“Be a good boy.” Willa taps my chin with the rubber-pain-inflictor. “Stop making Penny weepy. Stop worrying Royce so. Stop screwing in parking lots. Lastly, stop swearing. It’s unseemly.”
I turn to my sister with a nasty remark on the tip of my tongue. But no one can be angry with Willa when she’s made such strides to return to the human race. It was only last week when she finally pulled her sandy blonde curls away from her face, no longer using it as a shield.
I grin down at my older yet tinier sister. “You get the irony of yelling at us for swearing, right?”
Willa’s eyebrows knit in the center of her forehead as she thinks. It’s not often she speaks without thinking about it for a bit first, and usually it’s so her words come out properly. “I’m making sure we don’t turn into them. We need to have a better vocabulary.”
I do what I do countless times a day when Penny surprises me, or humors me, or makes me laugh or feel proud. I lean down and press a soft kiss to Willa’s forehead before my mind catches up with me, before I realize it’s my sister and not Penny I’m kissing.
I freeze after flinching, waiting to hear the shriek of fright, worried I ruined the mood, and feeling guilty for expressing affection Willa wasn’t ready to experience. But after we all take a collective breath, Willa smiles up at me brilliantly, like I just made her day for not treating her like fragile glass.
“I’ma go finish making supper,” Willa stammers, blushing a pretty shade of pink.
“Do you need any help?” flows from my lips immediately.
“Penny’s helping.” Willa’s words are not a suggestion. “But thanks for asking. You’re such a good boy.”
Penny glares at me as she trails after my sister, like I’m cheating on her or some shit.
Willa’s a natural-born cook, whereas Penny’s creations are still… rough. Penny’s great with kids and horrid at keeping a house. Willa tries so hard to do it all, but it’s a struggle. Only cooking comes naturally to her. The two women do and don’t get along for the most part.
“I’m not helping,” Hayley grumbles while tugging at her skirt. “I’m never going to cook anything.”
“Then you’ll starve.” Hayden’s a good boy, too. He drags his twin into the kitchen to help.
“I guess I’ll set the table, then,” I mutter to no one in particular, catching sight of Royce’s face. He’s simultaneously pale and flushed, like he’s shocked speechless. I grin at him, and he goes even whiter.
“I… I’ll go take the turkey off the rotisserie spit,” Royce stammers, backing out of the room. “Ya know, on the grill.”
“What’s up with him?” I direct to Kade and Warren.
“Willa, I suspect,” Kade answers.
Feeling enlightened, I hum, “Ah!”
Bren comes out of the kitchen carrying an armful of plates. He plunks them down, knowing I’ll put them where they’re supposed to go. After only eating when we could find food, Willa has embraced eating every meal in the dining room. Royce and Bren love it because it was just the two of them most of the time, eating takeout in the kitchen or den.
I drag the stack of plates across the table, and begin setting them on the placemats. A warm palm settles on my hip as Kade leans forward to help. “You’re such a good boy,” is breathed into my ear. “But I really enjoyed the bad boy in the backseat of my Durango.”
I melt into Kade, not caring that I must look like a fool. I’m just happy we’re near each other, even if we mucked up Kade’s life. We can face more things together than separate.
“I thought teenager Wynn was terrifying,” I taunt Kade in a flirty tone. “Hmm?”
“Among other things,” he replies, voice rough and husky. Placing a few plates, he uses that as an excuse to align the front of his body with the back of mine. I give up all pretenses of setting the table, and steal a quick kiss to the side of his neck.
“Jesus Christ!” Warren snarls as he charges from the dining room into the kitchen. “Don’t go in there. It’s gross!”
“I’ve walked in on you–” I stumble over the word fucking, not wanting to be bruised by the spatula again. “With Penny, and I can’t bleach my brain. So just deal!”
“It was probably when they were making that evil spawn.” Bren returns with the silverware, wearing a shit-eating grin. “Everyone knows gingers have no souls.”
Kaden busts out laughing. “If the kid pops out with dark hair, all hell will break loose.”
“Motherfucker!” is shouted from the kitchen, warping into a sharp shriek of pain. “C’mon, sis! I get punished for defending my wife’s honor?”
