“Bea was tired. It was a long day.”
“Uh-huh, tired. Sure,” Linc teases.
“She had a power nap on the way home,” I mutter under my breath.
Parker groans, but there’s an undeniable smile on her lips.
“Yes, bro,” Linc cheers, holding his fist up for me to bump.
I shake my head, trying and failing to wipe the smile off my face.
“Wait…what’s that?” Parker asks, staring at my lips. “It…it can’t be.”
“Yep, I’m pretty sure that’s a real smile, babe.”
“Never thought I’d see the day,” she muses.
“You’re both assholes,” I mutter, folding my arms over my chest.
“Your mom let me try her potatoes. Oh my god, I think I might come here for dinner every day,” Bea says, happily taking the chair next to me and slipping her hand into mine beneath the table.
“Ugh, if only,” Parker groans.
“Hey, you love my cooking,” Linc points out. “Thank fuck, really, because we’d die if it were up to you”
“Hey.”
“She has a point,” I state. It’s no secret that neither Parker nor I were granted Mom’s culinary skills. Not that we were ever really home much to learn anything. Sports always took over everything.
“I hope he mentioned this before moving you in,” Linc says to Bea.
“He didn’t, actually. But I quickly learned.”
“It’s a hard life putting up with these Donnelly kids, but someone has to do it.”
“Amen to that,” Dad calls across the kitchen as he pulls three beers from the fridge.
“I’m good, thanks,” I say, waving him off when he offers me one. “I’m going sober with my girl.”
Dad’s mouth opens and closes, words failing him while Mom “Ahhs,” from the kitchen.
“I’ll take it,” Parker says, stealing the bottle meant for me. “I need all the alcohol I can get to get over the fact someone has decided to put up with my irritating big brother for more than a night.”
“Hey.”
“Aw, I’m only kidding,” Parker says. “Bea, you might be a brave, brave woman, but I also know that it doesn’t just take any woman to steal my big brother’s heart. You have something thatnone of the others did. Whatever that is makes Rett smile like he hasn’t done in a very long time. And for that, I will forever be grateful for you finding each other. I wish you the world of happiness together, and I can’t wait for my baby cuddles.”
Beside me, Bea sniffles, and when I glance over, I find her wiping her eyes.
“Come here,” I say, pulling her into my side and kissing her temple. “I thought we were celebrating your engagement,” I say to my sister.
“We are. But we can celebrate you two as well. I’m notthatbride.”
Linc glares at her with one brow raised.
“What? I am not,” she insists.
“Parker, I suggested yellow as a wedding color the other day, and you sat me down and gave me a fifteen-minute rant about why yellow is the worst color we could possibly choose. You had a list. A physical list.”
