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First, Mia swept a hand to her camera, then to Luna, and, lastly, to her pregnant belly.Really, Mia?What did being pregnant have anything to do with anything? She doubted the woman would ever go so far as to say,Hey, see this camera? If you don’t take a picture with my depressingly dumped cousin over there, my demon baby will come for your blood while you sleep.Unlike Luna, Mia didn’t have to resort to threats. Plus, her cousin-in-law was too charming and sunny to ever be carrying a demon baby. The kid was an innocent pawn in Mia’s plan, and was currently Luna’s favorite baby in the world, demon or not.
Mia was more likely to convince someone by saying something sweet, and then she’d flash her solitary dimple. The dimple was thecloserwhen it came to sealing the deal. Luna was convinced the dimple was the root of all Mia’s power.
Regardless of what was said to the man, it worked, like a charm. No surprise there. Both of them approached her spot in the park. Luna was doubtful about the whole couple photo idea, especially considering it was being thrown together with whatever random park man Mia could persuade into her scheme, cute or not.
From what she could see, he was nearly the complete opposite from Viggo. Her ex-boyfriend was extremely tall, with the body of a linebacker, dark hair, and the bluest eyes ever imagined. Luna didn’t believe in love at first sight but wasn’t someone like Viggo exactly the type of man she was supposed to fall in love with?
If Viggo was Dolce & Gabbana, the man walking toward her was second-hand Levi’s. He was a white guy with brown hair and most definitely wasn’t six feet tall. She would guess five feet eight inches at the most with a slighter build than her ex. Both the baseball hat and army-style jacket he wore were weathered at the edges. Unlike her ex though, he had an approachable, easygoing vibe about him, which was probably the reason her cousin had chosen him.
“I’m Mia, by the way,” her cousin said to him.
“Sam.” His voice, while deep, was unassuming. There was a barely perceptible hitch in his step. “I think we went to the same school.”
Mia brightened. “Oh yeah? Sorry, I don’t have the best memory when it comes to that kind of thing. Do you know my husband, Ross?”
“Manasse? Yeah, we weren’t friends but we had a few classes together.” Sam’s hat overshadowed most of his face. His exact features were still somewhat of an enigma at this point, except for a jawline covered with a scruff of facial hair.
Since he went to school with Ross and Mia that put him only a few years older than Luna, who was twenty-five. She felt forgotten at this impromptu class reunion, which did a great job of exacerbating her PMS.
“Oh, this is Lulu,” Mia said. “She’s Ross’s younger cousin.”
Luna almost chipped a tooth, grinding her jaw. She still hadn’t broken Ross from his habit of using the childhood nickname but, even worse, Mia sometimes did as well. She couldn’t very well shout,Luna!without appearing childish, and it’s not as though it mattered since she’d never see this guy again. Instead, she offered a tight smile.
“So, yeah, as I was saying,” Mia continued in an extra cheerful tone of voice to cover the lull in conversation, “we just need a few photos of you standing next to Lulu, looking at her like you’re her boyfriend or whatever. I won’t take too much of your time.” The dimple closer made its appearance.
“Okay,” Sam replied but he didn’t move.
The whole thing was weird, and without thinking Luna blurted, “Are you sure about this, Mia? Look at how he’s dressed compared to me. He looks like—” The rest of her sentence dropped off a cliff when she realized she was about to voice her inside thoughts, ones Mia would, no doubt, consider mean. These days, she was trying her best to keep most of her brutally honest opinions locked inside her head.
The other two people waited, as if expecting Luna to finish her sentence. When she didn’t, Sam said, “I look like what?” His expression was neutral but she swore there was an amused glint in his eye as if his question was a dare.
Unfortunately for him, Luna always took a dare, regardless of whether it was a good or bad idea. Spoiler alert. It was usually bad. “You look like you’re about to meet someone from Craigslist in an abandoned parking lot in order to sell some illegal turtles or something.”
Mia gasped. “Lulu!”
Confirmed. Bad idea.
He barked a small laugh as though surprised, her comment giving him permission to give her an up-and-down perusal in return. She was finally being seen but now the judgment was clearly on the other foot. Not that Luna didn’t deserve it. She most definitely did.
“Yes?” she asked, daring him in return.
He blinked. “Nothing.”
Well…that was disappointing. In truth, he didn’t have to say anything because she could guess his opinion about her outfit. She looked like the third-in-charge at a bachelorette party, the one who’s secretly jealous of the bride and making out with a stranger after getting too tipsy. This was one more reason she regretted unearthing this dress from the recesses of her closet, because she wasn’t that girl—not anymore.
“What are you wearing underneath? I-I mean under the jacket.” Mia asked, getting somewhat flustered.
Sam revealed a simple black T-shirt, and Mia declared it fine enough for the photos. As much as Luna wanted to continue voicing her disapproval, it’d be all lies. The guy had great arms and he’d chosen a shirt that fit him well.Dammit.Her reluctance in participating in this couple photo plan was already eroding.
“I look nice,” Luna said as if to refute his earlier unspoken judgment, sweeping her long, wavy locks across the front of one shoulder.
“Yeah, youlooknice.” His tone implied she only looked the part and wasn’t nice at all. Ha! Perhaps the guy had some bite after all. Her interest shifted back to intrigue. Also, Luna wasn’t about to argue because she may be a lot of things, but she would never claim to be nice. That adjective was reserved for people like Mia.
Before she could reply, her cousin stepped between them with an “excuse me” and removed his hat, unleashing a mass of wavy, light brown hair. His brows were a shade darker; his left eyebrow was bisected with a scar. And he had the sharpest cheekbones she’d ever seen. God, maybe the finger of destiny was on to something.
She nearly jumped when her cousin-in-law took one of those solid arms of his and posed it around her waist like both of them were bendable dolls. His gaze, no longer shadowed by his hat, lifted to hers and she was hit by the color of warm bourbon making up his irises. Her breath hitched in her chest as she felt his hand flexing where it was fixed on the small of her back.
In the background, Mia clicked the shutter button on her camera but Luna hardly noticed, finding herself fixated by the man beside her. “I’m not always a brat, you know,” she murmured. Who knows why it was important for her to tell him this. And, truth be told, she wasn’t a brat as much as she was prone to mischief but these two things sometimes looked the same.
