My muttered curses echoed as I dragged myself out of bed like a corpse clawing out of the grave. My toes cracked as they hit the floor. Delightful foreshadowing for the day I was probably going to have.
Begrudgingly, I suited up in the compression-tight leggings and optimistically-pink cropped athletic top.
“Wakey wakey, my ass,” I huffed.
The smell of freshly ground coffee beans and sizzling bacon hit my senses the moment I shuffled into the kitchen. David and Wyatt sat side by side at the island looking obscenely peppy for this ungodly hour.
A mug lifted to David’s lips as he took a sip, frothy milk clinging to his upper lip. Wyatt chuckled.
“What?” David said.
Wyatt’s smile splayed wide. “Babe, you’ve got a little—” A finger motioned to the corner of his mouth.
“Did I get it?” David palmed his chin.
“Not even close,” Wyatt said, setting his cup down. He grabbed the bottom of David’s stool and pulled him closer, devilishness twinkling in his eyes. “I’d say leave it as a drink for me later, but I’m suddenly parched.” His mouth found David’s. A hand rose up, grabbing the back of David’s neck, bringing him deeper into the kiss.
Blech.If it wasn’t random strangers making me nauseous,drooling over their Loveland allure, it was the two of them making me cringe.
I coughed, putting on the most dramatic performance of having tuberculosis, then shot them both a death glare.
“And here I didn’t think my nausea could get any worse,” I grumbled.
Their heads snapped up, lovey-dovey smirks slowly fading. Identical frowns formed as they witnessed me creep further into the room like a salted slug migrating.
“Don’t mind me, just your innocent daughterwatching you both play tonsil hockey,” I groaned sarcastically, biting back my smirk.
They didn’t bother looking embarrassed. I’d stumbled upon worse make-out sessions back in the day.
Truth was, I only found itslightlygross. David was my father at heart, so seeing him happy in love, warmed my soul.
I shook my head, feigning disapproval. “How am I supposed to live in these conditions?”
“Good morning to you too, my sweetheart,” David huffed.
Wyatt shot me a wink. “You’ve survived death, ghosts, and Rainbow Roulette.” he said, way too chipper. “You’ll survive me.”
David slid a steaming mug across the island. It was rosy pink with unidentifiable blobs of mush floating around, like algae in an abandoned fish tank.
I squinted down at it suspiciously. “Whatisthat?”
“Your hangover cure,” he replied with a grin. “Now, bottoms up.”
I held the poison up to my lips, hesitating.
Wyatt chuckled. “Ah, the Loveland Special. Best to hold your breath and chug.”
With a resigned inhale, I swallowed the tea in heavy gulps.It reeked of something earthy, bitter, and tasted exactly how I’d feared. Rotten fruit, putrid moss, and a disturbingly grainy texture. Gross hot swamp water.
I pressed a fist to my mouth, gag reflex threatening.
David and Wyatt cackled, absolutely reveling in my suffering.
“I’m throwing you both into a nursing home the moment chewing becomes a chore,” I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut against the rising nausea.
But that only seemed to make them laugh harder. Wyatt slapped the countertop and stood, still smiling like a gremlin.
“All right—grab some bacon and let’s get moving.”
