Ridin' Solo (Sisters From Hell Book 1), Marika Ray [librera reader txt] 📗

color you spray-painted it! You slept with my wife? Dude, I’ve always wanted to try a threesome! It was insane, but she was the happiest person I knew.

“Oh my God, bubby! It’s so cute!” Em’s squeal at the first glance of downtown Auburn Hill had me grinning from ear to ear. That was settled. She loved the town.

I found a parking space just a few yards down from Coffee, having to pull Emmeline away from the window of Hell Girl, the women’s clothing shop in town.

“I’ve never seen boots like those! They literally have flowers embroidered on them at the top.” Em tried to wrestle her arm away from me, but I’d dealt with stronger people than my little sister. “They’d look so cute with my dress!”

“Let’s get coffee first, okay? Then maybe I’ll let you loose on the retail shops.” Good Lord, did Em know how to spend money on a shopping spree. I’d been away from that lifestyle long enough that it startled me how different I’d become from my sister.

Emmeline bobbed her head at me as I opened the door for her to Coffee. She pranced right up to the register and waved at Dante. The poor guy just stared at her like she was a famous actress. I didn’t blame him. The hat was over the top for a town like this, but Em wouldn’t have known that. She rarely traveled outside of big cities or exotic locations. Small towns were just a cute little made-up thing they portrayed in Hallmark movies.

“Hi! I’m Emmeline, Wyatt’s sister. I’d love love love a three-shot latte with oat milk, extra foam, and agave. You have agave, right?”

Dante swallowed hard. He still hadn’t blinked.

“Hey, Dante. Lukas not working today?” Figured I’d step in and help him out.

His gaze shifted to me, and he unfroze. “Um. No, he had the early shift.” His eyes darted back to Em. “Sorry, we don’t have oat milk or agave. But I can do a latte with either whole milk or two percent.”

Em pursed her lips. “Okay, two percent, then. And I can just do sugar or whatever you all use to sweeten things.” She waved her hand around in the air and Dante watched it flutter.

“And uh, I’ll take a decaf coffee, black. Thanks, man.” I plopped a twenty on the counter and put a hand on Em’s back to lead her to a vacant table in the corner of the coffee shop.

“Ew. Who drinks it black? And decaf? It’s barely five, Wyatt. What has this town done to you?”

I chuckled, sitting down and realizing I’d missed Em. “I’m a responsible adult who has a job. I can’t be drinking caffeine when I have to be in bed in a few hours.”

Her button nose wrinkled. “Again, I say, ew. I don’t understand why you even have a job. Our trust funds are loaded. Wait!” She slapped her hand down on the wooden table between us, her jaw dropped. “Did you blow all the money?”

“Shh!” I shook my head, lowering my voice to get her to follow. The town gossips did not need to know my financial status. “No, I didn’t. But I refuse to use it. I didn’t earn it. I enjoy holding down a job and coming home tired, but proud of my efforts.”

Dante came by the table and delivered our drinks. He didn’t look either of us in the eye, but I saw he’d made a heart in the foam on Em’s latte. What the hell? I never got a heart on my coffee.

“Ooh! Who’s that?” Em took a quick sip, but forgot the latte as she ogled Jazzie, one of the scientists at F.A.R.T.

Somehow I didn’t think Em would understand the naming conventions in this town. “That’s Jazzie.”

“Is she super smart? She’s got these killer glasses that remind me of a seventies porn star, but they’re so working for her! I should ask her where she got them.” Em went to stand up, but I reached over to put a hand on her arm.

“Hold up, sis. What are you doing here, exactly?” Emmeline wouldn’t drive all the way here without an ulterior motive. I didn’t doubt she loved her big brother, but a three-hour round-trip drive wasn’t something she’d do unless it was important.

Em lost the smile and picked at her thumbnail. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Don’t get mad, okay?” she said, flicking glances up at my face.

I sighed, knowing I wouldn’t like whatever was coming. “Just spit it out, and I promise not to bite your head off.”

Em bit her lip and then took a sip of coffee, stalling. When I rapped my knuckles on the table, she jumped and finally started talking.

“Mom isn’t doing well right now, Wyatt. She’s lonely and not herself. In fact, she blew off the ladies’ luncheon last week and stayed in bed. She didn’t even get dressed.” Em looked appalled. “She’s not playing tennis anymore, she’s not seeing friends. She didn’t even spend the gift card I got her to Neiman Marcus for Christmas!”

As if that was the final nail in the argument's coffin of Mom not being okay, Emmeline sat back in her chair and looked at me expectantly.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Emmeline’s face went through a weird series of twitches before settling on angry. She sat forward, bumping the table and disturbing the heart on the foam of her latte. It now resembled a distorted blob.

“That’s it? I’m sorry?” She jabbed her index finger on the table. “No. That’s unacceptable. You’re coming home next weekend.”

Since when did Em get bossy like that?

I shook my head. “No, I’m not.”

“We are having a small family gathering and you will be there.” She inhaled deep, like she had a whole slew of reasons why she thought I should be there. I’d cut to the chase.

“So I can celebrate Dad being dead two years? No fucking thank you. Hard pass.”

Emmeline jumped up, her chair tipping back and clattering to the cement floor. She grabbed the front