Page 68 of Cabin Fever Baby
“Stop!” He covered his ears, then returned. “Wait, which ones?”
“All of them.” I smiled brightly.
Okay, so it wasn’t all of them, but the horror on his face was worth it.
He shut his eyes. “Gross. Just go shower and show your face. Rio had a connecting flight in Boston, so the three idiots are all coming in together this afternoon.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Kent is going to pick them up in a few, so get down there.”
“Okay, okay.” I zipped into the bathroom and took a quick shower. I hadn’t worn anything other than sweats and holiday sleepwear for days. I took care with a pair of dark jeans and a soft gray sweater with a knit pattern of trees at the end of the sleeves.
I found a matching pair of fuzzy green socks. Hopefully, that would be good enough for Rory’s get-together later.
Sighing, I studied the state of my splotchy face. There wasn’t much I could do with it, so I just put on my tinted moisturizer and some mascara, so I didn’t look like roadkill.
Because I was most certainly tagging along with Q for that get-together with his producer.
Downstairs, Kent and Q were arguing about football. If it wasn’t hockey, it was football with those two.
It didn’t help that they both loved teams who were mortal enemies.
“There you are.” Kent spotted me coming down the stairs and stood.
My eyes filled again. Kent and I had a special bond being the eldest of the Hawkins brood. I went right to him, and I looped my arms around his solid middle.
“Wow, what have you been doing?” I squeezed again before stepping back. “I swear, you got bigger.”
He lifted a hand to brush away the tear that had escaped. “I knew I didn’t like him from the video call. I have some of my tools in the truck. Pretty sure I can get Levi to help me bury the body in a place no one will find him.”
I laughed. “You will not. I was the one who was in the wrong.”
Kent glanced back at Q. “Not what he said.”
“Yeah, well… Quentin’s wrong.”
“You try walking in on your sister half naked with a dude.” Q was sitting on a blanket draped over the couch.
I laughed and the lump in my throat receded. “I’ve walked in onyoucountless times.”
“Not the same.”
I shook my head. “Ass.”
Kent draped his arm around my shoulder. “Q told me he was a jackass.”
“No, I’m afraid I’m the jackass.” I turned into his chest for a moment—his familiar scent of sawdust and pine as comforting as the hug.
“Is that fuckhead’s car still out there?”
I nodded toward the kitchen. “I need coffee for this.”
Both of them followed me into the kitchen. I fixed coffee for all of us and passed out cookies.
“Man, these are cool.” Quentin picked up the Spiderman gingerbread man.
“Hudson drew those.”