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More footsteps on the porch. “—paint here fordays.Look at how pretty. Oh, the foyer!” The woman who must be Daphne, Emerson’s wife, steps across the threshold just ahead of him, her hand in his. Her face lights up, dark eyes sparkling. Will didn’t mention that the Morellis—Daphne, at least—aregorgeous.She’s absolutely striking. Petite and light on her feet, almost like a bird, with hair such a dark brown that it’s almost black. It catches the sun. “Will,” she says, and lets go of Emerson’s hand to hug him. Then she turns her supermodel smile on me. “You must be Bristol.” She puts her arms around me without any hesitation. “Hi. It’ssogood to meet you. I’m Daphne, Emerson’s wife.”
“Hi,” I say back, stunned by how warm she is. Rich people aren’t always like that. And Will said their family was powerful, but she introduces herself as Emerson’s wife. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
She squeezes me, then lets go and turns to the twins, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’ve heard a rumor that your names are Mia and Ben. Is that true?”
Ben grins back at her. “Was somebody talking about us?”
“A guy named Will. Do you know him?”
Ben shrugs. “A little bit.”
Even Mia can’t resist her. A smile flashes onto her face, big and broad, and it’s like a firefly—you have to catch it while it lasts. “He lets us play Minecraft on his really good laptops.”
“He’s like that, isn’t he?” Daphne reaches for Emerson’s hand. He stands beside her, another bag of groceries in one arm. “Bristol, Mia, Ben, this is Emerson. He’s my husband, most importantly, but also Will’s brother.”
“We don’t look anything alike, so it’s hard to tell,” Will jokes.
“Pleasure to meet all three of you,” says Emerson.
I finally look away from Daphne to the tall man at her side in jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt.
And—
Oh my God.
They looked similar in the photo, but now, in person?
Mia takes a step forward, staring up at Emerson. He looks back, an amused tilt to his mouth. There’s no pretense in Mia’s expression at all. Wide-eyed, she looks at Will, then back at Emerson. It’s like she’s looking at a shelf in the library, not people. She looks at both of them again, her red hair brushing her shoulders as she turns.
“Are you twins?”
“No,” Emerson says.
“Which one of you is older?”
“I am.”
Mia turns to watch Will for a few long seconds, then back to Emerson. My face is starting to get hot. Normally, I can’t get her to look people in the eye, other than me and Ben and Sean, for long enough to have an entire conversation. Now I might have to have a talk about staring. Even if the people in question are extremely good-looking.
My sister squares her shoulders, which is a sign she’s gathering her bravery, which is a sign that—
“Do you always do that with your face?”
“Mia.” I don’t know what she’s talking about. Emerson’s not doing anything. “You can’t—”
Will laughs, covering it with a cough. He nudges me with his elbow.It’s okay,that nudge says.
“Not always,” Emerson says.
Mia’s cheeks turn pink. She rubs the pads of her thumbs over her fingertips. “What do you look like when you’re not doing it?”
Emerson releases Daphne’s hand and tips the bag of groceries into her arms. Then he bends so he’s at eye level with Mia, cupping his hands near his eyes so she’s the only one who can see him. I would have sworn on my life he wasn’t making any kind of face, but after a few seconds, Mia’s eyes brighten. Her huge, real smile breaks onto her face, then hides away again. She lets out a relieved breath, which is usually a sign that she’s about to—
“My favorite series right now is The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper,” Mia says. “There are five books, and my favorite one isThe Dark is Rising,but that’s the second one. The first one is calledOver Sea, Under Stone.”
Emerson straightens, dropping his hands. “Should I read it?”
“Yes.”
