His words made Puck stiffen and a wave of indignation swept through her body. She was old enough to take care of herself, dang it! She narrowed her eyes and thought, ‘Just keep thinking that buddy.’ There would be time enough to argue about that later though. If she didn’t start talking soon they would know that she didn’t plan on changing her ways.
Puck shrugged and continued her tale, “So anyways, I started walking down the mountain. It got dark pretty quick, so it took me a long time to walk down the dirt road. I had to stick to the bushes on one side just so I knew for sure I wouldn’t fall off the…umm I mean I was tired. It took a long time to walk because I’m just a weak girl.”
She sure hoped they didn’t notice her slip about the cliff. She was trying to reassure them that she’d been safe! “Then I started hearing something following me- but it was just Taly, er I mean Pete. Pete the Pirate. I was almost to town when Casanova here tried to run me over…for the second time in our brief friendship.” She slanted him a look and added, “I think he’s trying to kill me.”
Puck patted Potter’s arm affectionately and smiled at his mock frown. “Oh, and at some point I tripped and sprained my ankle. That’s all. Nothing too dangerous happened and if none of you had found me I would have walked to Trinidad and then called you. So you see, there was no real reason to worry. I was just fine.”
Everyone interrupted then to protest that she had NOT been fine. Potter just sighed and said, “You scare me, Puck.” He kissed her softly on the nose and cradled her close to his chest. Loving Puck was definitely going to be bad on his stress levels.
“I know,” Puck said with a wise ass smirk on her face. She fingered her robe and smiled at him. “You’re so gay.”
Brad laughed and said, “Yeah man, pink is so your color!” Soon the room was filled with laughter and good natured teasing, all the tension quickly leaving. Puck looked around the room at her smiling sister, the laughing men and the strong man that held her in her arms. How had she gotten so lucky to have these people in her life?
Chapter 10
All good things…
Several days had passed since Puck’s misadventure. Her ankle was pronounced a sprain by the doctor Potter had demanded she see. Already it was beginning to heal, which meant that Puck could go back to work. Just thinking about her finances was enough to make her squirm. She’d missed several days of work because of her stupid ankle.
Already her rent was passed due, her electricity was close to being shut off, and pretty soon they’d run out of food. Puck dropped her head in her hands. Why did Potter insist she go see a doctor? Didn’t he understand that doctors cost money? Puck threw Perri’s medical bills on top of the growing pile of bills. Pregnancy was NOT cheap. Her sister had special vitamins to take, special check ups, special little bills, and special little baby things to buy. Puck banged her head softly against the table. They were going to be dead broke.
Puck looked up to see Perri waddling into the room. Okay, she wasn’t actually waddling yet. She was only a few months along, but Puck teased her unmercifully about waddling. She waved to her sister and shoved the bills out of view.
“Good morning, how you feeling?”
“Fine. I think the morning sickness is finally going away,” Perri said with a smile as she placed her hand on her belly. “Has James showed up yet? It worries me that he hasn’t arrived yet. Penny made it sound like he was leaving right that second.”
“Yeah, I know. I wonder if she was able to convince him to stay out of it.”
Both sisters looked at each other and said, “Nah…he’ll show up.” James was the eldest of all the Berri folk. He was crazy just like the rest of them, but had a noble streak as well. He had always been a third parent to the rest of the kids- when he wasn’t beating the stuffing out of them or leading them into some kind of adventure.
Now that they were all grown up, James was usually busy being the head of his own little family. He had three girls, all of which were mischievous little monkeys. However, with the news of his little sister being pregnant and Puck having a guy hanging around, there was no doubt in either sister’s mind that he’d be coming for a visit. And he wouldn’t be happy.
As if their thoughts had conjured him up, James came walking through their front door. His eyes narrowed when he saw Perri standing with one hand resting on her belly, the other on her lower back. She might as well have had a sign hanging from her neck that said: YEP, I’M KNOCKED UP. James looked around, probably looking for the guy responsible, and let his overnight bag thump onto the floor.
