“Nothing,” he muttered.
“It’s dinnertime, but he doesn’t want to eat.”
“Too fucking bad. If she says it’s time to eat, you answer withYes, Ma’am,and you get your ass down here in two shakes.”
Wes heaved a sigh, but climbed off the floor and thundered his way down the stairs to the impossibly small table that was meant for only two.
“Let’s move it to the living room,” I said to Parker.
Even though the table wouldn’t get any bigger, it would give us more seating.
I left the roomier chairs for the boys. Parker stared at Wes, not moving an inch.
“What?” Wes snapped.
“Watch your tone,” Parker growled, his whole body vibrating as he rested his arms on the table.
Wes rolled his eyes, sighing heavily. I shot Parker a look, hoping we didn’t get too far into this tonight. Catching my look, he gave a muted sigh while I got the plates and silverware down. This was going to be rough, but it didn’t have to turn into an all-out brawl.
Parker started carving into the meat, dropping slices on the plates, while I dished out the sides from the deep pan. After grabbing a beer for Parker and a Coke for Wes, I sat down, ready to dig in. I was starving.
In fact, once the meat hit my tongue, I couldn’t stop myself from devouring everything on my plate. This baby was going to eat me alive if I didn’t replenish his supply every few hours.
Parker chuckled at me when I wiped the plate clean. “Want some more?”
I looked at the empty pan and shook my head. “Nope, I’m good.”
Quirking an eyebrow at me, Parker cut his portion in half and slid it onto my plate. “Eat up. You know you want to.”
“Bruh, you just gave her your food,” Wes said in disgust.
“Michael,” he corrected. “My name is Michael. And I gave her my portionbecause she’s pregnant, and when your woman is pregnant, you do not stand between her and food.”
I grinned between bites as I shoveled the rest of it into my mouth. Wes rolled his eyes, but finished off the last of his plate. As he shoved back from the table, Parker cleared his throat.
“Around here, you ask to be excused.”
“This sucks,” Wes muttered. “I should have just gone to juvie.”
“And you really think that would have been better?” Parker snapped. “Say the word and I’ll drag your ass down there tonight.”
“Whatever,” Wes rumbled.
“Take your plate to the sink. I’ll clean it up tonight.”
“What time is school in the morning?” I asked before he could disappear on me.
“Nine,” he muttered, walking up the stairs and drawing his blanket closed.
“Nine,” I chuckled. “Does he think I’m an idiot?”
Parker smiled, but it was forced. I knew we were about to have a conversation, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. “Outside?”
He nodded and got up from his chair, holding the door open for me. I stepped out into the cool air, wrapping my sweater tighter around my body as I stared at the landscape in the distance. Not that I could see much around the trees, but I did get an excellent shot of the moon.
“So, you brought home a stray,” Parker said from behind me. “Is that what all the pie was about?”
Sheepishly, I turned to him. “I really did mean to discuss it with you.”
