“We have a few cousins we’d like to ignore,” Robin said, glancing at her, making her chuckle.
“Carl and Steven.” She rolled her eyes. “Our mother’s brother’s kids. Not that they’re terrors, it’s just… they are boys,” she added, feeling a little stupid.
“Growing up, they were our arch nemeses,” Robin added. “They would mess up our dolls, take over every game we played, and usually push one or both of us into mud puddles each visit.”
“Carl is going to law school and Steve is a DJ for a local radio station,” Kara informed him. “And both of them would still find any reason to push us into the mud if given the chance.”
Robin laughed and poured herself another glass of wine.
Kara had already had two glasses, which had helped her leg muscles relax again. She was thankful that she was feeling comfortably numb at this point. After finishing off the rest of the lasagna that she’d ordered, she leaned back and tried not to slide out of the chair.
“You look tired,” Robin told her after a moment.
Kara realized she’d grown quiet and had been listening to Robin and Conner chatting.
“I am,” she realized. “It was a long day.”
“How’s the leg?” Conner asked.
She wiggled her calf and winced slightly. “Sore, but I’ve had worse. I used to play soccer in grade school and had shin splints a few times.”
“Ouch.” Conner winced. “Not fun.” He stood up and started clearing the table.
“Let me do that.” Robin jumped up. “You picked up the food, Kara baked the cookies and cleaned up beforehand, the least I can do is dishes.” Robin took all of the plates and disappeared into the kitchen.
“Bring back the plate of cookies,” she called out. She turned to Conner. “I could use the sugar.”
“How about we go into the living room and relax. You can put your leg up,” he suggested.
She started to get up and he was there, helping her out of the chair, guiding her to the sofa. He nudged her down and sat beside her. Then he pulled her leg up into his lap and slid up her legging to see the massive bruise that covered her skin.
She winced at the purple and red skin.
“Ouch,” Robin said, coming into the room, holding a plate of cookies. “That looks worse than you let on.”
“Do you have an ice pack?” Conner asked Robin.
Kara groaned. “I think I froze my leg earlier,” she said to him when he glanced in her direction.
“It’ll help with the pain,” he suggested as Robin disappeared back into the kitchen.
“Bring me a glass of milk,” she called out as she reached for a cookie.
“Make that two,” Conner called after her, making her smile. “What?” he asked her when he noticed.
“I like that you get along with my sister,” she said softly.
“I get along great with most sisters,” he admitted as he started to rub the spots around the bruise on her leg. Then his hands stilled. “Why? Did you date someone who didn’t get along with Robin?”
Robin had walked in at that moment and laughed, getting Conner’s attention.
“That fits the description of every guy Kara’s dated.” She handed Conner a glass of milk and then gave Kara one before taking the bag of frozen peas from under her arm and setting it gently down on Kara’s bruised calf.
Since Kara was twisted on the sofa, the makeshift ice pack only covered half of her sore muscle. Still, she figured it was better than nothing since she couldn’t manage to enjoy her cookie and milk without spilling.
“Oh?” Conner asked, leaning back to enjoy the treat and conversation. “I’m all ears.”
Kara groaned as her sister started telling her current boyfriend about her past mistakes. Conner chuckled at some of her sister’s stories and, after finishing off two cookies and setting down her half empty milk, Kara twisted slightly as Conner started rubbing her leg again.
She hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep until Conner picked her up some time later.
“Hm?” she moaned and tried to focus her eyes.
“Shh, I’m just carrying you to bed,” he said softly.
“Okay.” She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re going to stay?”
“Not tonight,” he answered with a sigh as he maneuvered her through her bedroom doorway. “I have work early in the morning and then I’m going to finish moving into my new apartment.”
“M-kay,” she said as he laid her down on the bed.
He sat beside her on the bed and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips. “Thank you for dinner.”
“You’re the one who got the food,” she reminded him as she looked up at him. The darkness of the room cast shadows over his features, making him look even more handsome and a little mysterious.
“Then thanks for hosting and for the cookies, ” he replied with a chuckle. “They were delicious. The best cookies I’ve had.”
She snort-laughed and then gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry.”
His smile grew. “Don’t be, that was the sexiest thing I’ve heard all day.”
“You can go now,” she said as she felt her face heat. She was thankful for the darkness of the room.
She heard him chuckle again, and then he leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. “Goodnight.”
She warmed from the kiss and relaxed again. “Night,” she said with a sigh and fell back asleep.
Chapter Sixteen
By the time Conner started unloading his things from the back of his truck, big snowflakes fell from the gray sky and covered the ground and everything else. His brother and his cousin George were helping him move some of his bigger items later that weekend. For now, he’d sleep on his air mattress on the floor and make do with what he could carry himself.
He was happily surprised to see Kara walk up to him in the grocery store parking lot shortly after he’d finished taking up the last load of his stuff.
“Hey.” He walked over and wrapped his arms around her and then kissed her. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see if I could help,” she said, frowning over at his empty truck bed. “Is that everything?”
He chuckled. “No, this is just the end of the first load. I’ll have some muscle help later this weekend to move the bigger items.”
“Oh.” She frowned slightly.
“Did you walk here?”
“It’s only about a block away. What can I help with?”
He thought about it. How she’d been bruised and tired last night and shook his head. “You can cheer me on,” he said, but the look she gave him let him know instantly that she wouldn’t sit on the sidelines easily. “How about you head into the store and grab me a coffee?” he asked, realizing that this might be the last load he could cart from the house today if the snow continued to fall at this pace.
“Okay,” she said, rubbing her hands together. Then she leaned up and kissed him again and smiled up at him.
He felt his entire body heat, which had him emptying the rest of the truck in record time. When he’d set the last item on the kitchen counter of his new place, Kara walked in with a tray of drinks and a box from the bakery down the street.