Read Every Little Kiss for Free Online Page B

together. “Why would you say that? What kind of a sister actually wishes things like drunk sex with random cops on her loved ones?”
    Sam’s laughter soothed away a little of her annoyance, but not all.
    “You make it sound so sordid, God! I’m supposed to be the dramatic one, remember? I want more fun in your life, is all. If that involves eighties music and sexy men in uniform for you, I’m not going to judge.”
    “Yeah, well, you’d be the only one,” Emma grumbled, typing in the name of one of the venues she was suggesting to the McKendricks. As far as she was concerned, this conversation was over. Sam, though, was going to take a little more convincing.
    “So . . . no sexytime at all?” The hope in Sam’s voice was a direct blow to Emma’s pride. Was she really that boring?
    Did she really want the answer to that?
    “He fell asleep on my couch,” Emma said flatly. “Which I expect Aaron told you already.”
    “I was hoping that was the sanitized version. I wanted to hear it from you, butthead. Did you not get my messages yesterday? I think I left around twenty.”
    “Twenty-one. And I didn’t feel all that well. I didn’t figure you would, either, Tiara Girl.” Emma gave up on the McKendricks’ proposal again and leaned back in her chair. Sam didn’t look remotely embarrassed. And she shouldn’t, Emma thought, feeling a pang of envy. The tiara she’d worn the night of the party had suited her, just like her fiancé did.
    Emma hadn’t wanted to like Jake Smith—he was, after all, the guy who had shattered what small amount of self-esteem Sam had managed to cling to through high school. While Emma had perfected the art of “studious and serious” back then, Sam had been determinedly unique in a way that had made her a target for bullies. Jake had been a popular jock whose friends were some of the worst offenders. Improbably, he’d taken a shine to Sam . . . and then humiliated her when she’d just started to open up to him. Emma had nursed her little sister through the heartache and figured that would be the end of it. But when Sam had come back last October, Jake had seemed determined to make amends.
    According to the diamond on Sam’s finger, he’d done a pretty good job of it. And Emma had finally had to concede that, yeah, Jake had turned out all right after all. Of course, she’d made him work to get her to admit that. It was only fair.
    “If I’m Tiara Girl, then you’re the Dancing Queen. So did he get your number?”
    Emma stared at her sister. “Yes. Because the firstwords out of his mouth when he woke up were ‘Damn, that hangover looks good on you.’ Have you been painting in a closed-up room? Inhaling fumes? On purpose, maybe?”
    “All the time. I like to be able to hear colors and feel sounds. Did you get
his
number, then? No, I don’t even need to ask that. For a second I forgot who I was talking to.”
    “You’re honestly looking at what happened as some kind of dating opportunity.” Emma shook her head.
    “I’m honestly looking at it as your having verifiable interaction with an eligible male. So, yeah,” Sam shot back. “Aaron agrees with me, by the way.”
    That was right—they were neighbors, Emma thought, cringing inwardly at the thought of Aaron trying to help some sort of imaginary relationship along. That was one of the things about living in a small town—sometimes the whole place was a modern-day version of a Jane Austen novel, complete with pushy and incompetent matchmakers.
    “Aaron needs a hobby,” she said.
    Sam arched a slim blond brow. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
    “I date sometimes,” Emma said, feeling herself begin to bristle.
    “I would
love
some proof of that.”
    “I don’t need to prove anything to you. I don’t need to go chasing after some guy who was nice enough to hold my hair back while I puked, either, just because he’s cute and male. I’m comfortable with my life the way it is. Just accept