Between work and classes, my schedule is insane for the next month, though the twins and I manage to carve out one night together a week, sometimes two. Once the semester finally ends, I only have a week to do all my holiday shopping. Megan, who’s so full of baby Beast she’s almost ready to pop, barely gets permission from her men to meet me and Zoe for our annual gift-exchange lunch.

When I see Lucas and Alex Wolf standing guard at the restaurant, I hurry to our table and ask Zoe in an undertone, “What’s going on? I thought that was all done with!”

“It is.” Zoe grins. “The Beasts have a charity thing they’re doing with their team today, so my guys offered to keep an eye on Megan.”

“That’s …” There’s a long pause while my friends eye me expectantly. “Sweet,” I say at last, and we all burst out laughing.

“By the way,” Zoe continues, “I haven’t had a chance to see your guys again, so please tell them thank you.”

I blink at her. “For what?”

“Deke didn’t tell you?” I shake my head, having no clue what she’s even referring to. “At the dinner party, he talked to Alex about my thing. And he and Jake supplied some contacts, for my guys to check with, that wound up breaking the case.”

“Wow.” I shake my head. “They never said a word, either one of them.”

“Not the type to brag, huh?”

“They’re really not. They’re much more about showing than telling.” My friends smirk at me, and my face gets hot.

“Do they at least give you a hint what’s happening next?” Megan teases.

I’m sure I’m redder than Rudolph’s nose, but I rally. “Well, when it comes to that, first they tell me and then they show me.” Megan cocks her head. “Usually.” Zoe wiggles her eyebrows. “Okay, sometimes.”

It takes us a while to stop laughing so we can order. Our very patient waitress gets a big tip, and I’m thankful all over again that I have the best friends in the world.

* * *

On my way home, my phone signals. When I reach a red light, I glance at it and see that it’s from Deke. What’s your holiday schedule?

I quickly answer that I’m driving before the light changes. As soon as I’m parked in front of my apartment, I snag my phone for a proper response.

Holiday party tonight. Nothing tomorrow. Then Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day gifts, and Christmas Day dinner. So I’ve got tomorrow night and late Christmas Day free.

We’ve got a thing tomorrow night.

Club thing? I text back, not to pry, but just to make conversation, keep the connection going.

Toy drive, comes the response.

More evidence that the twins are quietly awesome. Which reminds me. Zoe says thank you for your help with her situation. It made a big difference.

I’m glad. Just that, nothing more. I don’t tell Deke I’m proud of him and his brother, but I am.

It’s time to get ready for the party, but I’m reluctant to say goodbye. So, see you Christmas night?

Yeah.

Good. I feel like an infatuated teenager. It’s only with effort that I make myself type, Gotta go. See you soon.

Soon.

It gives me a little shiver down my spine. Dashing up to my apartment, I get dressed. My parents always host a party at this time of year, and it’s usually made up of my father’s business associates. Another staid, formal event.

What I wouldn’t give to bring Deke and Jake along and shake things up.

But I’m a good girl, so I finish getting ready and make the drive over to my parents’ house without summoning the Abbott brothers. The street is jammed with cars, as is their driveway, and I have to park a ways down the street and walk back.

I’m not looking forward to this. But as soon as the front door opens, the evening turns much worse than I’d expected.

“Tara!”

It’s my ex. Neil. What the hell is he doing here, and why is he answering the door?

In the split second when I’m staring at him in shock, he leans down to kiss me and I only manage to turn my head away at the last instant. Anger spikes through me, but I tamp it down.

“Excuse me.” I make to go around him, but he grabs my hand. Yanking it away, I glare at him. Then, because the living room just beyond us is is full of guests, I smooth out my features again.

It’s a mistake, and he takes immediate advantage. “I thought we could catch up,” he says, in a perfectly normal voice, as though everything is fine. “It’s been too long.”

His sandy brown hair is brushed neatly, his lint-free suit fits his lean frame perfectly, and his tie is perfectly knotted. I have a sudden, vicious longing for faded blue jeans and worn t-shirts stretched over big, brawny bodies.

More people come through the door, and we step aside enough to make room. Neil’s earnest brown eyes take on a puppy-dog expression, trying to worm through my defenses. Just like so many times when I was angry with him, and he managed to charm his way back into my good graces.

Or, at least, that’s what I thought he was doing. That was before I met two men with real charm, who could call cats down out of trees if they wanted. In comparison, Neil seems like a spoiled child.

He shatters my musings with, “Your mother told me you’re not seeing anyone.”

My mother is going to get a piece of my mind. “She doesn’t run my life, Neil. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

I start to move around him again — and he blocks my way. “Does that mean you’ve met someone? Who is he?”

The nerve of the man. “Neil. You are no longer part of my life. You have no right to ask me questions about anything, ever.”

I have to steel myself when what looks like genuine hurt flashes through his eyes. “We were good together, Tara. I miss you.”

He wants to do this here? Fine. Leaning close, I pitch my voice low. “You treated me like crap when we were together. You were always hit and run; you never wanted me to stay over, and couldn’t wait to leave my place once you’d gotten what you wanted. I was always your last priority — everything and everyone else came first.”

