Page 66 of Truck Up
I decide to keep the menu simple and stick to something I do really well—fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, anda mixed green salad. It’s my family’s favorite meal, so I’m hoping the Mutters like it just as much.
Now I just have to decide how much chicken to buy. There’s twice as many Mutters as there are Kochs. Especially when I add in the girlfriends. Grams assured me everyone would be there since it’s Sunday, so be prepared to cook a lot.
Assuming the Mutter men eat like my brothers, I double up on the chicken. Better safe than sorry. If they don’t eat it all, I’m sure someone will eat the leftovers for lunch.
Now to decide on how much produce to buy. I head in that direction when a hand reaches out and grabs my cart. It surprises me and I jerk to a stop. When I look up, I groan.
“Tanner.” My shoulders sag and I feel my good mood slipping away. “What are you doing here?”
The guilty look on his face says it all. He’s following me. He pulls his eyes off me and looks inside my cart. His guilt fades into a disgusted scowl. “What’s all this?”
I cross my arms over my chest, ready to stand my ground. “Chicken.”
His eyes snap to mine. “I see that, smartass. What’s it for?”
“What do you think it’s for?” I roll my eyes and continue pushing my cart. Maybe if I keep walking, he’ll get the hint.
“You cannot cook for them!” He demands.
I spin around and give him my best death glare. It must work because he rears back in surprise. “You don’t get to tell me what to do, Tanner. I’m a grown woman and am more than capable of making my own decisions.”
“Clearly not!” He yells, and it draws the attention of several other shoppers.
“Lower your voice.” I hiss.
He steps closer to me and leans down. I think it’s because he’s actually going to lower his voice, but he doesn’t. “You need to come home where you belong? Dad is sick with worry.”
I snort. “Yeah, he’s so worried he won’t even talk to me.” I shove my brother back to pass him, but he doesn’t budge. “Move!”
“Not until you see reason. This is killing our family.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. No one is dying.” I force my way past him. I don’t need or want to listen to this kind of talk. My family is going to have to come around at some point. They can’t shut me out forever.
“We had to take dad to the doctor yesterday,” he calls after me. “We thought he was having a heart attack.”
I spin around. “What?”
His expression shifts to something much more reasonable and human. He actually looks worried. “Yeah, it scared all of us.”
“Is he okay?” I press my hand to my chest. My heart rate increases, and my lungs feel tight.
“Hey, you found her,” Jason says as he walks up to us. “I guess I went in the wrong direction.”
“Yeah, I found her,” Tanner grumbles. Then he pushes my cart in disgust. “Caught her buying groceries to feed the enemy.”
Ignoring Tanner, I grab Jason’s arm and pull him closer. “Is Dad okay?”
He furrows his brow. “He’s fine. Why?”
“Tanner said you all thought he was having a heart attack yesterday.” I struggle to keep my voice calm. If my dad is sick, I need to know. He’s not perfect, but he’s still my dad and I love him.
Jason drops his head and rubs his forehead before he turns an annoyed glare at Tanner. “You’re a real asshole, you know that.” Then he turns to me. His expression is much softer. “Dad is fine. Aaron came over and checked him out. He had a panic attack. That’s all.”
My worry immediately shifts to anger. I reach out and bang my fist against Tanner’s chest. “Oh, my God. You asshole. I can’t believe you did that. That’s a new low, even for you.”
“What? I didn’t lie.” He doesn’t show the least bit of remorse. “We thought it was a heart attack, and he saw a doctor. That’s what I told you.”
“You’re unbelievable.” I grab my cart and practically run toward the produce. Unfortunately, they follow me.