Auggie smiled at Cadell, a practiced expression of welcome from probably years at the diner on her face.“Please, Cadell, come in.There is plenty, if you haven’t eaten.Girls, this is Aunt Claudia’s other brother, Cadell.Cadell, this is January, Jules, Avril on this side.That’s Tobi next to Claudia, and Markie right here next to your brother.The baby is Maeya, but we call her Mae-Mae.”
“I think I just stepped back in time here.You girls look just like your big sisters.Just as beautiful as they were—are—too.”Cadell smiled.Their mother had ensured they all had impeccable manners, at least.“I’m just here to rescue Cal.I didn’t realize Claudia beat me to it.But if I was my brother…I’d want to stay right there next to you, Auggie.It’s the hair.Absolutely gorgeous.”
“Cut it out, Cadell,” Cal told him when Auggie’s cheeks reddened.Hell.What was his brother doing?
“I stopped here last night on my way home from Cheyenne because of the storm.I stayed to give Cal a ride.”Claudia took it upon herself to make Cadell a plate.Junie grabbed him the extra chair out of the corner.And they just made room.Like his brother was perfectly welcome there.
The preschooler, Markie, leaned toward Cal.“Is he goods, Mister Cow-way?Like a cousin?He no yells?”
Mister Cow-way.Well…close enough, he supposed.
“He’s very good, I promise,” Cal told her, his damned soul hurting that one so young would be so afraid of a man.Would have learned so young to doubt her own safety.“Cadell doesn’t yell at all.Or he’ll get in trouble from Aunt Claudia.And me, because I’m the oldest, like Mommy Aug.And I won’t let him yell or be mean to anybody.I promise.”
“Okay.He can stays then.”
“We sure Cow-way won’t takes Mommy Aug or Em or Junie away from us?”Tobi asked Claudia.
He was starting to remember which girl was which.They all looked alike, but they didn’t all act alike.Far from it.
“I promise.I’d know where to find him, anyway, even if he did take Junie or Em or Mommy away.Since Clancy lives with him, already.He’d just take them to Clancy’s house,” Claudia told the little girl who was scooting closer.“He’s my brother, too.”
“A brother is a boy sister, with a penis, I remember.”
Cadell started coughing at that.
Cal just looked at Auggie and her overly calm face, and grinned.
The queen of the madness—that was what she was.
“I can say I’ve learned one thing from this adventure of mine,” he told her, handing her the bowl of applesauce someone had sat out for the baby.
“Oh, just what is that?”
“That Tyler sisters are definitely never boring.”
Auggie shot him a smile, one that was powerful and seductive, as she leaned forward a little.“That, Cow-way Grady, we are definitely not.”
“Mommy Aug?”the little lisper said.“What’s breeding stock and why does Em want to keep Aunt Claudia’s brother to be it?”
Well, he was definitely going to enjoy hearing how she explained this one.
7
Calloway Grady had been senton his way, and life had gone on just fine.
Until today.It was Monday and that meant back to the routine.Or else.
Food.She had to feed them all and then get to Gil’s within the next two hours.Somehow.She’d forgotten to grab the girls’ lunches that morning.Tobi had been having a meltdown, and every bit of her attention had gone to that, and finding the report she needed for Gil and juggling two calls about a commercial property Gil owned that he didn’t know he owned, and Em had been called in to the diner at the worst possible time.It had just been one of those mornings.So…now, she had to figure out lunch for herself, Jules and Markie, and even the baby.
But that was doable.
This parenting thing just took finding routines and sticking to them.No matter what.She told herself that repeatedly.But for now…diner.Food.
She was going to make this work, and if she was lucky, Em would be on break, and she could give her sister cash to stop by the store on her way home and grab more baby shampoo and laundry soap.
She slipped Maeya into the carrier on her chest and grabbed Markie by the hand.Jules was pretty good about staying close when crossing the roads now—she hadn’t always been, and Auggie was still extra watchful.Then they were pushing open the doors and stepping inside.
She turned toward Jules—and slammed straight into a tall man’s chest.
