Free Broken by Tanille Edwards Page A

kiss. I went downstairs, with Stewart right behind me. “Could you bring the rover outside?” I asked.
    â€œSure! Wait up,” he touched my arm.
    â€œApproximate Arrival Time?” I texted Sierra.
    â€œ0:02:15. Roger that!”
    â€œOver and out!” I laughed to myself.
    â€œWhat’s funny?” Stewart asked.
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œI’ll get the door.” He touched my back as I walked outside.
    Sierra pulled up in the Prius, looking like trouble. She came so close to the porch, I jumped a little. Another tube-top dress. This was the theme of summer. I guess I didn’t get the memo. Me in my flowery sundress and flip-flops.
    â€œSo, uh, maybe sometime we could get a game. Or … even, um, a bite,” he said. I smiled. I glanced to see if Sierra was going to get out of the car. Just my luck. She was playing around with her radio.
    â€œMaybe. Your mom has my number. Text me sometime.” I waved bye. He blushed. I made a mad dash for the car. I tripped on the last step of the porch. My skirt rode up. I pulled it down and played things off.
    Then I jumped into the car. “Graceful as a ballerina,” Sierra said.
    â€œGosh. Just burn out.” I said. She jammed the gas like a racecar driver. I held on for dear life. “What are you doing that for?” Sierra said.
    â€œIn case my seatbelt bails.”
    â€œYou are on a streak with the cuties,” she said.
    â€œStewart is nice. But I have a full plate right now.”
    â€œWish I had a full plate. It would be a first.”
    â€œDon’t be too impressed. At 12 o’clock, I turn back into a geek. Far better to be smart than pretty,” I said.
    â€œOnly someone blessed with your face could take that seriously.”
    â€œYou and Frenchy are gorgeous! What are you talking about?” I said.
    â€œI just want to fall in love and live happily ever after.”
    â€œMe too! Except I was in love once.”
    I looked back at Lisa’s cottage as it shrunk against the purple sky. “Sierra, can you do me a favor?” I asked.
    â€œWhat’s on your mind?” she asked.
    â€œCan you call this place up for me to find out if they have contact information for a friend of mine?” The word “friend” just slipped out. No point in being coy now.
    â€œWhen?” she asked.
    â€œTomorrow.”
    â€œWho’s the friend?” she asked.
    â€œThis guy.”
    â€œOld beau?”
    I paused for a moment. I didn’t really want to keep things from her. “Not any regular beau,” I said.
    â€œFirst love?” She was a good guesser.
    â€œSomething like that.”
    â€œYou have the info on you now?” she asked.
    â€œNo. I’ll send it in the morning.”
    â€œRighteous! My dad taught me how to skip search on LexisNexis when I was seven. If there’s intel, I can find it!” she giggled.
    Four dark roads, two stoplights, and a stop sign later, we pulled up to the house. It was all lit up at night. The air jets in the front ponds were turned on. I had barely noticed the landscaping Grandpapa had done yesterday until my eyes fell upon the beautiful white tulips and lavender lilies. How pleasant, I thought. We pulled up to the first garage.
    â€œCheck this out!” Sierra said. Cara and Dimitri were rolling around in the grass under a tree at the side of the house.
    â€œMove up a little,” I said.
    â€œNo, no. I know what to do.” Sierra mashed her foot on the gas. “Purr, baby, purr!” she said. Dimitri and Cara stopped rolling around. He looked out at the driveway. I could tell he was a little embarrassed.
    â€œOh, my God! Is she smiling?” I said.
    â€œIsn’t this a little sudden?” Sierra said.
    â€œShe’s strange. Why would anyone want to date Dimitri?”
    â€œHe’s fly, but he is really mean. Either way, she’s all in your family now. Ewu! We don’t know her