“She ain’t yer wife yet,” Willa replies, slipping into the diction she’s been trying to overcome.
“Ah, so this is what a real family dinner feels like?” Kade says to Bren as he sits in my usual seat. “It wasn’t like this before.”
“Pure freakin’ chaos.” Bren sits next to him, and I’m left standing, wondering where I’m going to sit. “Remember how quiet it was eating in front of the TV.”
“Yeah, that was nice.” Kade sighs heavily.
They both ignore me as they go on and on about how it used to be. I move to sit on the other side of the table, but a hand hooks around my waist.
“Sitting in my seat at the table… using my old bedroom… sleeping in my bed… it makes a guy think he’s being replaced.” Kade pulls me onto his lap, but we’re too big to sit like that. Try as I might, I don’t fit on his lap. I end up in the chair with Kade standing next to me.
“You moved away.” Bren grins at us. “Dad had to find a better replacement.”
“Instead, Royce went ahead and found me a friend.” Kade’s laughter is infectious as he pulls a chair over, situating it next to mine at the end of the table, cattycorner to Royce’s seat at the head of the table.
“No shit? I’m in your room?” I flush at the thought, and my jeans get a bit tight in the crotch. “I’m in your bed?”
“Hmm… Definitely used to be my bed,” purrs throatily. “Navy flannel comforter and fuzzy blue sheets?”
I breathe, “Yeah,” feeling hot and giddy all of the sudden.
Kade leans into me, making sure the eavesdropper can’t overhear. “You were my personal Goldilocks.” He pinches one of the curls on my head. “Someone was sleeping in my bed. When I’d come home from State College on weekends, you weren’t allowed to work, remember?”
“Yeah.” Bren leans forward so he can talk to both of us, shameless in his eavesdropping. “Dad put the kibosh on coming home except for major holidays after he caught you eye-fucking Wynn.” He laughs heartily. “Those sheets were washed before and after every visit by the both of you.”
“Pity,” Kade whispers, still fingering my hair. It would be creepy if it wasn’t so hot. He blinks out of it, dropping his hand to his lap. “Royce thought I was a pervert in the making. He could have put you in any other room and accommodated us both, but he was rightfully terrified of us being in the same place at the same time.”
“Still am,” Royce says as he enters the room carrying a platter laden with smoked turkey. “There’s a No Touch Policy in this house from now on,” he orders gruffly. “No macking on each other.”
“NTP, seriously?” Bren rolls his eyes. “Warren’s tongue was shoved in Penny’s mouth earlier today at the park, and you didn’t even blink. Mixed signals, much?”
“They’re not my kids,” Royce says bluntly as he sits at the head of the table. “They’re getting married and having a baby. I don’t give a shit what they do.”
“I’ve never noticed how intolerant you sound,” Bren grumbles, voice thick with emotion.
“First of all, I see Kade and Wynn as my sons, so it freaks my ass out to think of them touching each other in a way that would make them puke if they touched you.”
Bren makes a gagging sound while Kade and I cringe.
“Yeah, chew that over, why dontcha?” Royce looks over his shoulder toward the kitchen, making sure we’re
not being overheard by the little ones. “You’ve never had the balls to kiss someone in front of me, and you better not until there is a ring on your finger. Same for the twins. It has nothing to do with orientation, and everything to do with being disrespectful.”
I ignore everyone except for Kade, because guilt is suffocating me. “I’m sorry I took your room. That wasn’t right or fair. You must have hated me every time you wanted to come home and couldn’t.”
“It wasn’t you I was pissed at.” Kade’s eyes cut toward Royce, who is still debating Bren. “Besides, Penn State wasn’t exactly boring.”
“Yeah… but… I never want you to feel like you weren’t wanted, especially because of me. I would have stayed in Gillette Holler so you could have come home more on weekends.”
Kade’s lips twist into a sad smile. “You really are too good to have been born into the Gillette family tree.” His fingers twine with mine beneath the table. “I understood. Don’t for a second think Royce didn’t spell it out, or that he didn’t drive up to see me during the week.”