The exhilarating rush I get from speaking my mind is a revelation. Then it hits me — like a wrecking ball.

I was dating my father. Just like my father, Neil was always busy, never really present with me, always focused on work and getting ahead.

The Abbott brothers are so not my father.

“What are you smiling about?” Neil demands. “And for the record, I resent those remarks.”

But he doesn’t say they’re untrue, because he knows just how accurate they are. Folding my hands in front of me, I give him my most beatific expression. “Would you like to get out of my way, or would you like me to knee you in the ‘nads?”

He freezes, long enough for me to dodge around him. “Tara. Tara!”

I ignore him and keep going. I haven’t seen my mother this whole time, which is unheard of — she’s an impeccable hostess. A quick turn through the house shows me she’s nowhere on the lower level — and neither is my sister.

When I go upstairs, I hear them in Kendra’s bedroom — sniffling sounds and my mother’s muffled voice. What’s going on? My little sister isn’t the drama queen type.

Rapping once, I push the door open. I’m greeted with Kendra’s tear-stained face. The problem is immediately obvious.

Her hair, which was down to her shoulders the last time I saw her, has been cut short — and dyed blue. “Tomorrow,” my mother says in her utterly reasonable-sounding but unflinching Mom In Charge voice, “you’ll go back to the stylist and have her fix this. There’s nothing to be done about the style until it grows, but at least you can have normal-colored hair for our Christmas family photos.”

I wince. Kendra doesn’t even look at me. After the way I kept quiet when she talked about her Halloween costume, why would she?

My sister — my little sister — is braver than I am. She has no reason to think I’ll support her now.

“Let me see, K,” I say softly. My mother starts to speak, and I hold up an imperious hand to cut her off. She’s so shocked she falls silent.

Kendra lifts her head, turning it to one side and then the other when I gesture. The cut is adorable — her face has great bone structure, and it’s an incredibly flattering style on her. Even the blue tint on a section of her hair goes well with her skin tone.

“It looks great, Kendra.”

My sister’s eyes go wide. My mother snaps, “Tara!”

I turn to her. “Kendra is an honor student. She’s in band. She made it to the state finals in track last year. You should be telling her how proud you are of her, not worrying about how she wears her hair.”

My mother’s chin comes up. “Her appearance reflects on this family—”

“Yes, and you know why?” I must be channeling the twins, because I have never spoken to my mother like this in my life. “Because this family is completely obsessed with superficialities.”

“Tara!”

“It’s true, Mother, and you know it. And for the record, Neil and I are over, and we are never getting back together, and I would appreciate it if you never invited him to another gathering where I will be present ever again.”

“Neil—”

“Was a lousy boyfriend, Mom. That’s all you need to know.”

There’s a long, heavy silence before my mother says stiffly, “I’ll be downstairs.” When she’s gone, I sit down next to Kendra and put my arm around her.

“She told me I had to stay up here instead of joining everyone for dinner.”

It comes out a ragged whisper, and rage whipsaws through me. I have never been so furious with my parents. How dare they shame my bright, beautiful sister?

“Screw that. You look amazing, honey.” She gives me a watery smile, and I hug her tight. “I’ll wait here while you fix your makeup, and we’ll go down together.”

“Thanks, Tara.”

“I’m in your corner, KayKay. Always.” I haven’t been, lately, and that’s my shame. From now on, my baby sister will be able to count on me.

She hugs me back and says to my shoulder, “I never liked Neil. He didn’t deserve you. I’m glad you dumped him.”

“So am I.” Yes, I’ve definitely been underestimating Kendra. And maybe myself, too.

* * *

The rest of the evening goes more or less as expected, except for the awkwardness between me and Neil. I keep it to a minimum by avoiding him as much as possible. When he approaches Kendra, I send him such a withering look that he does a one-eighty. Not long after that, he excuses himself and leaves early.

My opinion of him has hit rock bottom. Even for someone as opportunistic as he is, it’s horrid of him to try to use my sister to get to me.

I can always tell Jake and Deke about him. Not that I would, not really, but I can’t help smirking at the image of Neil faced with the Abbott brothers. He’d run so fast it might set a land speed record.

I’d planned to slip away early, but I stick around to keep an eye on Kendra. The guests give her some sideways looks, but no one says anything out of line. When she goes upstairs for the night, I say my goodbyes and head home.

Another vehicle, a few houses down from where I’m parked, pulls out after I pass it. Nothing surprising; there must be half a dozen parties being held on this street tonight. But the car trails me all the way back to my part of town, which is much less affluent.

By the time I reach my street, I’m ready to lock myself in my car and message the twins. That plan dissolves when the car goes on past my complex after I turn into the parking lot. It must be nothing more than an unnerving coincidence.

Still, I keep an eye out when I leave my car and don’t waste any time getting upstairs. When I’m safely in my apartment, locked and bolted and chained, I breathe a sigh of relief and scold my overactive imagination.