Seaside Avenue (Cedar Cove #7)(16)

Bobby extricated himself and stood beside Teri, resting his hand on her shoulder. “Bobby Polgar.”

“I know all about you,” Christie told him. “I read your story on the Internet. You’re, like, the most popular checkers player in the world.”

“Chess,” Teri muttered. Reaching for her husband’s hand, she gave it a squeeze. “Bobby plays chess.”

“Oh.” Her sister’s face fell. “Well, I remembered it was one of those board games.”

Unlike Teri, her sister was tall with curves in all the right places, and she knew how to use them. Her blouse was cut low in the front, displaying an almost indecent amount of cle**age. Bobby, bless his heart, didn’t seem to notice.

“Shall we sit down?” Teri suggested. Dinner was ready, so there was nothing to distract her in the kitchen. The last thing Teri intended to do was give her sister time alone with Bobby.

They walked slowly into the living room, then sat and stared at each other. They were like aliens from different planets meeting to negotiate a peace settlement—like on Star Trek, Teri thought. Except there was no Captain Picard to guide them. Silently Teri pleaded with Bobby to say something. Anything. He cast her a helpless look in response.

Teri clutched his hand as if it were a lifeline that connected her to the mother ship as she drifted around outer space.

“I’m surprised my sister caught such a handsome man,” Christie said in a bright voice.

“Surprised?” Teri repeated, gritting her teeth.

“Handsome?” Bobby repeated at the same time.

Teri glared at him. Not Bobby, too. Her heart sank.

“Handsome and rich and famous.”

“My husband the checkers player.” Teri stared up at Bobby with an exaggerated starstruck expression. For further effect, she batted her eyelashes.

Bobby looked uncomfortable and confused.

Christie laughed softly. “Don’t tell me you’re worried that I’d try to lure Bobby away from you. My goodness, Teri, are you really that insecure?”

“I…I.” She hated to admit that she was—that they both were. Her sister’s need to compete, to win, brought out the very worst in Teri, especially when there was a man involved. Christie knew her deepest fears and manipulated them. And Teri allowed her to do it. That was a pattern she recognized but couldn’t explain. Maybe it was simply habit, all those years of playing certain roles, feeling certain emotions.

Christie hadn’t been in the house two minutes and already Teri hated her—and hated herself.

Clearing her throat, she decided then and there that she wouldn’t play the role Christie always assigned her. The loser. The unattractive one. The rejected woman. “You can try all you want,” she said with a look of unconcern. “My husband loves me, and I trust him. So go ahead, little sister. But it isn’t going to work.”

Christie blinked, obviously taken aback by Teri’s directness.

“Maybe I’ll do just that,” she murmured. “We’ll see what happens.”

Rather than watch, Teri excused herself to check on their dinner. She’d made her stand and now she had to step back and trust her heart—and her husband. Finding busywork in the kitchen, she gave Christie ten full minutes.

When Teri returned, Christie seemed more than a little befuddled.

“I don’t suppose you have any beer?” her sister asked.

“No, I didn’t think it was a good idea to have alcohol around when Mom’s going to be here.”

“I could use one.”

Teri caught her husband’s eye and, to her utter astonishment, Bobby winked. Teri grinned and so did he. Bobby knew—and he’d put Christie in her place. Teri had no idea what had gone on while she was in the kitchen. But in that moment all she wanted to do was throw herself at her husband and make love to him, regardless of who was in the room.

Her husband recognized her look, and his eyes briefly flared. They shared a smile and an unspoken promise. He’d get his reward later.

Teri’s mother and Mike showed up next. As soon as her mother walked inside, she oohed and aahed over the house. After introductions were exchanged, she turned to her older daughter. “Teri, this is just lovely. Give me a tour, would you? I want to see every room.” She brought one hand to her throat as she roamed from living room to kitchen to dining room, commenting on each feature. Like an obedient puppy, Mike silently trailed behind.

“Teri’s got the bucks now and she can flaunt it,” Christie said. The words had a deflated quality that Teri chose to ignore.

Johnny arrived last and a genuine smile lit up his face when he saw Teri. He immediately hugged her and whispered, “It’s not so bad, is it?”

“Not bad at all.”

“Great.”

Her mother left to go to the car and returned with a case of beer. “This is Mike’s and my contribution to dinner,” she said, setting it down on the kitchen counter. Before Teri could protest, Christie had pulled out a bottle, twisted off the cap and taken her first swig. Ruth and Mike followed in quick succession.

Johnny met her eyes and shrugged. There was nothing either of them could do now.

The evening deteriorated from that point on. Ruth and Mike, along with Christie, sat in the living room and drank beer while Teri served appetizers they mostly ignored. Bobby and Johnny gamely swallowed cheese puffs and shrimp.