Page 22

He sighed again. “But not now,” he agreed.

“Now you’ll dish about Lark?” she asked hopefully.

Ryker laughed. “I’m so definitely going to dish about Kostya and Lark.”

Amy dropped her book and almost fell off the couch when she heard the sound of someone playing with the front door lock. It took more than a second or two for her to realize that she had been half asleep and that it was actually the key turning in the lock and that Carla was letting herself in.

Ninny!

“Hey, Cuz,” Carla whispered when she saw Amy, just before she shut the door behind her.

“Hey, Carla, did you have a good time?”

“So-so. I’m so sick of having to go out to those damned parties and trying to sell jewelry, but it does put a little extra money into the family coffers.”

“Why haven’t you shown me any of the jewelry? You know I like bling,” Amy lied.

Carla gave her a droll look. “If you could go to hell for telling the biggest lie in history, you would be going to hell in a Rolls Royce. You hate the kind of jewelry I sell, but you would buy everything in my case if you think it would help us out. So no. Absolutely not. I’m not going to show you a damn thing.” Carla smiled.

She moved her roll-case over to the corner of the room and then headed to the kitchen. “Do you want a glass of wine?” she asked Amy.

“No thank you.”

“Okay.” Carla pulled a bottle of Chardonnay out of the fridge and poured herself a glass. “I feel so grown up now that I’m not drinking wine out of a box.”

Amy giggled. “Remember when you used to drink wine coolers?”

“What are you talking about? Do I remember wine coolers?” Carla opened her fridge to put the bottle of Chardonnay back and pulled out a four-pack of dark cherry wine coolers. “Can I talk you into one of these?”

Amy raised her eyebrow.

“I’m sorry. I always forget,” Carla apologized.

“I don’t see how, considering what a raging addict and alcoholic my mom is.” Amy winced at her sarcastic tone.

“Yeah, but you’re so put together, it doesn’t even compute for me,” Carla said as she took a sip of wine. “I never asked, does it bother you when I drink in front of you?”

“Nah. It’s not like I’m a recovering alcoholic, as if I’m jonesing for a drink or something, I’ve just abstained because I know addiction runs in my family. So seeing someone drink doesn’t bother me, unless it’s my mom.”

“Speaking of which, is she obeying the restraining order?”

Amy looked down at the counter, then at the pictures on Carla’s refrigerator. John looked cute in his Halloween costume.

“I’ll take that as a no. Have you called the cops?”

Amy turned her head and glared at her cousin. “Of course I’ve called the cops. Every single damned time. The problem is, nobody knows where she’s living. She’s either sofa surfing or holed up with the latest skeevy boyfriend and God only knows who that is and where he lives, so the cops can’t go back and serve her or arrest her.”

“So she just keeps showing up and hassling you. Has she shown up at the restaurant again?”

“Not since the last time. She realized that there are too many people who will hold on to her until the cops arrive. Now that they’ve fixed the comm system at your door, your apartment should be secure. But I’m screwed until I move into someplace better.”

“Understood.”

“Look, I’ve got to get home. I’ve got to get to the restaurant early tomorrow. Thanks for letting me sit with the boys tonight.”

“You are such a crazy girl. You’re the only person I know who would thank me for the pleasure of doing me a favor.”

“Well it’s true, I love spending time with those two little guys.”