Heartbreaker (Unbreakable #1)(24)

My two sisters fell silent, eyes blinking.

“What?” My tone turned defensive. I sat up straight, glaring at them. “I could do it.”

“You were always the one ditching chores.” Kristen shot me an accusing eldest-sister look.

I shrugged. “Why exert myself when the two of you had cleaning and yardwork down to a science.”

“And it’s…sports.” Kendall jerked out an open hand in emphasis at the end, like that last word said it all. Probably because my sole passion had been art from the second I cracked open my first Crayola box.

“Mmm-hmmm…” Kristen folded her arms across her chest, doubt in her expression.

“Are you suggesting I’m lazy?”

“Uh…yeah.” Kendall twisted to fully face me on the edge of the couch. She and Kristen now physically formed a united front on the topic, practically shoulder to shoulder.

“Pffft. I’m not lazy. Just lacked motivation until now.”

Hannah grabbed her drink, then abandoned her faraway perch on the wingchair to rest a hip on the arm of the couch beside me. She tilted her head toward my ear. “Like sex-on-a-stick motivation.”

“No.” I glanced at the traitor beside me. “For your information” —I stared pointedly at each of the three of them— “I downloaded the Couch to 5K app and bought my Vibrams months before Darren ever entered into the picture.”

“And he offered to train you?” Hannah asked, arching a suspicious brow.

“Yeah. Challenged me actually.”

“To what?” Hannah pulled away, turning to face me now.

“To be ready for the race with his methods.”

And remain just friends while doing it. But they didn’t need all the details.

“And what else?” Hannah prodded.

“How do you know there’s an ‘else’?”

“Gut instinct.” She nudged me. “C’mon. You’ve got to have at least a little ulterior motive.”

“Why?” Because a normal well-adjusted girl would? And really, I had. “Okay.” I played along with what they wanted to hear. “Sure.” I shrugged. “If he decides when I’m all hot and sweaty that he has to have me right then and there, I might cave.”

Would totally cave.

“Not him…all hot and sweaty?” Kendall teased.

I groaned, closing my eyes as I pictured him at the gym the other day, all flexing muscles and glistening skin. “Not helping…”

“Okay. How ’bout we change the subject?” Hannah stood, then nudged between Kristen and me on the couch. I scooted far into my corner as she took a sip of her strawberry daiquiri.

“Yes. Please.” I gulped down half of mine until a threatening brain freeze stopped me.

Hannah ran a finger along the rim of her glass. “Like, for example, why I’m drinking a virgin daiquiri…”

A heavy pause followed—due to four women collectively holding their breaths. A heartbeat later, high-pitched screams from Kendall and Kristen pierced my eardrums. I blew out an amazed breath, staring at Hannah. She did have a glow about her.

“You’re pregnant.” A slow grin curved my lips.

“Yep. You’re all going to all be aunties.” When she leaned in for a hug, Kendall and Kristen all tackled us into our corner of the couch.

When the excitement settled and everyone moved back to their respective couch cushions, I gently poked Hannah’s ribs. “I can’t believe you let me go on and on about my sore calves and sex-on-a-stick talk.”

“Hey, now you owe me. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of sore calves and…”

Fast as lightning, I pressed a finger to her lips. “Don’t you dare utter sex-on-anything talk about my brother.”

“We’ll throw you an awesome baby shower!” Kristen pushed off the couch and grabbed her laptop. “I was going to touch base with you guys about party stuff anyway.”

Low groans sounded out. Kendall snatched the laptop from Kristen. “This is supposed to be girls’ night. No business talk.”

“Not even about a 70’s themed party?”

“Oh my God.” My mouth fell open.

“No way.” Kendall breathed out.

Hannah blinked, then glanced at each of us. “I don’t get it. What’s so shocking about a 70’s party?”

I jumped up, balancing on my cushion. Kendall launched from the couch, then leapt onto the wingchair.

Kendall grabbed the stem of her daiquiri glass with a closed fist, holding it a few inches from her lips like a microphone.

I did the same, then glanced down at Hannah. “In junior high, we used to stand on our parents’ bed, dressed in their old clothes, singing into hairbrushes to their disco record albums.”

Kristen popped up onto her end of the couch.

Hannah sat where she was on the middle cushion, clapping and laughing as Kendall began to belt out Sister Sledge. We all joined in. “We are family…” I crooned into my almost empty glass.

“Wait.” Kristen leaned forward, then planted a hand on the wall to steady her wobbly self. “Kiki, do you still have Mom’s wig?”

I grinned. “Sure do.”

Kendall shot a pointed hand up to the ceiling like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. “The ’fro!”