Daring the Wild Sparks by Ren Alexander Read Free Book Online

Simone grumbles while folding napkins.
    “You can zip it, Oscar,” she retorts. I want to laugh since it makes me think of my bridesmaid trash can.
    “Children, please!” Julie trills. I check out Chrissie’s outfit— skinny jeans, a baggy white top that falls off her shoulder with a baby blue tank top underneath. I could never pull an outfit like that off. I’d look like an maladroit, want-to-be hooker.
    Walking over to the refrigerator and yanking out the milk, she asks, “So how’s my brother doing? I haven’t even seen him yet.”
    “Um, he’s doing okay.” I look down at the brown and black-flecked granite countertop. I can feel all eyes on me. Shit.
    “What?” Chrishelle asks. “What’s going on with him? Did I miss something?”
    Simone answers, “No. He’s still a loser.”
    Chrissie refutes, “Says you, mega mouth.”
    “Chrissie, would you please take the casserole out of the oven for me, please?” Julie asks in an attempt to deter her daughters.
    “Sure.” She grabs the potholders and turns to the stove. “So, did you move in with my bro yet?”
    Here we go.
    “No, but I told him I will.”
    “Really?” three women ask me at the same time amidst metallic clanking of Julie dropping something on the counter.
    “Yes?” I falteringly answer.
    Julie beams and clasps her hands together beneath her chin. “You’re moving in with Finn? When? I’ll help in any way I can. Just let me know and I will take the time off work.”
    Chrissie rolls her eyes. “Jeez, Mom. Calm down. She didn’t announce she’s pregnant with your first grandchild. Damn.”
    Julie’s eyes hugely widen with optimism and she gasps, “Are you?” Simone and Chrissie stop what they’re doing to also stare at me. Now this is disturbing.
    My eyes nervously dart around the kitchen and I shake my head. “No,” I mumble. I glance out the window, wanting terribly to be kidnapped by space aliens.
    Julie glumly sighs and says, “Someday, I hope.” She’ll be waiting until the first of Never if her son gets his way.
    I mutter absently, “No. That’s not going to happen any time soon.”
    “Why not?” Julie asks with abundant disappointment. Wow. I did not expect to head down this rocky one-lane road…on a mountainside…after an ice storm…during an earthquake.
    I unwillingly look at her and give her a small shrug. “We’re not ready. That’s all.”
    Chrissie knowingly smirks. “You mean, Finn isn’t ready.”
    Simone gripes, “Well, he needs to grow a pair, along with a backbone. He has to marry Hadley and give her a baby.” Where are those damn aliens? I’ll even gladly accept illegal aliens kidnapping me right now.
    “I don’t know if that’ll happen,” Chrissie asserts with a frown. “I can’t really blame him. No offense, Hadley. I’m not exactly a fan of marriage either. I guess we’re two peas in a pod, my brother and I. I did get married once, but it didn’t work out. That doesn’t seem to help your case, though, since Finn uses that as another example as why getting married is futile.”
    I nod, but want to run out to my car and cry. I’m such a huge baby anymore. I ask, “Does he say anything else to you? I mean, about me? Anything I should know about?”
    Chrissie smiles. “He’s never been in love until he met you. We all know that. He told me you turned his life upside down, Hadley. He fell so hard for you, if that helps.”
    I nod again. It does.
    Temporarily.
    “I’ll talk to him,” Julie decisively says and returns to her mixing bowl.
    “No!” I yell. Everyone again looks at me and I glance down at the counter. Shit.
    Julie sulks, “Why not? I’ll get through to him.” I tentatively look at her as she props her hands on the counter and leans onto them. “Hadley, he wants you to move in with him. You’ll be living as man and wife. He’d better not be thinking that you wouldn’t want to get pregnant eventually.”
    Simone giggles. “Just go off the Pill without