Free Relatively Risky by Pauline Baird Jones

hands fell away, the EMT stripped off her gloves and tossed them into the van. If she was a girlfriend, she didn’t look bitter or worried. Not that she needed to be. She was beautiful, even rigged out as an EMT. With the added distance, Nell studied her like an artist instead of a girl. Mostly. Might have been a bit of a green filter over her eyes. EMT was everyone’s girl—tall, but nicely shaped, and blonde—wait, was there something familiar about her?
    â€œI think you’ll live.”
    Nell might focus on sketching vegetables, but she also sketched people in their original form. She was capable of doing family facial math, once she dumped the green filter. “Are you related to Alex?”
    Her brows shot up. “I’m his sister, Laura.”
    Last of the green faded into relief she had no right to feel. Laura’s head tilted, the careless knot of blond hair flopping to the side.
    â€œMost people don’t see a resemblance.” She didn’t sound thrilled Nell had.
    Nell wasn’t most people, but it wasn’t a blessing.
    â€œNell Whitby.” Kind felt like she should add a qualifier or identifier, but she wasn’t Alex’s friend, hoped she wasn’t his foe. I’m his witness just sounded weird. I’m an artist was too pretentious. They shook hands. It was something to do in the awkward search for follow-up comments. Neither found one, so this was followed by an extension of the silence, not helped when Alex made a beeline for them, his gaze clearing a path ahead of his body. Nell gave him a careful smile, one with lots of neutral in it. The sister’s eyes had turned into lasers. She saw him frown, but at the sister or her?
    â€œYou have a sister. Cool.” As in not really cool, but needed something at the end of the sentence so it didn’t sound accusing.
    â€œHe has six sisters.” Laura’s grin was wicked. “And six brothers.”
    Nell felt air hit parts of her eyeballs that had never felt air before, as those eyeballs bugged Seven plus six wasn’t a difficult calculation, even for a gal who didn’t like math. That was a lot of sisters. And a lot of brothers.
    â€œNone of us wants to meet or beat daddy’s record,” Laura added, perhaps to soothe the bug-eyed shock.
    It didn’t, though it rather explained the way Alex had looked at Fancy and Georges. And the cat. She studied Alex professionally, okay, not completely professionally, but long enough to decide, “You’re the oldest.”
    She was not sure how she knew this. It’s not like she was an expert on birth order or anything. And she did not know Alex, even though it felt like they were friends who just hadn’t met before now.
    â€œYou have siblings?” Laura asked.
    â€œShe doesn’t. Lucky her,” Alex said. “Is she all right?”
    Laura stared at her brother for several seconds. “She’s fine, Alex. A few cuts and bruises and a tiny bump on the back of her head.” Her gaze shifted to Nell. “But you should see a doctor if you feel dizzy or the headache persists. Mine keeps coming back, but you might have more luck.” She shot a look at her brother that was thick with sibling rivalry.
    Nell’s lips twitched. She’d keep the headache if he’d kiss it better. If he had been planning to kiss her. She kept swinging between certain he meant to, fear he hadn’t meant to, and certainty it would have been a pity kiss cuz she’d asked for it. That made her feel dizzy, which didn’t help when she noted the sulky curve of his mouth. Pouting shouldn’t be so cute. And sexy. The shadow of a beard and the pout, yeah, definitely sexy. She ran finger along her lower lip, wishing…his lashes flickered. In books that meant something. But in books everything meant something.
    â€œShe might be a bit shocky.” Laura spoke, rocking Alex back on his heels. She added,