26 Kisses by Anna Michels Read Free Book Online

from under a pillow. “It’s up here, Jeffrey!”
    Lila’s eye twitches, and Dad leans over and lifts Kaylee into his arms.
    Jeffrey thunders up the stairs, tilting his head back so he can see out from underneath his long bangs. Grabbing the DS off the couch, he shoves it into his backpack and makes a face at Kaylee, who giggles. “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s go.”
    “Hold it,” Dad says. “Let’s just stop the stampede for one moment.” He takes a deep breath, and I can see him start to get annoyed, the edges of the easy-to-anger person he used to be when he lived with us rising up from the carefully sanded veneer of the person he’s become with Lila.
    “Um, should I go wait in the car?” Mel asks.
    “No.” Dad waves his hand and takes a deep breath. “You’re fine, Melinda. This will only take a second.”
    “Okay . . .” Mel pulls out her phone and pretends to text, but I know she’s covertly taking photos of my dad’s mansion to post to Instagram with captions like OMG, MY DREAM HOUZZZ .
    “I’ll keep it short and sweet,” Dad says, clapping his hands together. “We have two family events this summer I’m counting on you guys to attend. The first one is in just a couple of weeks, at the end of June. Lila is throwing a big party for her work friends here at the house. And then we’ve got the family reunion next month, the day after Kaylee’s birthday.”
    Shit, shit, shit. “I can’t go,” I blurt out, my mind racing to follow up with a reason I won’t be able to go—to both events.
    “Oh no?” Dad cocks one eyebrow. “And why is that?”
    “I was really hoping you could make the reunion, Veda,” Lila says, her eyes wide. She takes Kaylee from my dad and settles her on her hip. “I thought you could introduce me to everyone. It might be a little nerve-wracking.” Her tight smile shows exactly how anxious she is about the idea of meeting my dad’s entire family for the first time.
    “Uh, well, I’ll probably be working,” I say, avoiding Lila’s eyes. “For the party and the reunion. I’m looking for a job right now. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get off.” I mentally shake myself. It’s going to take a better argument than that to get Dad off my back.
    I take a deep breath and reach into my well of bullshit, the one I draw on in debate competitions when I have to elaborate on a point I hadn’t prepared an argument for. “You know, I wouldn’t want my employer to doubt my commitment. Even summer jobs can be important when it comes to résumés and college applications, Dad. My boss this summer could end up writing me a reference for my first real job.”
    Dad sighs and gives me a look that says he’s on to my strategy. “We should think about getting you an internship this summer, not just a minimum-wage chimp gig. Have you asked at the law offices in town? I’m sure they’d love to have an aspiring lawyer in a few days a week to file and answer the phone, maybe do some job shadowing.”
    Offhandedly mentioning to my dad that I want to go to law school someday was one of the worst decisions I’ve ever made. He has gotten so attached to the idea that, God forbid I ever change my mind and decide I want to do something else, his brain might explode trying to process it.
    “Whatever. We’ll see what happens.” I cross my arms. “Is that all you wanted to tell us?”
    “Yes,” Dad says. “And job or no job, I expect you and your brother to be at the party and the reunion.” He pushes his glasses up on his nose and adds, “And of course you’re invited too, Mel.”
    Before Mel can accept the invitations and get tangled up in the web of passive-aggressiveness being spun between me and my father, I hold out my hand to Kaylee for a high five and grab Mel’s elbow, hustling her out the door. “Okay, bye!” I yell over my shoulder.
    Mel sighs and tucks her phone into her pocket as we hurry down the cobblestone path. “I wish we could hang out over here more