“Not puttin’ that shit in writing, Turtle.”
I giggled. “Kidding.”
“Okay, I gotta go,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You better keep me naked and well-fucked all weekend.”
“Jesus, Teagan, keep your voice down. Do youwantyour dad to kill me?”
I grinned, squeezing him tight. “I just don’t want you to forget your duties.”
He chuckled. “I’m well aware of my duties, Turtle, and I’ll keep you well satiated, don’t you worry.”
“Okay, I’ll let you go. Text me when you get home.”
“I will.”
With one last kiss, he walked out the door which I locked before heading down the hall and into the kitchen. I passed Grayson who was in the family room, playing some hockey video game, headphones on, his face pinched tight in concentration.
Dad sat at the island with a glass of whiskey in front of him and the bottle not far from reach. “Hi.”
He met my eyes. “Hey.”
“Where’s Mom?”
“Upstairs.”
I leaned a hip against the granite. “Are you super mad?”
“No, baby, not mad,” he said with a sigh. “Just realizing my baby’s growin’ up. Don’t like it.”
“Daddy, I’m still your little girl. Just like Harper and Huxley. And even Grayson when he’s being a little bitch. Just because we’re ‘of age’ doesn’t mean we still don’t need you andwon’t continue to.” I smiled. “Especially, Gray, you know, ’cause he’s kind of a little bitch.”
“I’m right here,” my brother droned, stalking into the kitchen, and pulling open the fridge.
“Why do you think I said it?”
“Did you work out your shit and accept Cash into the family yet?” Gray asked, grabbing a root beer, and popping the top.
One of the things I loved the most about my brother is that he could take whatever shit I gave him, but he always had my back in the end.
“That’s a question for you, Dad,” I said.
“Give us a minute, bud,” Dad said to Gray, and he walked out of the room. Dad reached out his hand and I moved closer so he could pull me in for a hug. “You love this boy?”
“Thisman?Yes. With all of my heart.”
“You had to go and pick the gruff one, huh?” he said with a sigh.
I hugged his neck. “Some might even say I picked one just like my dad.”
He let out a grunt.
“You know Cash, Daddy, so you know he’s a quality human, right?”
“Yeah, baby, I do know that.”
I cocked my head. “And you raised me, and you always say you didn’t raise no dummy, right?”
