I closed my eyes, imagining her in the bath. Her face would be soft and her eyes closed as her big juicy breasts bobbed on the surface of the water. I pictured myself leaning down and bobbing for apples. I'd take a little nip before I pulled her nipple into my mouth and...
I opened my eyes to find that she was watching me suspiciously. I realized I had looked like an idiot. I was literally grinning like a kid in a candy shop.
It was a good thing she had no clue what I was thinking. I leaned against the counter and smiled at her, hoping to set her mind at ease. A woman had to trust a man to let him between her thighs.
Her sweet, plump, silky thighs.
"I know a good plumber if you need one. And a good roofer. Hell, I know just about everybody around here."
She looked surprised at the offer and then she shrugged.
"Thanks but Pete already gave me a list."
For some reason that raised my hackles. She'd been here a handful of days and Pete was already doing her favors? Pete's family had owned the feed and supply store for generations. I liked Pete, even if he couldn't ride a horse for shit.
Squash that.
I used to like Pete.
Pete was watching the exchange with glee. He was obviously thrilled to watch Jackson Delancey crash and burn with a woman. Hell, I couldn't blame him. It's not like it ever happened before.
Not even once.
I decided to put a big dent in his day. I grabbed my nails and signed the invoice for the fencing. Then I turned back to Angelina and spoke loud enough so Pete would be sure to hear.
"Suit yourself Ms. Randall. I'll see you at dinner tonight."
I winked at Pete as I turned and walked away, whistling.
He did not look happy at all.
Even he knew he didn't stand a chance against a Delancey.
Angelina
"Wear the green one."
"What?"
"The green top. It brings out your eyes."
I was riffling through one of the cardboard wardrobe boxes still in the living room. I looked around. The house looked like a war zone. And none of the workmen I'd called were available to come for at least a week.
Or longer.
At least there wasn't any mold in the house itself. We would know because Casey reacted to it immediately. Sensitivities to chemicals, strong odors and mold was another charming side effect of the drug's toxicity.
We joked that we could loan ourselves out to real estate companies.
'Casey the Mold Detector' and 'Angelina the Spider Hunter.'
We made quite a team.
I turned up the hepa air filter in the living room just to be safe. Then I went into her bedroom and turned that purifier up too. The lights flickered slightly and I groaned and called out to Case.
"Add electrician to the list!"
She chuckled as I came back into the room. She'd dutifully jotted it down on the yellow pad that was becoming a very long, very intimidating list. The fact that she always found humor in every situation was one of the things I loved about her the most.
Most people would bitch and moan about what she'd been through. Or worse, they would give up and just consign themselves to life as an invalid. But Casey was strong. Even in the darkest moments, she didn't get bitter.
She also didn't give up.
And if she didn't, well, I couldn't either.
It was a funny thing to look up to your little sister.
I grabbed the green silk tank and my favorite jeans without really thinking about it. Then I pulled on a drapey knit cardigan. I slipped my feet into some high-heeled booties and I was done.
"No makeup? None of your jewelry?"
I looked at Case.
"I told you this isn't a date."
Casey raised an eyebrow at me.
"Well, I want to look pretty even if you don't. Anyway, you promised to give things a chance around here. Even with the cowboy."
I sighed and got out my tiny makeup bag. I wiped everything off with an all-natural disinfectant wipe before I started working on Casey's pretty face. The last thing she needed was an infection.
I turned on one of Casey's favorite playlists and leaned over her, carefully smudging some stain onto her lips and cheeks. Then I ran a soft brown pencil over her eyelid.
She fluttered her eyelashes at me and I laughed.
"Your turn."
"Alright you win."
"I always do. One of the perks of being the sick one!"
I shook my head at her twisted sense of humor and slipped into the bathroom to apply a tiny bit of makeup. Then I rummaged through a box until I found some of my jewelry. I didn't have much left, having sold most of the most expensive stuff off. But I'd amassed quite a collection at trunk shows in New York back when I had disposable income.
I sighed. I missed those days sometimes. Dinners with friends, weekend trips and happy hour. Shopping for the latest styles without a second thought. But being here with my sister, taking a second chance at life, well that meant more than all the rest of it piled together.
And then some.
I selected a gold bangle for Casey along with a pair of small sapphire studs. Small gold hoops and a necklace with a modern looking evil eye design for me.
If I had to spend the evening with Jackson Delancey, I had a feeling I would need it.
When I presented myself to Casey she let out a low whistle.
"What? You're a fox."