“Wynn was the sweetest kid ever.” Willa carries a big bowl of mashed potatoes into the dining room, and I nearly salivate. “He was such a peach. Always following everyone around, asking if he could help them.”
I blush fiercely as that warm sensation of home slams into my heart. I’m practically glowing by the time everyone files into the room, carrying various dishes to the table.
“Remember when you and Wynn made me a new doll out of the recycling in the yard?” Willa asks Warren as she starts scooping food onto plates. We hand our plates around the table, everyone plopping a couple spoonfuls of each dish.
“Yeah, after Daddy burnt your Barbies in the fire because you were an ungrateful ingrate who didn’t appreciate ‘em.”
I snort when most people would cry at how sick that sounded. “Daddy has never figured out that he’s repeating himself. Ingrate means unappreciative.”
“Daddy’s a fucking idiot,” Warren deadpans. Quicker than the eye can see, he’s catching the spatula in his palm before it can whack his wrist. “I’m exempt. I don’t live here.”
Smiling naughtily, like Warren will suffer later, Willa breaks my heart. “I still have the doll. It was the only thing that mattered to me. I took it when I married Donny, and I had Royce rescue it twice: when I was in the hospital and when I was in rehab. It’s sitting on my dresser as we speak.”
Everyone chats together while I hide the tears stinging my eyes. Royce is just as silent, as we eat around the food Penny prepared, and try to enjoy the yummy food Willa made. I notice we all have pushed the oddly textured scalloped corn to the side, except for Warren. He’s inhaling it to make Penny feel good.
“I think Willa ought to take up tennis,” Kade teases the spatula-wielder. “I’m impressed.”
Pointing at Kade, “Oh, my God!” Willa turns animated for the first time since I was ten. “Remember when you couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with the rifle? You got so pissed, you took a tennis racket to the beer can targets sitting on the fence.”
“I was a late bloomer,” Kade grumbles beneath his breath. His tan skin pinks and a high blush stains his cheeks.
“No, you were a skinny beanpole who tripped over his own feet,” Warren taunts his buddy. “You were covered in zits and bruises, and your hair looked like you’d been electrocuted.” We all turn to stare at Kade, seeing the big, strong, gorgeous man he is today. “Who would have ever thought you’d look like this? You’re still not as perfect as Golden Boy.”
“I don’t remember you looking like that?” I stare transfixed at Kaden, wishing we were alone in the backseat of his car on Friday night, knowing I would make that mistake over and over again. “Who’s Golden Boy?”
“You are!” Everyone at the table shouts, with Warren adding, “Instead of being jealous, I decided to take ownership over how awesome you are. That’s my brother!”
“What?” I grumble, confused.
“Dude.” Bren bumps his shoulder into me. “You being blind to the fact is part of your charm. If you try anything, you excel at it. It sucks, so I had to do what Warren did, or else I’d hate your guts. But I’d feel guilty for not thinking you’re the shit.”
My face turns beet red. “You’re exaggerating.” I take a forkful of mashed potatoes, not tasting it as I chew.
“You were the only twelve-year-old I’ve ever met who was tall and corded with muscle. You intimidated the hell out of me.” Kade whispers in my ear. “Among other things that made me feel like a pervert.”
“Pfft… please! I wanted to hang out with you and Warren when I was little, and you guys ignored me. I followed after you all the time, and you were not a late bloomer.”
Jumping up from his chair, “I’ve got proof!” Royce rushes from the dining room, returning a second later with a small picture frame in his hand. It’s thrust at me. “Here, check this out.”
“No, don’t,” Kade protests, trying to pry the frame from my grip. “Don’t look! It will ruin it– all of those hours at the gym and stuffing my face to gain weight. All you’ll see is what I used to look like, not as I am now.”
I turn toward Bren, using my back to shield me from Kade. I hide the frame on my lap so no one can take it from me. On a camping trip, Royce is standing proudly with a hand on both of his boys’ shoulders. Bren was a chubby kid with huge apple cheeks and an even bigger grin.
“How old were you?” I ask of the emaciated looking boy. All of his glorious hair is shaved to the scalp, with no way to hide the bad acne marking his face. Kade looks so sad yet happy, it hurts my heart.
