Page 34 of One Unexpected Kiss
“Our dad, Paul,” Madison explained. “He’s having surgery tomorrow, so Mom is planning a big meal to send him off with a bang.”
“I hope it’s nothing serious.”
Lyra laughed. “Oh, no. Nothing life-threatening. Just hip surgery. Although his recovery period might be life-threatening if he doesn’t watch his attitude. He’s already giving Mama Annette trouble.”
Madison waved her hand dismissively. “He’s just nervous and won’t admit it.” She turned to me. “Dinner is at six thirty. So maybe come at six. Do you remember where the house is?”
“I don’t know,” I hedged. “I’m here with my sister, and—”
“Bring her too,” Lyra said. “We had nine kids in the house, growing up. Our family is the definition of ‘the more, the merrier.’”
I busied myself, straightening the placemats that didn’t need to be straightened. “I don’t know. I appreciate the invitation, and I’d love to catch up more, but I don’t want to intrude.” Although they seemed to understand exactly who Bennett was, he was still their brother, and I didn’t want to suggest he wouldn’t welcome me. Or maybe I just didn’t want to say the words out loud because that would make the sentiment real.
It turned out I didn’t need to.
“Screw Bennett,” Madison said. “He needs to get out of his comfort zone. We’ll see you at six.”
Forcing Bennett out of his comfort zone by including me in a family event wasn’t an appealing invitation, but neither of them seemed to realize that. “I’ll think about it.”
Lyra pulled me into a hug. “And I think I’ll see you at six. Your presence will help distract Paul from his surgery. If nothing else, he’ll have to be on his best behavior.”
I laughed. “Well, since you put it that way…”Still a big fat nope.
I walked them to the door and waved as they got into their car. It was almost noon, which meant I needed to wake my sister to get her keys so I could drive myself to buy a new phone. Then I’d spend the afternoon coming up with how to word a polite text declining Lyra’s invitation. I was an expert at writing complex and lengthy legal briefs. Surely I could manage a few sentences.
CHAPTER 8
Bennett
MY MOM ACCEPTEDthe bottle of wine I’d brought and stowed it in the fridge to cool. Much to Grandpa Charlie’s disappointment, his daughter was not a beer drinker. So while I brought bottles of the Banks Brew Co.'s finest for everyone else, I always brought wine for my mother.Favorite-son status secured.
I whistled for Sadie, and the dog came running. I let her into the backyard to romp with Larry, who I’d put there when I arrived. My three brothers and Paul were in the living room, the TV programmed to ESPN but on mute. So, status quo. Sophia sat on her grandfather’s lap, and they were looking at a book together. Not to brag or anything, but I was pretty sure my niece was a genius. She was already reading two grade levels above her own.
Wes wandered in, still wearing his uniform. His eyes were bleary, and there were dark circles under them. He sank into an armchair, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.
“Damn, dude. Hippies giving you trouble?” I asked.
He ran a hand over his hair, trying to smooth it down and failing. “Jason’s daughter tried to do a flip off the swing at school, and he spent all afternoon in the emergency room. I covered his shift after I’d already done mine.”
“Yikes. Is she okay?”
“Sprained wrist. She was lucky.”
Sophia looked up from her book. “She cried a lot. She should play with us girls instead of the boys. Boys do stupid stuff.”
Smart girl. Genius, I’m telling you.At the young age of six, my niece already had the sexes figured out.
I lowered myself into the chair next to her and Paul. “It’s in our DNA. We can’t help it.”
“I wouldn’t want to,” my brother Alec chimed in. “Stupid stuff is fun.”
It was a good thing Lyra wasn’t there to hear him say that to her daughter. He’d been the kid my mom worried would jump off the roof, and he’d never outgrown his thrill seeking, much to her dismay. It was a miracle he’d escaped childhood with no broken bones and no missing teeth.
“No, it’s not,” Sophia insisted. “Stupid stuff is stupid.”
Theduhwas implied, and I stifled a laugh. Thank goodness my niece had more sense than my brother.
“Exactly,” I said to her. “Boys who do stupid things are stupid. You should stay away from them.” All four of her uncles, plus her honorary Uncle Wes, were dreading the day she started dating. Her prom date would most likely be greeted by all five of us forming a gauntlet, and I wouldn’t apologize for that. Teenage boys were dirtbags—I would know.