Free Prejudice Meets Pride by Rachael Anderson Page B

For whatever reason, a selfish corner of his mind hoped it was just him, or at least that he was one of the select few. He didn’t like thinking that she connected this way with everyone.
    Voices from the front room interrupted his reverie, and Kevin realized he was staring at himself in the mirror but not really seeing anything. A woman laughed—a woman who didn’t sound like Emma—and Kevin moved to investigate.
    He walked into the front room and stopped when he saw Nicole at the door, speaking with Emma. As usual, Nicole looked beautiful and sophisticated. Next to Emma, she should have stood out like a Lamborghini next to his Lexus, but for some reason, Kevin’s eyes were drawn to Emma, with her wavy hair, stubborn pride, and smile that pulled at something inside him.
    Emma waved aside whatever comment Nicole had just made, reminding Kevin that he’d just walked into what was bound to be an awkward situation. Why was Nicole even here, and how could he explain that the something that had “come up” was his cute next door neighbor and her two daughters—er, nieces? Kevin took a subtle step back, hiding in the hallway as his mind hunted for a plausible excuse.
    “Why don’t you give it to him yourself?” said Emma. “He spilled something on his shirt and is changing. He won’t be long.”
    Kevin stiffened. Did she really just invite Nicole inside?
    “I really don’t want to impose,” said Nicole. “If I’d known he had family in town, I wouldn’t have stopped by.”
    Family? What had Emma told Nicole?
    “As much as Kevin talks about you, it might not be long before you’re family as well,” teased Emma.
    Emma! He and Nicole had only been on one date—one!And now Emma was telling her that he might propose any day now? Kevin suddenly felt like wringing Emma’s cute little neck. He should have stepped in the moment he’d seen Nicole at the door, rather than hide like a coward.
    “We really don’t know each other that well yet, but I’m glad to hear he’s mentioned me,” said Nicole. “And I wish I could say the same about you. He hasn’t really talked about his family, and I didn’t know he had a sister.”
    So he and Emma were brother and sister now? Awesome. What next? Would Adelynn and Kajsa become his nieces? Kevin frowned when he realized his wish to be called Uncle Kevin was about to come true.
    “That’s Kevin for you—always pretending I don’t exist. Too bad for him I like surprising people, especially him,” Emma said. “Come on in. He’s going to be thrilled you stopped by.”
    Thrilled wasn’t a word Kevin would use to describe his feelings at that moment. He couldn’t tell if Emma was doing it to protect him or because she liked causing mischief. Had she even stopped to consider what would happen if he continued to date Nicole? Because she’d eventually find out the truth, and then what?
    Ugh. He really needed to put a stop to this before Emma buried them any deeper. Forcing his feet forward, Kevin walked toward both women, mustering a look of surprise. “Nicole? What are you doing here?”
    She blushed, and Emma quickly jumped in, “I was just telling her what a gem of a brother ”—she looked at him meaningfully—“you are.”
    Nicole stepped inside, holding a plate of something covered in tin foil. “I don’t mean to intrude, but when you said that something had come up, I figured it had to do with work and thought you could use something to get you through the night. I brought you some of my homemade lemon bars.”
    “That was nice. You really didn’t need to do that, but thank you.” Kevin accepted the plate, feeling as if he was being rewarded for something he didn’t earn.
    Nicole waved him off with a smile. “It was no problem. I wish you would have told me that you had to cancel because your sister needed a sitter. I would have offered to help you watch her girls.”
    Kevin’s eyes flew to Emma’s. Watch her girls? Was that the excuse she’d given