Free Unmaking Hunter Kennedy by Anne Eliot

revenge.”
    Charlie trapped her legs tighter and caught her into an inescapable, spinning piggyback ride as he reached their wider front foyer.
    They shot into the living room like a tornado.
    Vere clutched Charlie’s shoulders, fighting for balance.
    Her gaze landed on their neighbor Nan first, then her mom’s huge, disapproving frown. On the next turn, she locked on to a guy she didn’t recognize who was sitting on the couch—wearing sunglasses ?
    One more turn and she’d taken in a black cap, dark brown hair, and that he was staring.
    At them. Unless he had his eyes closed behind those glasses, which she doubted considering the spectacle she and Charlie were creating.
    “Put me down,” she uttered in Charlie’s ear.
    Charlie, oblivious to the company, wouldn’t quit spinning.
    On her next time around, Vere caught a direct glimpse of the guy’s face, and it was not lost on her, even dizzy, that he was good looking.
    Vere felt her cheeks tingle, but the blush dissipated instantly thanks to Charlie who’d started spinning her so fast she lost track of the entire room. She kept her voice steady in an attempt to play this cool. “Uh, Mom? Any time you want to step in? Permanently ground him? Take away his car privileges and give them to me?”
    “ Uh, Mom, ” Charlie spun faster, mimicking Vere’s higher voice with a girly voice of his own. “Any time you want to step in and help Vere with her man skills? I’ve decided to launch her into popular society.”
    “You mean skills like me launching you into the carpet?” Vere grabbed at his ears and yanked.
    Charlie grunted and fell to the floor.
    She landed in a dizzy, triumphant heap on his back.
    “Sadly, these are my children. Vere, Charlie, meet Dustin McHugh . Dustin is—he’s Nan’s nephew. And he’s moving here. Isn’t that nice, kids?” Her mom’s tone had changed to Mary-Poppins-bright as she continued, “And Dustin is our project. He will start school with you on Tuesday after the three-day weekend. He’s going to need our help getting adjusted.”
    Charlie, still face down, groaned, “I’m the one who needs adjusting. Vere almost killed me. Severed my spine with her bony knees. Get off. Someone call an ambulance.”
    Vere dug her knee deep into Charlie’s back as she clambered off her brother and teetered into a chair. “Whoa. Dizzy,” she mumbled.
    The new kid laughed.
    She shot at him a look and their gazes met. This time, Vere didn’t lose focus. He took off his sunglasses and Vere had to bite back a gasp. The guy’s eyes were such a blinding bright-blue they disoriented her.
    She felt the back of her neck tingle.
    Jeez. Not good looking. Try drop-dead gorgeous.
    Before she could get a second glimpse, he’d turned away and pulled down the brim of his baseball cap.
    She stayed seated and made an effort to control the tingle that was rapidly spreading from her neck to her cheeks, but continued to eye Dustin curiously.
    Nan stood, blocking her view as she helped the whining, Charlie to his feet and then leaned down to hug Vere. “You two always make me smile,” Nan said, before she turned to address her nephew. “Vere and Charlie will kick this unmaking plan into gear. They’ll be great friends for you, too.”
    “Really. Well then. It’s nice to meet them, I suppose,” he said, crossing his arms in front of him and ducking even lower into his cap.
    Vere went on alert.
    His voice had been super-soft. Low. She had the sensation the guy sounded like he was way older than they were; but that wasn’t what had caused Vere to pause.
    He’d sounded...bored.
    And possibly sarcastic. Disdainful?
    Or...was he sort of pissed off?
    She peered around Nan, hoping for another sneak peek at the guy’s face, but he was still slouched, arms crossed, hiding in his hat. She also had the odd sensation the kid wanted to curl up into a ball and hide?
    What the heck?
    “Not to raise a flag too early here, Aunt Nan, but these two just might need