I should have known that him walking in on us mid-argument the night of the car accident would come back to bite us in the ass.
There wasn’t anything that could get past Farrow’s all-seeing gaze and I also knew that inviting my grandfather and Zeke’s father, chess friends or not, and giving us the weekend off was also some kind of play on his part.
And that play seemed to be happening at the center of the party near where the massive grills were set up and Farrow was holding court in a ‘kiss the cook’ apron.
Lennon and the rest of her family were there with him and she was dressed in a white dress that made even her pale skin look sun-kissed as she listened to her grandfather regale the crowd around him with stories from his youth.
A crowd that included the vice president, Frank Delano, and the rest of his pack that were standing far too close to Lennon for my inner alpha’s liking.
“Come,” my grandfather gestured for us to join.
“Do we have to?” I asked, reluctantly following along.
He shot me a look of pure grandfatherly disdain. “Who did I insult in another life to be cursed with such an antisocial grandson? Come, Maverick, let me show you off and please try to smile for me.”
“I make no promises,” I muttered as I was pulled to join the crowd, right up next to Zeke who slanted a commiserating glance at me.
“Nice pants,” he teased quietly. “Did your mom buy them for you?”
“Nice sweater,” I shot back, nodding at the sweater tied around his shoulders. “But the GAP called and wants it back.”
He just gave me a toothy grin as he bumped me with his shoulder.
“You both look ridiculous,” Dallas said as he and Brooks both sauntered up, probably feeling it was safe now that we were together.
Zeke gave him a playful shove. “Thanks, man, we love you too.”
“You know,” Brooks murmured, his eyes on the group at the center of the crowd we were in. “This isn’t half-bad. I can’t remember the last time I’ve gotten to go to a barbecue.”
Dallas gave a sarcastic snort and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it wasrealgenerous of him to give us the day off.”
My grandfather, hearing Dallas’s comment, leaned back to shoot Dallas a quelling look, his bushy eyebrows twitching. “Hush, young man. Don’t think I won’t scold you just because you’re just my grandson’s friend. I am, as you say, an equal opportunity grandfather.”
“Sorry,” Dallas mumbled, at least having the decency to look ashamed as my grandfather turned back to listen.
Brooks leaned over to his twin, grinning as he whispered something into his ear that caused Dallas to elbow him in the ribs.
I would have told them to knock it off and behave, but my eyes were too busy focusing on what was happening to Lennon.
At first she’d been standing in between her mother and grandmother, but at some point her grandfather had drawn her forward to help him flip the giant rack of ribs on the grill.
“The strongest little lady you’ll ever meet,” he boasted loudly as people laughed. “My Lennie is worth ten of your grandsons, and I’d put money on that.”
“I’ll take that bet,” someone hollered from the crowd. “My grandson’s been looking for a spunky gal like her.”
Lennon’s cheeks filled with color as she glared down at the meat and the urge to stomp through the crowd and wrap my arms around her rode up the back of my neck.
“She isn’t interested,” Lennon shot back loudly, her voice wobbling with indignation.
“That’s right,” Frank Delano called from where he was reclining on a nearby picnic table with his pack. “Lennon Holloway has more pedigree in her pinky finger than any of those tomcat grandsons of yours.”
The other men in the crowd laughed good naturedly at the jab, Farrow Holloway even joining in, but Lennon wasn’t laughing.
I watched as she narrowed her gray eyes at the older alpha like she wanted to fling the massive tongs she had in her handat his head. But instead, an idea seemed to pop into her head and she slipped her hand down until she knocked the bowl full of barbecue sauce that had been meant to baste the ribs… right onto her dress.
“Oh shoot!” she said loud enough for everyone to hear, pasting a bright smile on her face. “I’m justsoclumsy. Guess I better go change.”
With that she whirled on her heel and stomped out of the backyard, followed by her grandmother.
