“Perfect!” Mom said. “Eugene, honey, I love you dearly, but I don’t want you coming in and out of this kitchen all day to get snacks so you can stuff your face and not be hungry for dinner like you do at home.”
“Alice, love, I love you dearly, but I don’t want to spend the last full day of vacation pulled into yet another of your cooking whims,” Dad said.
“Can we go fishing?” Buck asked excitedly.
“How many times do I have to tell you we can go fishing at home?” Walter asked.
“As many times as I have to tellyouthat we don’t have royal lakes at home.”
“We don’t have a royal lake here.”
“What do you call it then?” Buck asked. “It’s too big to be a pond.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Walter huffed.
“I wouldn’t mind fishing,” Dice said.
Ink grinned. “Bet I catch a bigger fish than you.”
“Than who?” Walter and Buck asked at the same time.
“Both of you,” Ink said.
“Meaning we each have to catch a fish bigger than yours?” Walter asked.
Ink nodded. “And if only one of you beats me, we’ll consider the bet null and void.”
“Deal,” the old men said in unison.
“You need to set a time limit,” Daphne said seriously. “Or we’ll never see the four of them again.”
“Four?” Ink asked.
Daphne laughed. “If my man ever leaves me, it’ll be for some shit like this involving you.”
Nora laughed so hard she startled London.
“I’m staying here to keep an eye on things,” Pop said.
“And to make blackberry cobbler?” Ariel asked, clasping her hands and blinking dramatically.
“I suppose that can be arranged,” Pop grinned.
Daphne pointed to Dice and Ink, then to her dad and Buck. “Be back by five o’clock.”
My mom looked at my dad. “You do what their mom says.”
They couldn’t hide it.We knew who had won the bet the moment the guys returned from fishing.
“Where are you going to put it?” Buck asked excitedly.
“I’ll put it on my dick so you’ll have to look atthatto see the tattoo if you keep pestering me,” Ink said.
“Fine,” Buck relented. “I don’t want my idea tainted by your canvas.”
“Taint …there’s a place I haven’t considered,” Ink said.
“We’ll include location, size, and color specifications next time,” Walter said.
