After I ask for the same—but with a double shot of vodka and an eighth of the olives—I turn to her. “How was Disney World?”
“Really, really ... Disney.” She tilts her face up to look at me, the corners of her eyes crinkling because she’s smiling so hard.
“If you keep that up, you’re going to break your face.”
She drops the smile but then laughs in earnest. “Brenna had a good time, so that’s all that matters.” She spends the next couple minutes giving me the rundown on her mini-vacation with Wyatt and her stepdaughter. Once we have our drinks, we walk to the pool—which seems to be the quietest part of the house.
“Your mom is on my crap list,” she finally says. “Seriously, I hope that crazy bitch wakes up tomorrow morning to find a sack of dogshit under the tree.”
I laugh bitterly. “Join the club. Your parents probably think we’re all kinds of messed up and trashy.” Lucas had already mentioned visiting his parents tomorrow, for more Christmas festivities, and I’m already dreading it.
We sit side-by-side on teak lounge chairs. “Actually, my parents had nothing but good things to say about you. I wouldn’t have known what happened if Lucas hadn’t texted what happened.”
I should feel relief at Kylie’s words, but it doesn’t change the awkward tension that hung over the entire table this afternoon. “He thinks Mom is jealous of my relationship with Gram,” I say quietly.
She pops an olive in her mouth and bobs her head up and down. “Sometimes, he’s right. Believe it or not, this is one of those times I completely agree with him.”
“I just wish that—” But then I catch myself and rake my hands through my hair, probably ruining the loose red curls I worked hard to perfect. “Not even an hour ago I promised Lucas I’d stop talking about that woman, and yet here I am—”
“Kylie Wolfe,” a voice calls out, interrupting me, and I bite the tip of my tongue because I instantly recognize who it belongs to. We both look up to see Cilla Craig coming our way. Like always, she looks beautiful, with her black hair swept up in a high ponytail and her curves poured into a sexy black jumpsuit. I try to forget that she and Lucas were briefly involved. Stopping right in front of us, she puts her hands on her hips and sweeps her blue-green eyes over me.
“Didn’t realize you’d be here, Pepper.”
For what seems like hours—instead of thirty seconds, max—I sit with my spine uncomfortably straight, staring up at Cilla. With her hands on her hips, and her lips curved into a smug grin, I wonder what she’s thinking. Or what’s going to come out of her mouth next. Eventually, I narrow my eyes and make the first move. “I don’t suppose you care that I hate being called Pepper?” I demand.
“Why would I?” She steps around our chairs and chooses the seat on the opposite side of Kylie, who snorts in response. “Don’t be a bitch,
Ky,” Cilla snaps before leaning forward so she can look at me. “Besides, Sienna, it’s not like the Pepper thing is an insult. She happens to be my favorite Avenger.”
I start to speak, but my future sister-in-law beats me to the punch. “Pepper’s not an Avenger, so what the hell do you want?”
The other brunette twirls a long strand of her ponytail around her finger and bites her bottom lip. At last, she shrugs. “I’m hiding from someone.” She grins sheepishly. “Apparently, my … friend doesn’t have as much appeal when the beer goggles come off.”
“If you can put them back on, will you go away?” Kylie teases. “Quick, Sienna, give her your drink and find a bartender.”
“Red?” Butterflies swarm my stomach when Lucas calls out my name, and I look to my left to see him approaching the pool area. He glances from me to Cilla and then to his sister, narrowing his hazel eyes to slits. “Is everything alright?”
“Relax, relax. I come in peace, bearing good tidings or whatever it is.” Cilla lifts her hands defensively and flutters her lashes together. “Even I draw the line at ruining Christmas.”
Wow. Maybe my mom can learn a thing or two from rock music’s most unpredictable songstress.
“Cilla, there’s not a goddamn part of you that’s peaceful,” Lucas points out, and she gives a husky chuckle. I’m not exactly sure he meant that as a compliment, but she’s smiling when she tilts her head to one side.
“I’m avoiding Tyler,” she admits.
His full lips part in a silent “Oh,” but he nods in understanding. “Now it makes sense why you’re out here.”
Tyler. I let the name ping around my head for a few seconds, then I face her with a wide stare as soon as I realize she’s talking about Your Toxic Sequel’s tour manager. Pressing her lips together, she jerks her head to each side. “Kylie, Pepper,” she warns, her voice dangerously low. “If you say one fucking word about it…”
Lucas snorts. “Ah, Cilla, calm down.” He motions me to him, and I get up from my seat to join him. Her gaze trails over us, and a flash of jealousy crosses her blue-green eyes before she looks away. Lucas drops his lips to my ear. “Red, there’s a few people I want you to meet before we go back to our hotel.”
“You’re not leaving already, are you?” Kylie wrinkles her nose and then shoots a look toward Cilla. “If she’s bothering you, I swear I can get rid of her. I mean, there’s a pool right over there...”
Cilla doesn’t respond, and I wonder if she’s losing her taloned touch. She had no problem chiming in with snarky responses when I tagged along on their joint tour this summer.
“We have plans,” he eventually informs his sister.
“And here I was thinking we’d celebrate Christmas like all those TV families. Thanks for letting me down, asshole.” Letting out a dramatic breath, she starts to get up, prompting Lucas and I both to step forward to help her. She grips the edges of her seat and blows a blue streaked strand of hair from her eyes. “You both realize that I’m not that knocked up, right?”