Page 28 of Dad Next Door
He slapped my hand away. “How am I supposed to work after all that meat?”
River and Gray snickered.
“That’s what he said.” Noah knocked his foot against Nick’s.
“You’re the responsible one.” Nick shifted his fake glare to Hayden, who was curled up next to River on the outdoor loveseat. “You were supposed to stop me before I put myself in a food coma.”
“My mistake.” Hayden snuggled into River’s side. “I’ll do better next time.”
I looked around at my friends, pride tickling my chest. It wasn’t the first time I’d had everyone over, but it never failed to amaze me that I was finally in a place where I could have my friends over for a barbeque and hang out before they went to work.
We’d finished eating about half an hour ago and were now sitting around my outdoor fireplace, enjoying the evening and watching the flames.
“When do we have to leave?” River asked.
“About an hour,” Zane said.
“He’s right.” Gray looked up from where he’d checked the time on his phone. “How do you keep time in your head like that?”
Zane shrugged. “No clue. But it comes in handy.”
“So, are you gonna play that for us? Or just keep edging us with the case?” Jett pointed to where Zane’s guitar rested against the side of the couch.
“Play this?” Zane asked with a seductive grin, reaching down and gently stroking his hand over the case.
“That’s like, really hot and really scary at the same time.” Nick snickered. “You really are a murder kitten.”
Zane shot him an unimpressed look.
“Aww, my little murder kitten.” Noah hooked his arm over Zane’s shoulders and smacked a kiss against his forehead.
“I hate all of you,” Zane deadpanned, but his eyes were bright with humor, giving away that he was having as much fun as the rest of us.
“No, you don’t.” River winked at his twin. “But for reals, bro. Play something.”
Zane rolled his eyes but opened his case and pulled his guitar out. “What do you want to hear?”
“Do you know ‘House of Memories?’” River asked me. “Like to sing? I’m obsessed with that song right now.”
“Sing?” Caleb, Gray’s boyfriend, asked. “You sing?”
“I sing,” I confirmed.
“‘House of Memories,’ yay, or nay?” Zane asked, softly strumming the strings to tune them.
“I don’t know all the lyrics, but I know the song.”
Nick stuck his phone under my nose, the lyrics already cued up on the screen.
“Looks like you’re out of excuses.” River grinned his usual happy smile.
“Looks like,” I said to Zane.
He nodded and strummed the first few notes of the song. The group fell silent as everyone settled in their seats.
I counted myself in, then began to sing, making sure to keep my voice low. A few of the guys joined in when they remembered a verse or the chorus, and we were all grinning when Zane played the last notes of the song.
“Play ‘Creep’ next.” Noah glanced at me. “You know that one?”