Young Love (Bloomfield #4) by Janelle Stalder Read Free Book Online

poker face.
    “What?” I said.
    She laughed. “Why do you already sound annoyed?”
    “Because I know you want something, so spit it out.”
    “Grey, be nice to your sister,” Mom shot out.
    I didn’t bother looking at her as I shook my head. Fifty-six and she still felt the need to mediate between us.
    “Yeah, Grey,” Jillian said with a grin.
    I narrowed my eyes at her. “Careful, Jilly,” I warned.
    She laughed again. The damn women in my life had me wrapped around their fingers, and they knew it just as much as I did. Especially the little one currently wrapping her arms around my neck from behind as she climbed up the back of my chair.
    “I was just wondering if you were free next weekend?” Jillian said.
    “As far as I know,” I answered slowly. “Why?”
    “Well, Jack and I wanted to go for a date night, and were wondering if you could watch Jeanie for us.”
    The arms around my neck tightened, as a soft cheek pressed against mine.
    “Please say yes, Uncle Grey. Pleeeease,” Jeanie said into my ear. “I don’t want Papa to watch me, he makes me watch hockey.”
    “How do you know that I won’t make you watch hockey?” I asked, turning to look into her big, brown eyes.
    “Because you’re funner.”
    “That’s not a word, Jeanie,” Jillian said.
    “I guess I can watch this little bug,” I said with a sigh.
    “Yay!” Jeanie squealed, choking me in her embrace. “I can’t wait, Uncle Grey! We’re going to have so, so, so much fun.”
    “I won’t be around to have fun if you keep choking me,” I said with a chuckle. She eased up, smiling sheepishly. Giving me a big kiss on the cheek, she let go completely and ran off in her blur of pink.
    I shook my head at my sister. “You need to stop feeding that child sugar.”

Chapter 7
     
    Honor
     
    “I’m beat,” Brooklyn said, flopping down beside me. I stretched my left leg in front of me.
    “Ditto,” I said. “The last thing I want to do now is work on my solo.” There was, unfortunately, no other choice though. School was taking up a lot of my time, and the only days I got to the studio were when I had classes to teach, which had been reduced to only Fridays and Saturdays now. That left me no choice but to stay behind to do some work myself before I locked up for the night. It was nine o’clock, and all I really wanted to do was go home and curl up on my couch while I watched the new season of House of Cards.
    Frank was going to have to wait.
    “Well, I’m out of here,” Brook said, standing. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
    I nodded. I had to teach primary ballet at ten. Sometimes I considered just setting up a cot and sleeping here. It would save me the boring, tedious bus rides back and forth.
    Thank God Chloe had her car for school. Riding with her had been a life saver. I knew saving up enough money to get my own car was unrealistic. And Perrie was so busy with her last year of university before moving on to law school, that I couldn’t really expect her to give me a lift anymore.
    Getting up, I walked to the studio’s CD player and cranked it. I was the only one there. That meant I could really lose myself in the piece as the music surrounded me. It was exhausting, but it was also my favorite time of the week.
    Just me, my pointes, and my music.
    When I looked at the clock next, it was close to ten. I packed up my things and headed out, locking the doors behind me. A car waited in the parking lot, one I hadn’t been expecting.
    Perrie grinned at me as I walked toward her, opening the passenger door. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
    She shrugged. “I figured you could use a lift, and I was in the neighborhood.”
    I fell into the seat with a grateful sigh. “I’m actually really happy to see you,” I admitted. As much as I wanted to be independent, if I could avoid the bus, I would.
    She smacked me on my arm.
    “Ow!”
    “Actually really happy to see me,” she muttered, driving forward. “You should