“I don’t like dessert pizza.”
“But this has pears on it,” Remy said.
I closed the door behind him. “Was he bothering Meg?”
“Ding ding! You get pizza!” he boomed. “And you get pizza!” He handed out the boxes. Two of my brothers started fighting over a pizza.
“Stop it,” I bellowed then took the pizza from another of my brothers, who had one slice in each hand. I scooted around Hunter, who was slumped at the table and drinking from a bottle of scotch he had procured from somewhere.
“You all need to eat off of plates,” I insisted since Hunter was drunk on the job. I took the boxes and set them out on the buffet. “Get place settings,” I told them, “and wash your hands. Then you can eat. I’ll take Hunter upstairs.”
I took the scotch from him and half carried, half dragged my older brother upstairs.
“You have a problem,” I told Hunter.
“I’m not an alcoholic.”
“No, you have a Meg problem. You need to figure things out with her.”
“She won’t see reason,” he said. “Maybe this is karma. I did something terrible, and the universe is punishing me. The rest of you can be with the loves of your lives but not me.”
“Apologize,” I suggested as I hauled him into his room. “Beg and grovel.”
“Tried. It didn’t work. I’m cursed.”
“You’re not cursed, you’re just dumb.”
“You know the weird thing?” Hunter slurred as I removed his jacket and hung it up. “I thought I saw Dad for a moment. Must have been Mace.”
“Where did you see him?” I demanded, but Hunter had put his head on his arms and passed out.
I wanted to go out and look for my father. Where had Hunter seen him? I shook my head. He was probably long gone. But I wanted to find Sadie. I needed to make sure she was okay.
I wasn’t going to just walk out, though. I sat with my brothers during dinner. They chattered while they ate, telling me about their day, how they were excited for Christmas, and how they wanted Sadie to come back and make fried chicken.
“It’s the best,” Nate said fervently. “Also, you can put it in a biscuit and eat it. It’s better than a sandwich.”
“Is she going to come cook tomorrow?” Henry asked.
“It’s your day,” Remy reminded me as he served the dessert pizza.
“Hunter must have been really out of it to order that,” I said to Remy.Tell him about Dad.
“It’s better than your cooking,” Otis said with a frown.
“I make edible food. I’m a scientist. I compound ingredients at a large scale, and I’ve made billions doing it.”
Remy stroked his beard and said sagely, “Maybe a certain Southern belle will come help you make edible compounds tomorrow. You should bring it up, anyway, when you see her tonight. Ask nicely.”
“I’m not going to see her tonight.”
Remy grinned at me then stood up. “Men who don’t want to end up like Hunter should probably act gentlemanly, especially if a lady is Southern. She has certain expectations of a man.” Remy handed me my jacket. “Make sure your hands are clean.”
46
Sadie
“Your booty call is here,” Erika said when we drove up to the apartment. There was a black car in the parking lot, headlights on.
