance it was Shawn. And considering the time, he could be … well, half naked. Did she want to have a late-night encounter with a partially clothed Shawn?

Her heart did a couple of somersaults. The answer was both a yes and a no. She considered turning around, but decided to just take a peek and make sure it wasn’t Tabitha before running. It had nothing to do with her trying to envision Shawn half naked.

Moving her head past the door frame, she peered inside. Not a half-naked Shawn. Not that she could see the face. Yet the person who had their head buried in the fridge wore a light blue nightgown. Not Shawn.

The person stood up, and red hair swung down her back.

It was time—time for her and Tabitha to have that talk.

“Hey.” Miranda stepped into the room.

Tabitha, obviously startled, yelped, swung around, and hurled a condiment bottle at her.

Miranda ducked. The bottle whizzed over her head and smacked against something.

She turned around. The bottle had landed on a half-naked Shawn—a very nice-looking half-naked Shawn. Wearing only a pair of boxers, he held a bottle in his hand. Across his bare and gorgeous chest was a spray of red goo.

Ketchup.

“Sorry,” Tabitha offered and then let out a sudden snicker. “I … she startled me.” She pressed a hand over her lips.

Miranda couldn’t help it. She chuckled as well.

Shawn glanced down at his chest, moved into the kitchen a few steps, and placed the opened bottle on the table. He looked up, and his blue eyes settled on Miranda. His warm gaze swept down and up her body. Hadn’t she deemed this nightshirt decent? Why did she suddenly feel half naked herself?

“I’m glad I could entertain you two,” he said in a sleepy voice and walked out.

Miranda watched him leave, noting he looked as good going as he did coming. Then she wanted to cover her eyes thinking she shouldn’t have noticed.

“It’s nothing.” Shawn’s voice echoed from the hall. “Just ketchup.” Footsteps continued, two sets. One leading away and one coming closer.

Kylie appeared in the door frame. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Miranda said. “I surprised Tabitha, and she … threw a bottle of ketchup. It hit Shawn.”

“Oh.” Kylie leaned back on her heels and looked down the hall as if watching Shawn go. When she turned back a smile was on her lips. “Did he get mad?”

“Just a little annoyed.” Miranda grinned. Then she tilted her head to the side, cutting her eyes at Tabitha, hoping Kylie would understand that she wanted to talk to the redhead.

Kylie must have gotten the message. “Okay, I’ll go back to bed.” She walked away, leaving Miranda and Tabitha alone.

Miranda turned and faced Tabitha. Her hair hung loose, and without any makeup, she looked younger … and … familiar. Suddenly, Miranda could see what Kylie had mentioned earlier. She and Tabitha did sort of look alike.

Were they cousins? If so, how sad was it that they’d been kept apart all this time. And for what? An argument between sisters?

Tension seemed to rise from the tile floor and crowd the room.

“Why did you do it?” Tabitha asked.

“Do what?” Miranda shifted on her feet.

“Save my life. Why?”

Miranda considered the question and then shrugged. “It wasn’t as if I thought about it. I saw the fireball and just did it.”

“Are you sorry you did it?” Tabitha asked.

“No,” Miranda said and tried to find a way to figure out if she was right about them being related.

Tabitha frowned. “Then you are a better person than I am, because I don’t know if I’d have done it for you.”

“Nice to know,” Miranda replied, trying not to be too offended, but how could she not? The girl would have let the fireball fry her butt.

“You hate me that much?” Miranda asked.

“I hate your mother that much.” Tabitha clutched her fists at her sides.

“Why? Just because your mom hates my mom, you hate her?” Miranda asked. “Don’t you think—”

“That’s only part of it.” Tightness deepened her tone.

Miranda tried to make sense of what Tabitha was saying, and finally gave up. “What’s the other part? What happened between them?”

Tabitha just stared. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“I think I do,” Miranda said and when Tabitha didn’t chime in, Miranda decided to say it. “It’s apparent that we share talents, so that would make us blood.”

Tabitha nodded, slowly, her expression one of pain as if admitting it hurt. “Sucks, doesn’t it?”

Miranda rolled her eyes. The girl could just kiss her grits! Miranda wasn’t all that crazy about being related to her either.

“So our mothers … they were sisters, right?” Miranda asked.

“What?” Astonishment flashed in Tabitha’s eyes. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“Know … what?” Miranda asked. When all Tabitha did was gape at her, Miranda added, “Holy hell! Just tell me.”