Awakened By A Kiss (Once Upon A Romance) by Laurie LeClair Read Free Book Online Page B

and asks how you’re doing. By the way, you need to call him and tell him yourself.” Peg scrambled to get her things and brought back her trusty clipboard. “You need a list.”
    This time Evelyn and Rico groaned together. “Not the clipboard,” Ev said, half smiling. Her ever-efficient sister-in-law-to-be never went anywhere without that clipboard. “O-M-G,” she parroted Rico’s favorite saying. “Tell me you don’t take that thing to bed with Austin.”
    “Do you make a list of what needs to happen, you know, each step, while you’re doing the tango in bed?” Rico giggled.
    “For crying out loud, you guys are sick. S-I-C-K!” Peg grabbed a pillow and hit Rico with it and then Evelyn.
    “Girl, I can see it clearly now.” Rico pressed on, shoving the pillow away. “Austin, please you skipped number three—go back or I can’t scratch that one off my list.”
    “I do not,” Peg cried in between fits of laughter. “Geez ’em Pete, I’m not that bad.”
    “Oh, my big rock star, more hip, that’s what it says on my list right here.” Rico tapped his finger on the paper.
    They chuckled.
    “Shout it out. That’s our last step. That’s our big finale!” Rico threw his arms wide and tumbled backwards, hitting the floor with a thud.
    “I knew I should have saved myself and not come tonight,” Peg said, wiping her eyes. She sighed and looked around the room. “This is where I first kissed Austin. Right up against the wall.” She lifted her glass of wine and pointed.
    “Here? Eww, Peg, no details, okay? I am the sister,” Evelyn pointed out. “Now I’ll never be able to look at that spot again.”
    “Get over it, girl,” Rico said, shoving himself up and sitting again. “You’re about to do a lot worse. Preggster.”
    She sat up slowly, running a hand through her hair to settle down the long strands. “I am not pregs. Not yet. And it won’t be with Shane.” His name caught in her throat. “Some unknown guy from one of those clinics who has no claim over my baby.”
    The serious nature of the talk sobered her up.
    “Well, that ain’t fun,” Peg said. “Maybe we can run an ad—”
    Ev held up her hand and covered Peg’s mouth. “Don’t even go there.”
    Peg nudged her hand away. “It worked for me. Well, kinda sorta. But I did find my Mr. Wonderful while trying to find a date.”
    “A fluke, Peg, honey,” Rico said. “I’m still searching.” His dramatic sigh rippled through the room.
    “We’re here to celebrate Peg’s upcoming nuptials to my superstar brother. No sad stories, all right? I’ll find a baby daddy. Rico, you’ll find your soul mate. And Peg will cheer us on.” Just saying it out loud made it feel impossible.
    Finding some random guy out of thousands of potential donors wasn’t appealing at this moment. Maybe it never would be… Her heart sank. A big hollow feeling took its place in her chest.
    Her messed-up body ticked like a time bomb. Her chances were dwindling right before her eyes.
    What was she going to do?

 
     
     
Chapter 7
     
     
    “Act natural,” Shane coached as he held the door to the restaurant open for her.
    “Natural? In front of your could-have-been, but is now your cousin’s future?” Evelyn shook her head, wondering where she’d gone wrong. Yep, that’s where . Never should have said yes to this ridiculous plan at his house the other night.
    “Follow my lead.”
    In the cozy foyer, she reared back and looked up at him. He was so close, his body heat surrounding her. Ev gulped hard. “You’ve done this before?”
    “Me? I make it a point to stay away from drama, not dive head first into it. I had enough of that with my mom and dad,” he muttered the last under his breath.
    “For Dex.”
    Someone pushed through to get to the front. Shane shifted nearer; his hip brushed hers and his hand automatically came around her. The warm imprint of his hand seared through her favorite little black dress, scorching her skin.
    She