“Where’s Sparky?” I asked.
“Dev’s talking to Booker. Niall accidentally downloaded a virus on the laptop, so Booker’s going to fix it.”
Her old man, Devon, was my cousin, which sounded very in-bred without the full story. Poppy had fallen in love with him when she and my mother first met my dad, and the rest was history, so to speak.
“So the porn has begun,” I mused, and Poppy punched me in the shoulder. “Ow, shit, Pop.”
“We have all manner of protections, so he doesn’t accidentally find that shit.”
“Then how did he get a virus on your computer?”
“Some new video game,” she whispered. “Which is why he’s currently got his head buried in his science book. He’s grounded for a week because he didn’t have permission to download it.”
“Poor kid.”
“Poor kid, my ass. He’s already pushing my limits.” She shook her head.
“Speaking of video games, guess who I’m takin’ up tomorrow?”
“Who?”
“LRG.”
LRG as he was called in the tabloids, I didn’t know his real name, invented the wildly lucrative Fighting Fowls and Sweets Smash apps that made him billions, but had since branched out into platform gaming and pretty much buying up most of western Idaho.
She gasped. “Shut up! You’ll have to tell me what he’s like. In real life. Dev’ll freak.”
I grinned. “I’ll think about it.”
“Why are you here?” she asked. “Escaping Mum’s disease?”
I chuckled. “Dad’s keeping her holed up in their room, so for the most part, she’s good.”
“Have you seen Tate yet?”
“You know she’s home?” I asked.
“She’s been home for, like, two weeks.”
“Fuck me,” I breathed out.
She crossed her arms and gave me a cheeky smirk. “Ah, so this is why you’re really here.”
“I came here for a beer,” I said. “Not to be psychoanalyzed by my sister.”
She grinned. “Okay, okay. I’ll lay off. For now. We’ve set the date for Niall’s birthday party, did you see the email? It’s next month. Can you make it?”
Niall was turning thirteen and all he’d talked about for months was a bowling party.
“Bowling with my favorite nephew?” I retorted. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Poppy chuckled. “He’s your only nephew, so...”
“Fash!” my youngest niece squealed, reaching her arms out to me. Sparky was currently carrying her into the room, but he set her down so she could run to me.
“Hey, Tenley,” I said, picking her up and squeezing her gently.
“I had cake!” she squeaked.
