0597092001436358459 eveline vine

by Unknown

  “It looks good like that,” she said, tugging me more forcefully this time, “C’mon!”

  I took her word for it and quickened my pace.

  It only took us ten minutes to cross through the university, walk around the rugby pitch, through the Uni Club car park and out to the back field. It should have taken us twenty. My feet were hurting me and I was short of breath as we rounded the Uni Club beer garden and the field popped into full view. My jaw dropped.

  “Wow,” I whispered.

  There were heaps of people there.

  Everyone I’d ever talked to in class, everyone who came and went from the band table, people who had been at Jenny’s party, the rugby team and more. There was a huge buffet set up in one area, kegs and eskies filled with alcohol in another. At the rear of the field I could see a huge jump set up for motorbikes. My heart kicked up at the thought of a Motorcross show. A DJ station was set up near a huge portable dance floor and there were heaps of tables and chairs on the other side of that. My eyes kept travelling in that direction, catching on the stage that had been erected and the band setting up.

  I clenched my fingers tightly, not hearing whatever song Mason had pounding out through his speakers. My eyes were on the band. I couldn’t see Jamie, but there was Alec…and there were Donny and Fredi. My gaze slowly, slowly stopped on the drum kit, and met Stone’s. I sucked in a sharp breath. He was here!

  For several long moments we just stared at one another, before he calmly inclined his head in acknowledgment…and went back to setting up his kit. My stomach dropped with disappointment.

  “Hey birthday girl!” Briar squealed, startling me out of my funk. She wrapped me in a tight hug and dragged me towards the food.

  “Who paid for all this?” I asked uncertainly.

  Briar waved a hand airily, “Oh we all pitched in for bits and pieces. Most of the things were free.”

  It had still cost a bundle, I’d bet.

  “Look who I met,” Briar said, handing me a plate of food and turning me to nearly run into Ivy. I grinned.

  “I didn’t know you were coming!” I said happily, holding my hands out for Dylan, “Where’s Logan?”

  Briar and Ivy both pointed up.

  I frowned and glanced at the sky, snorting when I saw the plane and the sky-writing.

  Happy Bday E!

  “Lazy bugger,” I muttered good-naturedly, “Would it have taken that much longer to write it out properly?”

  Ivy rolled her eyes in a way that said she completely agreed. I shielded my eyes with one hand and watched him dot the exclamation mark. “Is he going to come down and join us?”

  “Later,” Ivy said with a grin, taking Dylan back and nodding toward the parking lot, “You have other guests to see first.”

  I turned in that direction, watching curiously as an unfamiliar car pulled into a park closest to the field. It was an old, black convertible – but the roof was up, so I couldn’t see who was inside. The engine shut off and my curiosity spiked further as Candy and Briar started twitching excitedly beside me. The driver and passenger doors opened and a familiar head of chestnut hair came into view. I didn’t wait to see the rest. I ran towards the parking lot, giggling like crazy as I threw myself at the driver.

  “Coop!” I squealed into his ear as he picked me up in a hug, “I thought you weren’t coming!”

  His warm chuckle made me shiver with happiness, but a second voice made me push away from him. “As if we’d miss your eighteenth,” his twin said, crawling out from behind the driver’s seat.

  “Charlie?” I asked in surprise, looking from Cooper to his girlfriend Bridget, then back to Charlie.

  She wrapped me in a painful hug and tussled my hair. “You look great, Evie,” she said with her characteristic wide, sassy grin, “I can’t believe how much you’ve changed!”

  “Thanks,” I answered shyly, looking her up and down. I knew I couldn’t look anywhere near as good as her. Her dead-straight sunny blonde hair was perfect. It fell in a silky stream to her middle and her chocolate brown eyes were warm and sensual. She was smaller than me by several inches – the shortest in our family. She was fit, but curvy in all the right places. She always had men drooling after her.

  I turned my head to smile at Bridget, taking in how tiny she looked, even in comparison to Charlie. Her naturally sandy-blonde hair was now a dark brown and streaked with bright red. It was cut in choppy layers, the longest of which hit her collarbone. She was dressed in small denim shorts, exposing a realistic-looking barbed-wire tattoo that wound around her mid-thigh. That was new, probably another gift from her not old enough – but very talented – younger sister. She also wore chunky black boots to mid-calf and a white top that hung off her shoulders…she didn’t look to be wearing a bra beneath it. My smile turned to a grin and this time I was the one that stepped forward and initiated the hug.

  “Where’s the ring?” I asked her, grabbing her left hand. She held up her right one. “I’m wearing it here until we tell everyone later this week.”

  I cooed over the simple, but elegant design, admiring the diamond and ruby set in gold.

  There was a sharp nudge in my back. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

  I turned to find Alec, Briar, Candy, Donny and Fredi hovering behind me. I blushed and made the necessary introductions, bouncing up and down as my excitement began to build. This was going to be a great night!

  “You okay Evie?” Cooper asked with a grin, pulling me close to stop my bouncing.

  “I’m so excited,” I whispered, “This can’t get any better. I’m so glad you’re here!”

