I catch it before it connects and shake my head at her. “Now that was rude.”
“Thinking of my woman naked will have me throwing more than fucking stapler at your head,” Blake snarls as he walks out behind her.
“I wasn’t thinking about your woman naked. Talking of the women in your life, where’s Juni?”
“Olivia has her. She’s feeling broody, so she figured watching Juni would either change her mind real quick or solidify her decision. Then she just has to get Wade on board.”
Wade might not be one of the Price Security guys, but as a cop, he’s worked closely with us on a few occasions. Plus, most of us grew up here, Wade included. We’ve always known each other, even if we hung out in different social circles.
“Somehow, I don’t think Wade will have any problems impregnating Olivia again. He’d have given her a dozen kids already if she’d given him the green light to do so.”
A sigh escapes Marcus, and I know he’s thinking about the woman he was seeing. He wants what Callie and Blake have, which means starting all over again with someone else. And that shit gets old fast.
“What are you doing in, anyway? I thought I gave you the day off?” Blake frowns at me.
“Oh, yeah, you’re meant to be spending the day with your sister. Did she cancel on you?” Callie asks.
“She sent me a message last night asking if we could do dinner and a movie later instead, as something came up.” I shrug. I know fuck-all about teenage girls. Though Katy is more mature than most, I’m not particularly interested in hearing about the boys she has a crush on or the hearts she’s already broken. She might be my sister, but I’ve seen the way guys look at her.
I fist my hands at the thought of anyone touching my sister. I shake it off after a few minutes, knowing I’m being unreasonably protective. I can’t help it, though. It’s hard not to be protective of my last remaining sibling. But even when Alec was alive, Katy was still the only girl, so we drove her up the wall by being overbearing. I guess I’m even worse now because I feel like I have to do it for me and Alec, now that he’s gone.
“Ah, to be young and have a social life,” Arlo comments.
“Knowing Katy, she’s doing something that will look good on her college applications. The girl is a force to be reckoned with.”
“Does she know where she wants to go yet?” Blake asks, tugging Callie into his arms.
“She’s been deliberately vague. I think she has a top three, though.”
“Let me guess, your parents want her to go somewhere specific, and that’s why she’s being vague?”
I glance at Marcus, who huffs out a laugh. “It’s not hard to figure out. They have a habit of trying to control yours and Katy’s choices. It’s just harder with you because you’re grown. I get why little sis would want to keep it quiet, even if it’s just to spare the arguments.”
“They mean well, but they can be so damn stubborn.” I groan, knowing he’s probably right.
“I get it. I do. But if they’re not careful, they’ll lose more than one kid,” Blake chimes in, making me swallow.
“And on that note, I’d better head to the grocery store and pick something up for dinner.”
“Get something sweet for dessert,” Callie says with a smile.
“I know, it’s her favorite part of a meal.” I huff out a laugh, thinking about how often I’ve caught her eating dessert first. My parents would have a meltdown, but I’ve always found the whole thing adorable. I head to my truck before climbing in and making my way to the grocery store, thinking over what to cook.Something that will make good leftovers, so I don’t have to cook again tomorrow.
Once I’m parked, I jump out and walk up to the doors, pushing them open and almost smacking into Felix.
“I thought you’d be done by now,” I greet him when I see he’s empty-handed.
“I got waylaid,” he admits with a cough, nodding behind me.
I turn and see Mavis and Maude, Tempest’s oldest set of twins. At seventy-seven, both act more like they’re seventeen. Both are dressed in workout clothes that look like they were bought in the eighties, complete with headbands and leg warmers.
“Ladies. You’re power walking today, I see. Don’t you ever take a day off?”
“You see my ass?” Maude turns to shake her ass at me. I fight down a laugh and hear Felix snort behind me.
“You don’t get asses like this from sitting on the couch watchingJeopardy.”
“That is very true. I can only imagine you have admirers beating down your door at night.”
