“See? Marlie wants me to.” Steve nodded.
Her mother sighed. “Stop it, Steve. Marlie can handle herself. I hear she really let Ben have it the other night. Nice job, honey. We don’t tolerate cheating.” Mona Reynolds glared at her boys. “Isn’t that right?”
“Yes, Mom,” Marlie’s brothers said as one.
Her mother harrumphed and glanced at Marlie’s father. “Well, Irv? What’s next on the list? Pie?” She brightened. “When do you make the pie?”
Almost angelic-looking with wavy, honey-blond hair, joyful amber eyes, and a disarming smile, Sheriff Mona Reynolds often fooled her opponents into thinking her a soft touch. Then she’d figuratively blast them with both barrels—or so Marlie’s dad liked to say.
Irving Reynolds, on the other hand, approached life from a calm, rational standpoint, from which he’d weigh all the facts before acting on them. Marlie’s father didn’t hide what he felt and always believed in being fair.
With parents like hers, Marlie should have grown up on the straight and narrow. But like her brothers, she’d instinctively rebelled at so much sense and structure from an early age. And that hell-raising had stuck with her through to adulthood.
Now she tempered it with good judgement and sage action. Usually. Going out on a date with Damon Sinclair tomorrow made no sense to the old Marlie. But the new and improved Marlie intended to have some fun with the bruiser. Besides, he made her laugh, and she needed that after dealing with Ben’s sorry ass.
“So, you’re not pining for Ben then?” her father asked.
Her brothers stared at her, knowing enough about Damon to be super curious. It had to be killing them not to ask her anything.
“Nope. I’m happily single.” She smiled at her brothers, showing a lot of teeth. “But I’m not opposed to being swept off my feet by some giant stranger with huge arms and a serial-killer appeal.”
Will, Steve, and Ed scowled at her.
Her parents laughed.
“Yeah, that’s exactly what attracted me to your father. His murderous vibes.”
Irv grinned. “I’m killer with a textbook and mathematical formulas.”
“Eh. Bad dad jokes so early in the day.” Ed cringed. “I need a beer.”
“Don’t overdo before the turkey,” Mona warned.
“I’ll join you,” Will said.
Steve remained in the kitchen, watching her. When their parents focused on checking on the bird in the oven, he leaned over and whispered, “He coaches us guys. But no messing around with our baby sister.”
“Moron,” she whispered back. “I’m older than you by two minutes.”
“Please. Mom only says that to make you feel good about yourself. You’re the baby.”
“No, you’re the baby.” Marlie punched him in the arm.
He tugged her hair, and she grabbed a fork, wondering if she could stab him before her parents caught her.
Will grabbed her before she made good on her imagined threat while Ed pulled Steve back.
They made silent threats at each other before their parents turned back around to find all four of their children smiling at each other like angels, pleased to be with family.
Mona and Irv sighed. “Okay, who started it?”
She and Steve pointed at each other. “He did.” “She did.”
Will snorted. “And I’m the immature one.”
Ed frowned. “Well, you are. You never answer your texts. You were supposed to call me about that party last night.”
“Party? What party?” Steve’s eyes narrowed.
