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I snort.
“The water will help cool you down,” Sawyer scoffs.
Austin looks at me. “Are you coming to the regatta tomorrow?”
“I…” I’ve always avoided it like the plague, but I can’t really say that to him.
“You can be my good luck charm…” he persists.
I smirk. “You have enough of that charm as it is.” But I relent. “Okay, I’ll go.”
And I’m dragging my girls with me.
"You have a gllloooowwww." Avery wiggles her brows, staring at me from the couch.
So, I may have been reliving the best damn kiss of my life as I stir the coffee. She doesn’t need to know that. “I’ll quickly drink this and then we can go.”
“Put it in a go cup, and then we can find a good spot to watch…the water…” Avery stumbles on what today is actually all about. I’m right there with her.
We leave the apartment and join the sea of people. Woah. I’d known it to be busy, but this is claustrophobia waiting to happen.
"Where do we go?" Nova asks, concern hitting the depths of the sapphires. Nova hates unplanned events. Mahogany, cinnamon, and caramel are at war, each shade highlighted as she’s tied it up.
"I have no idea," I admit.
"Let me help." Sawyer's deep, grumbling voice filters through the noise.
I smirk as Autumn preens while we follow Sawyer through the bodies. We arrive at the boathouse where I can see they'd zoned out several seating sections.
"You're in family."
"All of us?" Autumn asks.
Sawyer nods and walks away. The man of few words gives him a mysterious edge and I get why my girls, and others, throw themselves at him. There's already a woman sitting in the family zone, her pretty face glowing with joy as she watches the world around her. She turns to me, her face strangely familiar. She jumps up and begins using ASL. Oh. I follow the gestures.
Amy.
Austin's sister.
Sister?
I hide my surprise and quickly sign back. The delight in her eyes, the kind of grey that comes before a storm, smile at me. My friends have seen me sign with Mom, but they always seem enthralled with the speed at which I can communicate. It's like talking, you do it, you don't think about how your mouth forms the words. "This is Austin's sister, Amy,” I tell them.
And then I see more shock.
Yep. Join the club.
Not that I expect him to tell me things, but you’d think a sister is quite important information. Amy sits, inviting me to join her. I sit, as do the girls, and we people watch. I don't know what to say to her. I hardly know what to say to Austin at the best of times.
"Hey there, M.I.A.!"
I smile, and then note the moment he catches sight of his sister. It's rare that I see him lost for words. He usually has too many, and this is rather refreshing.
"What are you doing here?" He hugs her, speaking the words rather than signing them. She can read lips that quickly?
Amy signs.
She wanted to see him race.
