Misunderstandings (Woodfalls Girls 2)

“Yeah, well, so am I. So if you could hold off using me like a verbal punching bag until I can escape from this hellhole, I’d appreciate it. You’re not the only one who was hurt.” It bothered me that he seemed to forget everything that had transpired.

His teeth came together with a snap, but he didn’t comment. While he mulled over my words, I continued cleaning out my bag.

“What’s in those little bottles?” he finally asked, eyeing the seven mini bottles of hand sanitizer I had unearthed.

“Hand sanitizer,” I admitted, seeing the proof of my OCD.

“And you need seven bottles, why?” he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Beats the heck out of me. I guess I’m always afraid of not having one when I need it, so I buy a new one every time I go to the mall. I guess I have enough.” I smiled, even though it felt slightly forced. I didn’t offer up the fact that I also had a basket of them sitting on the dresser in my room.

“Mint?” I asked, tossing him one of the cellophane-wrapped candies.

“Old mints from the depths of your purse. What are you, my grandma? Thanks,” he said, pulling off the wrapper and popping the mint into his mouth. >“Having trouble there?” I joked, looking at his obvious problem the pillow had been covering.

“Are you offering to help?” He winked.

“If only we had time.”

“Tease,” he said, helping me rise from the couch.

“Hey, you’re the one who started this. I distinctly remember mentioning we only had twenty minutes. You know what they say about those who play with fire getting burned.”

“True, and in Hollie’s world, that’s closer to five minutes. Someday we’re not going to have a gearshift to stop us or my kid sister.”

“Promises, promises,” I said, stepping on my tiptoes so I could place my lips on the back of his neck as we headed for the stairs.

“Who’s playing with fire now?” he asked, turning so abruptly I almost fell down the few stairs we had started climbing. He reached out to steady me before dropping a hard kiss that was filled with promise and need on my lips.

“Can you two ple-e-e-ease stop kissing so we can eat dinner?” Hollie demanded at the top of the stairs.

“I need to muzzle her,” Justin mumbled against my lips, making me giggle.

We could here Trish chastising Hollie to leave us alone. She stomped away from the door, complaining that she didn’t get the big deal about kissing and that she personally found it gross.

“One day you won’t,” Trish said as we entered the kitchen, handing Hollie a stack of plates to add to the table. “Hopefully that day is way down the road,” she added under her breath, shooting Justin and me a wry look.

“Years and years,” Justin clarified, looking green at the thought of his little sister lip-locking with anyone.

“Boy, I pity the first guy who asks Hollie out,” I remarked, carrying drinks to the table.

“Don’t drop those,” Justin mocked, making a production of helping me with the glasses.

I stuck my tongue out at his reminder of my previous clumsiness.

“Why?” Hollie asked inquisitively.

Justin grimaced, making Trish and me laugh and only confusing Hollie more.

“Why do you pity the boys?” she demanded this time, afraid that she was the butt of the joke.

“Because, honey. Your brother is just a wee bit protective over you. I’m afraid it’ll make the Spanish Inquisition look like a walk in the park,” Trish laughed.

“What’s the Spanish Inquisition?” Hollie asked. She was easily distracted.

“It was the way they handled certain religions back in the fifteenth century. I remember hearing about it in a history lecture years ago, but more notably, it was a Monty Python skit I saw years back, before you or your brothers were even thought of.”

“What’s Monty Py—”