—SEVENTEEN—

 

"This one?" Kerri held a top up in front of her that Ren could tell without her even trying it on would show entirely too much of her sister's cleavage. Ren was barely ready to accept its presence in the first place, never mind it being in the line of vision of teen aged boys or even within a hundred miles of Kyle Sullivan.

"Not a chance, lady." Ren handed her one with a more modest neckline. If they could wrangle her into jeans that weren't painted on either, she'd be a happy woman. What was it with kids and the clothes they barely wore these days? She'd never been able to afford to deck Kerri out in all of the latest fashions, but somehow, a piece or two of trendy and barely-there clothing always found itself into her sister's wardrobe.

"So, I think Dane likes you." Kerri spoke loudly from the dressing room where she had disappeared with the shirt. Ren checked the area frantically and was relieved to find the back of the store empty. Evidenced by their time at the dance hall, everybody knew everybody in this town and she wasn't quite ready for her budding relationship with Dane to hit newsstands.

"Hey, shut up!" she hissed.

"Ooh, so you like Dane!" Kerri nearly crowed with laughter.

Ren rushed the door, poking her head inside and giving her sister, who was midway through changing shirts the dirtiest look she could.

"Quit, seriously. I want to keep my job. You want me to keep my job, so I can buy you that top. Which looks really good, by the way."

Kerri poked her tongue out, then examined herself in the mirror, deciding to add the shirt to the pile of clothing she had selected as acceptable. The girl's eyes held a spark of playfulness Ren hadn't genuinely seen in some time. It was the first time in a long time they weren't pinching pennies to pay rent and groceries and could actually do a little bit of shopping without adding every cent on every price tag together to make sure they didn't come up short at the till. They said money couldn't buy happiness, but Ren had decided when you were dealing with a fifteen year old, it sure didn't hurt.

They made their way to the front of the shop with their arms filled with clothes and deposited them on the counter in front of a bored looking girl around Ren's age. She was a tall bottle blond with a plain face and tight clothes. She lit up when she saw them.

"Hey, you're Dane Baylor's new housekeeper, right?"

"Sort of, yeah." Ren nodded, passing the articles of clothing to the girl.

"He's a dish, isn't he?"

Ren smiled but shrugged noncommittally. "He's a good boss." On the last word, Ren shot her sister a pointed look.

"I went out with him once. It never went anywhere, but we're both a little older now." The cashier, whose name tag read 'Sondra' chatted, her tone conversational and far too familiar as she rang each of their items through. "You know, maybe you could drop a good word for me? It'd be helpful, having 'someone on the inside', you know?"

"I'll do that." She offered the girl a kind smile and grabbed Kerri, who had been standing nearby open-mouthed at the cashier's brazenness, by the arm, pulling her out of the store. "Have a nice day!"

"What the…?" Kerri's voice was shrill and all too loud.

"Shut up." Ren didn't let go of her sister's arm as she dragged her across the parking lot.

Once they were inside the sedan Dane had insisted they take, Kerri narrowed Ren in her sights.

"Did she just think you would invite the guy you like on a date for her?" Her tone incredulous, Kerri's eyes were wide. "Do girls just do that?"

"Again, he is my boss, but yes, girls do that. Some girls think everything they see belongs to them." Ren turned the key in the ignition. "Seat belt."

Kerri slipped the belt over her shoulder. "You did it again, you know."

"Did what?"

"That thing where you don't answer my question so you don't have to lie to me."

Ren rolled her eyes.

"Ren Katherine Maddock. Do not roll your eyes at me." Kerri mimicked Ren's sternest tone with amazing accuracy.

Ren stuck her tongue out at her sister, guiding the car out of the shop's parking lot. She considered Sondra and her request...maybe she wasn't ready to make headlines but now that she'd made up her mind, she wasn't giving up Dane Baylor for anybody.