  Charlie laughed and pointed her thumb over her shoulder, “Just wait until you see your present from the three of us.”

  I looked back at the car with enthusiasm, waiting for them to fish it out. I frowned when nobody moved. “Uh, can I open it now?” I asked tentatively.

  Cooper laughed and placed the keys in my hand. “The car is your present, Eve.”

  I dropped the keys. “No fucking way,” I whispered.

  Bridget rolled her eyes and picked the keys up for me. “Yes way.”

  I squealed and hugged them all again. “Okay, now it can’t get any better!” I said, stepping forward to check out my car.

  But again, I was wrong. Candy turned me back around and pointed up at Logan’s plane. Three little dots were visible beneath it.

  “What?” I asked…but the dots moved closer to the ground and parachutes became visible. I counted them again. One, two, three.

  “Who-” I broke off, my eyes widening to the size of saucers as realisation hit. I spun around to face Coop. “The airforce triplets?!” I squeaked. He nodded slowly.

  I squealed yet again and ran back toward the centre of the field, keeping my eyes trained upward to judge where they might land. I was soon joined by the rest of the gang and I started jabbering excitedly, telling my friends all about the three siblings that were sailing down towards us. Cooper kept me wrapped in his arms and Charlie shoved some alcohol into my hands ‘to calm my nerves’. It wasn’t long before the triplets hit the ground and wriggled out of their shoots. Cooper let me go and I sprinted towards them, jumping on Evan first.

  Unlike the younger triplets, who all looked completely different except for height and build, the older triplets had different builds and heights…but each of them was blond-haired and blue-eyed (like Luke and Mum). Evan had freckles like Logan and I and stood at 6’1”. He wasn’t as muscular as Harvey, looking more lean and fit like Vicky. He swung me around in a circle and kissed both of my cheeks twice. “Hello baby sis,” he said as he put me down, stepping back to have a good look at me, “My, you’re getting old.”

  I stuck my tongue out at him, but screamed a little in surprise as a taller, bulkier Harvey picked me up over his shoulder and spun in fast circles. “Stop! Stop!” I laughed, “Harvey, please…Harvvvvvvv.”

  He tumbled me down and gave my forehead a hard kiss, “Happy birthday kiddo!”


  “I’m an adult now,” I said with a forced frown, trying to keep an uncontrollable smile at bay. I couldn’t believe my siblings had come to visit. I couldn’t believe how much attention I was getting. Sure, they were always good for a quick hug or kiss…but I hadn’t had this much real attention from them in years.

  Evan and Harvey glanced down at my newly-grown and pushed up breasts with identical blond frowns, but neither commented as the rest of my group caught up to me, and Vicky unzipped and stepped out of her jumpsuit. I rolled my eyes as I saw both Alec and Donny hide their instant appreciation. Yeah…my older sister was something.

  At 5’10”, she was tall and toned, with that California-babe look about her. Her blonde, bouncy curls were perfect as she pulled out her bun and slipped a pair of aviators over her sapphire-blue eyes. Her tanned skin and long legs were exposed by short, white cut-offs and her large breasts made the letters RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) stretch across her navy tee. Black, regulation boots covered her feet but didn’t make her look any less feminine. She looked me up and down with a grin, “Where’s my hello Lil’ E?”

  Feeling cheeky, I waved at her. “Hi.”

  She raised an eyebrow and I grinned. She tackled me to the ground and pinned me with her knees as she mercilessly tickled my sides. I shrieked with laughter, begging her to stop – and when she failed to relent, I switched teary eyes toward Evan and begged him to stop her. He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned back at me. I moaned with disappointment and was about to scream at Cooper for help…but Ivy nervously approached our group and Dylan started to cry. Vicky froze. Suddenly, the triplets’ attention was diverted to their new niece and I was able to sit up and catch my breath.

  “Evie!” Candy chastised, “You’re all dirty.”

  Like that was my fault!

  She and Briar tugged me to my feet and started brushing all the grass off. Fredi leant a hand by picking the stuff out of my hair.

  “Great party Evie,” a masculine voice interrupted the grooming, “Happy birthday.”

  I blushed and smiled at Vince and Jesse. “Thanks for coming guys.”

  “Who’s that?” Jesse asked, pointing a thumb in Vicky’s direction.

  “My older sister,” I replied dryly, “My much older sister.”

  “How much older?” Jesse asked with a grin, looking her up and down, “I like older girls.”

  “Ten years older,” I said with a laugh.

  He shrugged and they continued on their way.

  Mason suddenly turned his music up at the DJ station and announced the jump show was about to begin. Candy hustled me closer to the jumps and the rest of our growing group followed. The first two riders out were Jamie and Jenny. Fredi informed that Jamie and Jen had pooled their resources and contacts in the area to get riders and equipment organised to put on a show for me. I started bouncing from foot to foot again as rider after rider performed tricks and showed off. I wanted to get out there. I wanted to have a go.

