“Sorry I called youadick.”
His brow creases. “Youdidn’t.”
“Oh, I did. Several times.” I pause. “Inmyhead.”
His lips tug up in the beginnings of a smile. “It’s good to seeyou,kid.”
“I’m not a kidanymore.”
“Yeah, but you’ll always be my kidsister.”
“Much to my chagrin.” I sigh. “I keep trying to emancipate myself, but apparently you have to do that before you become a legal adult. If I weren’t such a procrastinator, I’d have gotten rid of you and the rest of the Sinclair clan a longtimeago.”
“Still a smartass,Isee.”
“Leopard, spots. You know what they say.” I shrug. “Too late to change mywaysnow.”
“Yeah, you’re what,twenty-six?”
“Twenty-five,” I correctinstantly.
“Ah.Ancient.”
“Says the thirty-year-old!”
He opens his mouth to reply, but his words are overridden by a strange scuffling sound, coming from the leather satchel by his feet. My eyes drop to it, and I see the sides are moving like itsalive.
“What the hell is that?!” I yell, backpedaling away from it quicker than I would an atomic bomb. “What’s inthere?”
“Nothing,” he saysimmediately.
“Your bag is wiggling! By itself! You call thatnothing?”
“Just ignore it,it’llstop.”
“What the hell,Duncan?”
He stares at the bag until it goes still. “See? Stopped. Now… what were we talkingabout?”
A soft, sorrowful yap comes from thesatchel.
I blink at it in disbelief. “Is there a dog inthatbag?”
“No,” Duncandenies.
“Oh, really?” I hiss. “That’s weird, since it justbarked.”
Before he can say another word, I reach down and unzip the top of the leather satchel. I’ve barely gotten the zipper open when a furry head pops through theopening.
I’m so startled, I fall back on my ass with a jarring thud. My eyes widen as a reddish ball of fur follows me down, leaping paws-first onto my chest. All I manage to glimpse is a broad red muzzle and a flash of pink tongue before I’m attacked by the viciousmonster…
With about a thousandkisses.
Veryslobberykisses.
Over every square inch ofmyface.
ChapterSeven