Closer To You (Tales of the Sweet Magnolia Book 1) Read Free Page A

“Okay, okay. If it’ll make you happy, I’ll try one of these things on.” She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers, anxious to get back to the peace and quiet of reading her book. “It looks like butt floss,” she remarked studying the stringed brief.
    “It will make you look good. And when you look good, you feel good,” Lori announced, and handed her the leopard print set.
     
    Lilly laughed at the memory. As it was, she didn’t go back to the paperback that night, but rather stared at herself long and hard in the mirror, sensing a shift inside. The tables had turned. Her sister had taught her an important lesson. Perhaps in her effort to protect Lori, she’d walled herself in from taking risks, from experiencing hurt again.
    Prompted by thoughts of her sister, Lil picked up the phone and punched in her cell number. Lil glanced at the clock, unsure of what time it might be in Australia, but the phone clicked after the first ring.
    “Hey, you! You must have felt me thinking about you. There was this really, really cute guy that just walked by. So what’s up, big sis? I haven’t heard from you in a while. I wondered what was going on with you.” The sound of her effervescent voice warmed Lil’s heart.
    “So I didn’t wake you? I wasn’t sure what time it was down there.”
    “Nah, we just finished lunch and I sent my troops off to explore the marketplace here in Darwin. What a fantastic place! You should see it, Lil,” her sister remarked. “I have lots of reward points I could get you here by tomorrow.”
    “It sounds like fun and I’d love to, but the truth is I haven’t got the time right now.” Lil brushed her fingertips over the fine sheen of dust atop of the radio alarm clock, trying not to think too much, about just how much time she did have.
    “Ah, the riveting world of library science keeping you running in all directions, eh?” Lori teased.
    She sat on the edge of the bed and crossed her ankles, noting how drab her shoes looked. “Just a lot of meetings next week. There’s a new shipment of young adult books coming in and a new month’s worth of periodicals to register and find a spot for. And oh, there’s a fundraiser for the Friends of the Library coming up.”
    “It sounds like your hands are full. So when are you going to carve out a little time for yourself? Maybe get out and kick up your heels? Have a little fun?”
    This was one of the differences between them. Lori didn’t mind the moving around, the changes in time zones and sleep deprivation. There were no strangers in her life; everyone was a potential friend. Lil envied her sister in some ways because of her choices.
    “Are you keeping that promise you made to me?” Lori asked. Lil heard the humor laced in her voice. Granted, it had been a while since she’d done anything that qualified as totally insane .
    “I went on that whitewater rafting trip,” she answered, realizing even as she attempted to defend herself, how long it had truly been since she’d done anything exciting.
    “Lil that was last summer. What about recently?”
    “I did get a new comforter for my bed.” She ran her palm over the smooth fabric. “It’s a gorgeous Bordeaux color. You’d love it.” 
    “It sounds positively decadent, sis. And has it seen any action, by chance?”
    Lil tipped her head in disbelief. “Excuse me?”
    “You heard me. What good is having a beautiful bedroom if you’re the only one who sees it?”
    “Lori, let’s not go there,” Lil warned.
    “You can’t tell me what to do, and I will go there if I please, Lil,” Lori stated in an emphatic tone.
    “Kiddo, that lifestyle is fine for you, but it’s not for me. I want more than an occasional one-night stand, no offense.”
    “None taken,” she responded. Her voice softened. “Life is short, Lil. I don’t need to explain that to you. You have this dream of finding some All-American hero to give you a happily ever after.”
    “Is that so wrong to