Page 96 of The Rebel

Once Mom and Annelise left the kitchen, I walked over to Anthony. He was resting against the kitchen counter, gripping the edge of it. I leaned over him, making sure to press my boobs to his chest. Then I put my hands on his shoulders. “So, what were you and Mom talking about?”

“It’s a secret,” he replied.

I drew my hands farther down his torso, resting them on his chest.

“You trying to seduce the answer out of me?” He was keeping a straight face, though I felt vibrations in his chest. He was fighting laughter.

“I’m that obvious, huh?”

“Yes, you are, babe. But I don’t mind.” He kissed my forehead. “Though I’m not going to tell you anything.” He pulled back to look me in the eyes. “I’ve been thinking about something. There’s a baseball game tonight. Is your dad a fan?”

“Yes! He loves it, unlike me and Mom.”

“Would he like to watch it?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ve got an idea. How about your dad and I watch it together? Just the two of us.”

I almost did a double take. I couldn’t believe he was simply offering to do this, without being asked. He wanted to spend time with my family.

“Are you sure you want to be alone with Dad?”

“I’ve been alone with your mom, and you found us laughing.”

I tilted my head. “True, but Dad is a tougher nut to crack.”

“I’ll manage.”

“Then I won’t say no to some girl time with Mom.” I was about to rise onto my tiptoes and give him a kiss, but his phone beeped. “You can take that. I don’t mind.”

“Not now.”

It beeped again.

I took a step back, and he took his phone out. He tapped the screen twice and then laughed.

“What?” I asked.

“Scarlett sent an alert to the family. She’s searching for a certain Harry Potter set for Bella. It’s very hard to find, so she’s putting the entire family on it.”

I giggled. “I truly like how the LeBlancs work.”

“And the Broussards. Never forget the Broussard contingent or you’ll make Celine unhappy.”

“Right. The LeBlanc and Broussard clans. Can you send me whatever she’s searching for?” I asked. “I’ll keep an eye out for it. Maybe I can find it.”

Anthony put his phone down, gazing at me intently. “You’ve got enough on your mind.”

“Nonsense. I’d love to be included in this family-wide effort.”

He cupped my jaw before kissing my forehead again. “All right. Will do.”

I tilted my head. “Okay. One last chance for you to pull out.Are you sure you want to hang out with my dad by yourself tonight? It might be more than you can handle. He might ask you all kinds of questions, putting you out of your comfort zone.”

“Daisy, there are two things you have to know about me. One, I never break my word. And two, I’m very good at winning people over.”

CHAPTER 22