  I laughed joyfully and clapped my hands with the music. I cheered with enthusiasm as three new riders emerged from a shed and hit the track, taking the first jump in perfectly timed unison. I ‘oohed’ in appreciation and gasped when all three performed the same trick at the next jump – again, all three were perfectly in time. My hands paused mid-clap as their movements began to look familiar, their outfits and bikes too. I gasped and let out a silent scream. I turned back to look at Cooper and he nodded with a wink. I jumped at him again and hugged him tight, knowing that he was the reason so many of my siblings had turned up today.

  “Thank you,” I whispered loudly in his ear.

  “Anything for my baby sister,” he shouted back over the revving engines and loud music.

  When the tricks ended and the three identical figures walked toward the gate, Briar, Candy and Fredi were right there with me as I rushed to greet my little brothers. (They wanted a good up-close peak at the triplets).

  I couldn’t tell which brother was which until the helmets came off. Jake was the first to grab me. He lifted me off the floor and both Mike and Luke joined in, wrapping their arms around the both of us in a very squishy group hug. They eventually put me down and I gratefully drew in a big breath to replenish my supply of air.

  “Awww,” Mike crooned, “Our little sister is all grown up now!”

  I scowled and poked him in the sternum, “That’s big sister to you!”

  “Naw, Lil’ E,” Luke said with a grin, ruffling my hair, “You’re much smaller than us.”

  I pouted and turned to Jake. “Are you going to pick on me too?” I demanded, a smile breaking free.

  “Not if you share all the booze,” Jake quipped, pulling me in to snuggle under his arm.

  Candy coughed loudly and unsubtly.

  “Oh yeah,” I said, biting the inside of my cheek to hold back a giggle, “These are my friends.”

  Mike and Jake eyed them up and down with leery expressions. “Too bad they’re taken,” I said with a fake sigh.

  Candy stuck her tongue out at me and Briar laughed as my brothers’ faces fell.

  “So am I,” said Luke with a smile, edging away from Fredi, who was trying to peek around him to check out his butt. Already the girls at the party were staring to edge toward us.

  “Where is your girlfriend?” I asked hopefully, looking around.

  Luke snorted. “As if I’d bring her to meet the family. I don’t want to scare her off.”

  I winced, remembering the one time Paulie had brought a girlfriend to a family gathering. Vicky had scared the hell out of the poor thing. Vicky was just as protective of the boys in our family as she was of me and Charlie. Vicky had also lectured Paul on making bad girlfriend choices. He hadn’t appreciated the advice. Speaking of Paul…

  “Did…did Paulie make the trip with you?” I carefully asked Jake. I didn’t want to get my hopes up or look hurt if Jake said no.

  He didn’t say anything. Instead, he pointed to where Logan and Paul were making their way towards the others in our group. I smiled with relief and jogged over to greet them. Apparently, Paul had been too chickenshit to jump from the plane. I giggled when Logan told me. Poor Paul was never going to live it down.

  Darkness fell and my family and friends sat down to eat dinner while the band started to set up. I picked at my food as I gazed over at Stone, wondering if he was going to come and talk to me at all tonight. Had the band convinced him to play? Was that the only reason he was here? He turned, as if he’d felt my stare. My lips parted, but they refused to kick up in a smile. My hands refused to rise and wave. For the second time tonight, I simply stared at him, a blush creeping up my neck. Jake followed my gaze with a frown and nudged me softly. “What are you looking at,” he drawled in a low voice.

  “The band,” I said innocently, turning back to my food as Donny approached the microphone and everyone quietened.

  “Hello, Hello,” his sexy-as-sin voice purred out, sounding both gleeful and naughty at the same time. “As most of you know, we’re Rabid Manifests and we’re here to wish a very special woman a happy birthday!”

  Cheers rang out around the field and my siblings stood up in their chairs to holler obnoxiously. I blushed and hunched over to hide from the attention.

  Donny laughed and blew me a kiss. “We’ve asked around and put together a set made up of our girl Evie’s favourite songs.”

  More cheers rang out and I slid a glance over at Candy. Her eyes twinkled in a way that told me she’d had a lot of input into the song choices. I smiled. Candy knew me better than most people. I glanced up at Stone again and caught his stare.

  And Stone knew some parts of me even better than her.

  My skin heated as the first song started and I remembered one particularly erotic afternoon with him. We’d been listening to this song. We’d been…making love. It was a slow rock ballad, with an even slower, but strong, thrusting beat. Amazingly, the lyrics sounded even better when sung by Donny and Alec. I looked down at the
table and avoided Jake’s piercing stare. I started eating again and conversation restarted around the table.

  Song after song played – some of them bringing up memories of Stone, others not. I laughed when Donny announced they were going to sing the Korn version of Brick in the Wall and he apologised to all the Pink Floyd fans. That initiated a heated debate with Paulie as he tried to argue with me on the subject. Evan eventually told him to shut up and I hummed happily along to the rest of the song.

  “So,” I said into the silence as the band paused for a break, “Is the car a present from everyone?”

  I grinned cheekily at my siblings and friends. Logan laughed and threw his napkin at me. “When did you get so greedy?”