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Ginger’s mind reeled Her little sister, who to the best of her knowledge avoided hureed to attend a dance? Re the school basketball gahts aloud

Did thisfor Willa? She scrutinized the blush staining her sister’s cheeks, the glier’s heart swelled

She quickly tried to hide her proud- her head, but her smile must have shown because Willa snickered into her coffee cup

“Well, that’s fantastic, Willa,” Ginger said, atte casual “I assume you’ll need a dress?”

“I ht”

“Then I ht be able to help pick it out?”

Willa laughed “Ginger, I know fk-all about dresses You’re hired”

Unable to restrain herself, Ginger clapped her hands twice “Great Just give , strapless…?”

Her sister gave a lopsided sirlfriend, Natalie The blond, po femme-bot”

Ah, so this is what had been bothering Willa She felt a rush of relief Nore proble on you”

They passed the next hour going through Willa’s photographs and pulling out their favorites, deciding where to place theed to weasel a few et the sense that she really liked the boy Which was shocking, to say the least When Willa eventually left for school, Ginger dragged herself from the floor and went to make a fresh pot of coffee

As she waited for it to brew, she tried to comprehend the last hour Instead of reticent and moody, Willa had been practically jovial as they worked on the joint project She’d had to force herself to act nor place in her sister Her signature snark and foul er found herself oddly thankful for She loved the old Willa just as much as the new one

Sipping at her fresh cup, Ginger found herself torn between joy over Willa’s transformation and confusion over her own inability to transfore Willa was still young and able to learn new tricks, so to speak Ginger chose to take it as a sign that in soed to shield Willa fro before it caused any pere

As for herself, she’d lacked any type of shield or voice of reason Her life had been molded into a shape and left to harden in the sun It was too late for her to change now

Chapter Seventeen

After knocking one final ti an answer, Derek turned to leave with a frustrated curse She wouldn’t answer his phone calls and he didn’t have tione

With the situation at work rapidly co to track down an AWOL Ginger, but godda operation after the way they’d left things She’d looked so shaken up leaving his apartment If he could just talk to her, touch her, he would find a way to reassure her

He’d walked into Sensation last night with every intention of hu two days to pass with radio silence between theht not admit it, but she’d needed hiht Instead, he’d gone off to work like an arrogant jackass, thinking she’d still be there playing house when he finallyup to the bar, he’d been desperate to lay eyes on her after two days ofher like hell

The way she tilted her head when she back-talked him in that sexy accent The way she pronounced his naainst his perfectly Her scent Her smile He missed it all

Then he’d seen that bastard’s hands on her Little flashes of light had sparked in front of his eyes before it all went red He couldn’t re home was still a blur in his ht, he’d almost lost his control back at his apartment when she’d tried to seduce him He still couldn’t believe he’d walked away from that level of temptation

Jesus, the things she’d said…