“Thanks for knocking, big brother.”
“Sure no problem. How’s your ankle?”
“Better.”
“Good, now come here and hug me before I kill you.”
Puck grinned and limped over to her brother. He had always been her favorite. He was tall, close to six feet with brown hair cut real short, piercing blue eyes, and a cleft chin. Although he wasn’t smiling now, he usually had an easy grin on his lips. He was a noble guy, with an odd ball sort of humor, and was well liked by nearly everyone.
He hugged Puck quickly and then walked over to Perri. He looked her over and then hugged her quickly.
“How are you doing?”
“Good.”
James nodded and then looked around the house again. “No boys?”
Puck grinned and rolled her eyes. “They’re all locked up in our attic right now. Why? Did you want to meet our harem?”
“Shnikey, Puck! Do you have to use the word harem? Now why don’t you two tell me what has been going on?”
Puck grinned at her big brother. Ever since she could remember he had said ‘shnikey’ instead of the “S” word. He pronounced it Nike with a ‘sh’ in front. Hearing him say it was like a time warp back to their childhood. Puck filled him in briefly on all the latest news, omitting facts that would have made him angry.
James listened carefully while Puck talked, knowing that he wasn’t getting the full story. He looked Puck over and couldn’t help but notice a change in her. She was softer somehow, had lost that chip on her shoulder. She was practically glowing- his little sister was in love. He didn’t quite know what he thought of that, so he turned his attention to problem number two.
He looked at Perri and found himself frowning. His baby sister was pregnant. He had never planned what he’d do in this situation. He had back up plans out the wazoo for Puck, but nothing dealing with boys. Frankly, he had never thought Puck would ever let a guy touch her (she seemed to hate guys) and even if she didn’t hate guys- most of the male population feared her. Sure he had plans for if Puck landed up in jail, died, or became a drug addict… He didn’t have any plans for Perri. He still found it hard to believe that Perri was pregnant. She was the good kid. He was going to have to kill the bastard that did this to her. He noticed Perri’s healthy glow and grudgingly admitted that she looked happy as well.
A knock sounded on the door in the middle of Puck trying to explain the logical reasoning behind choosing to walk in the dark through a forest. James jumped up and grabbed the door before either sister could. Standing at the door was a tall man, with hair that was too long, and a too handsome face. James didn’t like the look of him at all. He looked like a womanizer. The man even had a tattoo around his bicep.
“Who are you?” Demanded Potter at seeing a guy open the door.
James scowled and said, “Who the hell are you and what are you doing at my sister’s door?”James crossed his arms and glared at Potter. Was this the man who knocked up his sister? Just the thought of this man touching his baby sister filled him with rage. She was just a kid! James pulled back his fist and punched the man in his too pretty face.
James smiled as he saw the man stumble backward. He watched with satisfaction as the pervert swiped a drop of blood from his lip in surprise. The man had quick reflexes though, because soon he was up and taking a step towards James. Good- the man was a fighter. James’s smile widened as he stepped outside. I
t had been way too long since he’d had a good fight…
A tiny weight pushed past him, elbowing him on the way, and rushed towards the strange man. James sighed when he saw Puck put herself in the middle of the fight. The man had been getting ready to swing at James, but once he saw Puck he immediately put his fists down.
“Puck, move aside,” both men said.
“No! James go inside, now! Potter, you stay right there!” Puck turned on her brother, keeping herself in between the two men. “James, you will not hit this man! He is not the baby’s father! He is my friend.” Puck pushed James inside and slammed the door. Then she whirled on Potter. “You will not hit my brother! Do I make myself clear?!” She stood there with her hands on her hips, glaring up at Potter.
James, who had reopened the door, stood assessing Potter. “So this is Potter?”
Puck nodded.
“Good, he was second on my list,” James said almost happily.
