I held my hand out. “See!? That’s what I said. I think Dutch should have another go at it.”
Ranger shrugged. “If he wants to gamble with his life like that, fine by me.”
Naomi nudged me. “What about you, Troop?”
I loved it when she used my nickname. “What about me?”
“Are you a prankster like them? Or, do you just enjoy watching things go haywire?”
Dutch scoffed. “You better tell her now before I do.”
Naomi furrowed her brow. “Tell me what?”
I leaned back into the booth seat. “There was this one time.”
“One time!?” Ranger asked.
I barked with laughter. “Okay, there’smorethan one time, but there’s only one time worth talking about.”
“What happened?” she asked as she took a sip from her third margarita.
“Hey, Grady!” Range exclaimed. “I could use another one over here!”
“I’m trying to tell a story here, if you don’t mind,” I said playfully.
“Yeah, guys,” Naomi said with a smirk on her face, “he’s trying to tell me about the time he saran-wrapped the toilet and made you guys pee all over yourselves.”
Dutch chuckled. “You say that like he hasn’t already done that before.”
Range growled. “I could’ve killed you for that one. Those were my nice jeans, too.”
I threw my head back with laughter. “It’s an oldie, but a goodie.”
“You know what’s a good one?” Naomi asked.
“Oh, please tell me you’ve pulled a prank or two. That would just make you sexier, in my opinion,” I said.
“So long as you don’t do them to us,” Dutch murmured as he reached for his beer.
Naomi smiled brightly, and I couldn’t get over how beautiful it made her. “So, Dad loves orange juice, right?”
“Naturally,” Range said as Grady exchanged his empty drink for another one.
“Well, did you know that Kraft Macaroni and Cheese sauce, you know the powder shit? When it’s mixed with water, it looks just like orange juice.”
My mouth dropped open. “You did not.”
Range grimaced. “Now that’s just nasty.”
Naomi cackled with laughter. “He grounded me for an entire weekend for it. But, it was so worth it. I’d never heard my father cuss in my life, but he did when he took a swig of that nasty shit.”
In any other world, you’d be ours forever.“Not gonna lie, I don’t see your father as the cursing type.”
Range shook his head. “Me, either. Your father’s a stand-up man.”
Naomi’s face sunk a bit. “I miss him. I hope he’s taking his meds.”
I shot a look to Ranger, but it was Dutch who stood to his feet.