“Sixteen. I looked like a lollipop with that huge head and skinny body.” Kade laughs at himself, wrenching the frame out of my hands to pass back to Royce. “I’m seriously going to go home and lift weights.” He tucks into his food like he’s ravenous. “Can’t ever get skinny again.”
“Never thought I’d hear those words.” Penny snorts. “Us girls always gotta make sure we’re svelte.”
Raising an eyebrow, “Svelte?” Warren looks at Penny like she’s been replaced by an alien lifeform.
Flashing a wicked smirk, “Cosmo. Those church ladies are naughty. I have an unlimited supply of every magazine on the market. It’s an education, I’ll tell ya.”
“Are they really throwing you a bachelorette party?” Willa turns to Penny. “I got an invite last week, and I thought it was a joke.”
“They really are,” wonder is heavily lacing Penny’s voice. “I thought they’d judge me, but they never have. When all those women get together, they get a lot done, and nothing goes without attention. I’m amazed.”
“My cousin had a bridal shower and a baby shower at the same time, with the men invited,” Kade offers in. “It was the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen. They were passing around onesies and lacy underwear, and I’m pretty sure it turned me gay. No offense.”
“None taken.” Penny stares at Kade for a heartbeat, giving him the stink-eye. But not because of the offhand comment. She’s always been a bit jealous of me giving attention to anyone else– Bren is still on her shit list. But Kade is a big issue for taking both Warren’s and my time from Penny. “I said no to the showers, and I hope they listen. I didn’t want to look like a money grubber out to take whatever I could get from complete strangers. So if anyone wants to get the baby anything, that’s fine as long as they are actually my friends or family.”
“Bit creepy to be resting our boy’s head on sheets somebody we don’t associate with bought.” Warren shudders. “Creepy.”
“Terry had five showers for her first kid. Church, work, friends, family, another set of friends,” Penny rattles off. “Then she did that again for the next kid, and the next. I argued with this woman for a good hour, how I thought that was gross.”
“Has to be a townie thing,” Willa muses. “How gluttonous… and who needs so much attention brought to them. Obviously I didn’t have any showers, or even a wedding. I was forced to sign
the license, and then dragged off.” My sister looks around at our horrified expressions. “I want better for you, Penny. So if those ladies want to host parties for you, let them.”
“Maybe someday you’ll get remarried and have some more kids,” Penny hesitantly suggests.
“Even if I do, I don’t want a fuss made.” Willa points her fork at all of us. “You hear me? No surprise anythings.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Royce tries to suppress his laugh by smiling into his glass as he takes a drink. “I’m not into surprises myself.”
“So how the hell did you afford that rock on your finger?” Willa leans forward to examine her soon-to-be sister-in-law’s shiny new bauble, and Penny blushes the same shade as her hair.
“Hey!” Bren shouts. “That ain’t fake. What the fu– nk?”
“I came into a windfall, you could say.” Warren smirks at Kade. “I thought my woman deserved the very best.”
“Compensation for marrying you, eh?” Bren taunts, never giving up the opportunity to press Warren’s buttons. “If I were a betting man, I’d guess that ring cost close to a grand, with tax.”
Warren leans forward, pointing his fork at Bren with a huge grin twisting his lips. “And you’d be a winning man.”
“I could be losing my job,” Kade announces, making me feel guiltier. “I can’t afford to be a betting man.”
Warren and Bren crack up, leaving the rest of us to watch them with confusion. Except for Kade; he’s murdering his buddy with his stare.
“Once, a long, long time ago, old man…” Warren’s voice flows smooth, like a seasoned storyteller. “I was living in the holler, in a shack falling down around my ears. I hardly had a pot to piss in, yet I was the proud purchaser of a fourteen hundred dollar AKC Registered Pug named The Pervert Virgin.” He points his fork at Kade. “I’d say we’re almost even, brother humper.”
“Perty’s named The Pervert Virgin?” Penny’s the first to bust out laughing, with all of us but Kade turning into hysterics.
“It was worth it,” Kade whispers, and then he’s joining us in laughing at himself. “I’d pay it again if I could be left alone for an entire evening.”
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