Page 54 of Tempt
“Thanks.”
“So which tattoo is your favorite?” she asked.
I thought for a moment, then decided to be honest, even if it meant opening a wound. “This one.” I rolled to my back so she could see the angel wings on my left ribcage and the wordslittle sisterbeneath them.
She studied the ink for a moment, then touched it gingerly. “You have a little sister?”
“I did,” I said quietly. “We lost her when she was three.”
“Oh, Zach. I’m so sorry.” Her voice caught. “What happened?”
“She drowned in a lake near our house. It was an accident.”
“How old were you?”
“Seven.”
“God, that’s so tragic. It must have been terrible for you. And for your parents.”
“It was.”
She kissed my chest. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get into sad things. And I know you don’t like talking about yourself.”
“It’s okay.” I put a hand behind my head and changed the subject. “Have you ever wanted a tattoo?”
“I’ve thought about it. I just never made up my mind about what I wanted. Now it’s probably too late.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know. I’m kind of old to get my first tattoo, aren’t I?”
“Not at all. In fact, I think the older you are, the more likely you are to choose something meaningful. And you only live once, you know?”
“That’s true. My sisters and I sometimes talk about getting matching tattoos. I think when the twins are old enough, we’ll probably do it.”
“The twins?”
“I’m the oldest of five sisters. The two youngest are twins.”
“Five sisters?”
“Yes.” She giggled. “There are three MacAllister girls from our dad’s first marriage. Me—I’m the oldest. Felicity—she’s twenty-eight and runs a catering company, and she just got married this past summer. And Winnie—she’s twenty-four, and she’s in charge of events at Abelard Vineyards, which isn’t far from here. And her boyfriend Dex was a SEAL.”
“I like him already.”
She smiled. “The final two MacAllister sisters are Audrey and Emmeline. My dad remarried when I was twelve, so they’re a little younger. Seniors in high school.”
“I cannot imagine being the father of teenage daughters, let alone five of them.” I shook my head. “That’s insane.”
“He’s a good dad. And Frannie, my stepmom, is amazing. My biological mom . . . not so much.”
“Do you have a relationship with her?”
Millie was silent for a moment. “That’s complicated.”
“You don’t have to talk about it. I was just curious.”
“I don’t mind, really. My real mom’s name is Carla, and she left my dad when I was ten. I mean, she left all of us—my sisters and me too.”
