His-And-Hers Twins Read Online Free Page B

Friday night. Can you come?”
    â€œI wouldn’t miss it for the world. But Amelia, this is happening so fast. Are you sure?”
    Amelia laughed. “I am. He’s definitely my soul mate.”
    â€œThat’s great.” Paige twisted the phone cord around her fingers. So, now she was the last of the dying breedof single women among her friends. It shouldn’t bother her. And she was happy for Amelia.
    â€œI would ask you to be my maid of honor, but we’re eloping,” Amelia continued. “He’s taking me to Paris on our honeymoon, I can’t wait, Paige. Life is wonderful.”
    Paige’s hands instantly moved across her sketchpad as she began sketching a wedding dress. “I wish you were having a big wedding though. I’d like to design your dress.”
    â€œI know.” Amelia sounded faintly disappointed. “But Derrick wants to get married right away and I’m afraid to wait. You know how guys are, he might change his mind.”
    Don’t I? Eric had canceled their wedding the morning of the ceremony.
    â€œPaige, I’m sorry, I know how that must have sounded.”
    â€œDon’t sweat it,” Paige said. “I’m not going to rain on your parade, Amelia. And we are not going to talk about my failed love life.”
    â€œThanks, Paige, you’re the best,” Amelia said softly. “I’ll see you next Friday.”
    The phone clicked into silence before Paige could think of a way to beg out of the party. She turned back to her project, but the house seemed unusually quiet. Growing up as an only child, she should have been used to be being alone. But she’d craved a big boisterous family with lots of sisters and brothers. In retrospect, maybe her need for a family was the reason she’d become so attached to Eric and his son.
    But the silence hung in the air, echoing off the walls. Eerie, cold, almost smothering her with the emptiness.
    Stop it. You have to get used to it.
    Determined to forget Amelia’s wedding, she flipped on the radio and decided to make a batch of brownies. Comfort food always spurred her creativity. She threw the brownie ingredients into a bowl, stirred the thick rich batter and popped the mixture into a pan.
    A loud howling sound caught her attention and her gaze strayed to the Blalock house next door. She’d still forgotten to tell Zeke about the neighborhood watch. She’d take them brownies and tell Zeke about the meeting. After all, a welcoming basket of food was only neighborly, and she didn’t want anyone to accuse her of lacking in Southern hospitality.
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    â€œD ADDY, THAT’S GROSS .” Summer covered her eyes with her hands and peeked through the finger holes as the fourth kitten popped out. Buffy, following her normal motherly instincts, licked the kitten clean.
    â€œThey look like skinny rats,” August said, watching the other three kittens burrow underneath Buffy.
    â€œYeah, they do.” Zeke hoped this kitten was the last. The girls refused to go to bed until all the kittens had been born. But Buffy started panting again, signifying the onset of another birth.
    Henrietta sniffed her way in and dropped into the corner, her tongue lolling out as she joined the scene. The doorbell rang and August and Summer both sprang up from their perch on the floor by the tub.
    Zeke rose, but August pointed her finger at him. “No, Daddy, you watch Buffy. We’ll get it.” August and her sister scrambled through the door at the same time. Zeke heard their feet padding on the hardwood floor in the foyer as the doorbell rang for the second time.
    â€œPaige!” both girls chimed.
    â€œHi, girls.”
    A second of elation gathered inside Zeke at Paige’s soft musical drawl, but his smile instantly faded when he realized the house was a mess. Boxes cluttered the den, laundry littered the sofa, blankets and kittens filled his bathtub, and pizza sauce