In a smooth movement, Potter picked Puck up and set her aside while James swung at Potter. Puck stood open mouthed for about two seconds, staring at the men fighting in front of her. Why the heck did guys have to fight so dang much? Puck limped right into the fight, forcing her way between both bodies again, taking a hit in the process. She shoved James and jabbed Potter in the ribs while yelling at them to stop.
“Listen, both of you! If you hit him, I will never speak to you again!” Puck shrieked when she was once again set aside.
She growled in frustration at the wrestling men. They were such boys! Puck jumped in again, taking more hits in the process, and wrapped herself around Potter. She was not going to let them fight each other! She yanked Potter’s ear and whispered that if he continued fighting that she’d never kiss him again. He cast her a look that said he didn’t quite believe her, but dropped his fists.
“Get out of the way, Puck.”
“No. Not until you promise not to hit Potter! He hasn’t done anything wrong; you’re just acting like a big stupid ape!”
James smiled. “Fine. I won’t hit him. Move aside.”
Puck cast him a calculating look, obviously not believing him.
“Puck, for Pete’s sake get out of the way,” Potter said.
Puck frowned up at him. “No.”
Potter let out a breath of air, letting out a lot of his tension and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I love it that you want to protect me, but Puck you really aren’t helping any. Will you please just go inside?”
Puck heaved a giant sigh. She knew when to quit. The stupid boys wanted to fight. Fine! Let them kill each other. She didn’t care. She stood on tip toes and tugged Potter’s hair. “Listen, you. Don’t you hit my brother! I mean it. If you hit him, I’ll never kiss you again.” Puck glared at him and whirled on James.
She pointed a finger at him and repeated her order not to hit Potter. Then she sailed into her house and locked the doors. She was through with stupid boys. They could just stay outside. She heard a thud and ran to the window to glance outside. Potter was lying on the ground, having just been punched by James. Puck glared and let the curtain fall. She hated boys.
****
“Come on Puck, let me in,” whined her big brother. Puck had spent her time very wisely. She had locked all the doors and all the windows while the boys had their fight. Now she sat in the living room reading her romance novel. It had been about an hour since the fight. The last she’d seen, Potter was sitting on the porch step, nursing his black eye. James had tried all the doors and windows, confident he could break in, but he had obviously forgotten her skills. Her house was a fortress; he would not be breaking in.
Perri had escaped the second James had targeted Potter. She was probably upstairs listening to music right now, the coward. Puck glared upstairs briefly. It was so unfair that James was picking on her. What about Perri? SHE was pregnant! Shouldn’t he be out chasing the scum bag that knocked her up? Puck stuck her tongue out at the door. She knew James wouldn’t see it, but it made her feel better. So would letting him freeze outside. The moron had left his overnight bag inside so he was now completely in her mercy. Puck grinned. She liked the sound of that.
“Puck, come on. I didn’t hurt him much!”
“He didn’t hurt me at all!” Potter’s outraged voice countered. Poor baby, his male ego was wounded.
Puck calmly turned the page. She heard James grumbling and had to hide a smile. Her big brother could be such a baby. He’d grown soft in his old age that was for sure. When he was younger he would have tried harder to get in.
“Is she always like this?” James grumbled.
Potter glanced up, “She’s your sister, man.”
James sighed. “I know.”
Puck frowned. She did not like them talking about her. She set her book down and tip toed to the door to hear them better.
“She sure can be a brat.”
“Tell me about it. When we were kids she once told my girlfriend that I had crabs. I was like 13!”
Deep male laughter filled the air. Puck mimicked them sarcastically and strained to hear more.
“That sounds like Puck. I’ve only really known her about four months, but already she has turned my life into utter chaos.”
James’ voice lost any friendliness. “About that. Tell me why you let her almost die. Explain to me how my little sister wound up alone in the woods at night. Do you have any idea what could have happened to her?”
Puck gulped. James sounded mad. Maybe she should go outside and rescue Potter?
“Believe me; I know what could have happened to her. While you were sleeping in bed, blissfully unaware, I was out searching for her body. I can’t keep your sister safe. All I can do is watch over her and be the one she calls for help.”
There was a long silence and then she heard her brother slap Potter on the back. His good mood had returned and now they were talking sports. Guys were so weird. An hour ago they had been fighting, now they were friends. Go figure.
She returned to the couch and picked up her romance. She had read in it maybe five minutes when someone knocked on the door.
“Go away.”
“Puck, can I please come in?” Puck almost let her brother in. Almost. He sounded so apologetic, but…
“Puck, open the door. I have a bloody black eye because of you! Now open this door before I call your other brother to let him know what you’ve been up to.”
She did NOT need another brother here! Puck opened the door nonchalantly and motioned for them to come in. She ran her fingers lightly over his black eye and winced. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
Potter grinned and snagged her hand. He turned her hand over so her palm was up and kissed her wrist. “Your kisses are worth it.” He heard her brother gagging and smiled. James wasn’t such a bad guy after all. When he had first seen him, his jealousy had instantly risen. Once he’d figured out that he was Puck’s brother he was already fighting the dude. After the fight was over, however, they had settled down to talk. It turned out they had a lot in common. They both loved this crazy girl for one.
Puck rolled her eyes at Potter and snagged her hand back. She patted him on the cheek and limped over to the couch. She watched as the men commandeered her living room and began watching the ESPN channel. Stupid guys. She liked to play sports, not watch them. Still, it was nice to have her big brother in town again, she had missed the stupid man.
She picked up her novel and resumed reading it. She saw Potter eyeing the book cover, which had a beautiful girl and a hot man in a steamy embrace, and blushed. Not many people knew of her addiction to romance novels. She buried her nose in the book and turned her back so Potter couldn’t see the book. She was nearing the end of the story, all the characters had fallen in love and the happy ending was looming. She was so engrossed in the story that she failed to notice Potter leaning over her shoulder.
“What you reading?” Potter laughed when Puck jumped in surprise and blushed guiltily. He had been surprised to see her reading a
romance novel. He would have pegged her for more of a murder and suspense type of girl. He liked the idea of her having a hidden romantic side. He thought back to some of their make out sessions and grinned. Maybe not so hidden, after all.
He watched in amusement as Puck quickly set her book down out of view and answered, “Nothing.” She was embarrassed. Potter reached for the book, batting her hands away when she tried to stop him. He tugged the book out of her grasp and flipped through the pages.
Puck tried to wrestle the book from him, but the man was a brute. She quickly looked to her brother to make sure he was engrossed in sports. Once ESPN was on her brother zoned out the entire world. Satisfied that he wasn’t paying attention to them, Puck crossed her arms and waited for Potter to finish leafing through the book.
“Interesting book you have. Do you get horny when you read this, Puck?”
Puck gasped and made another attempt to grab her book. Her brother was just a few feet away! She’d die of embarrassment if he heard any of this! She jabbed Potter with her elbow and hissed at him to shut up. She glared at the big stupid brute when he just laughed. His rich chuckle irritated her to the core of her being. He was so stupid!
“You do, don’t you? Get horny when you read this. Do you ever think of me when you read the sex scenes? Do you ever wonder what it would be like between you and me? Wonder what if would feel like if I touched you like-
“Shut the freak up!” Puck growled. Puck hoped that Potter couldn’t see how his whispered words had affected her. Her brother was in the freakin room, she shouldn’t be feeling things like this right now! She struggled to get her breathing under control. Drat the stupid man. She could feel his warm breath on her neck; his body was way too close.
She turned her head so she was facing him, ready to tell him off. Unfortunately she got side tracked when she saw the desire in his eyes, the slight quirk to his lips, and his smug expression. He knew just what effect he had on her. She stared up at him for a long moment, letting the world slip away as she stared into his eyes. She imagined flowers popping up, little hearts floating in the wind, and cute little frogs singing ballads.
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