“Fine.” Grace’s shoulders slumped. “I have my motorcycle test this week. The professor is coming to town for a conference. I’m going to give him a tour of Compass BioTek and have lunch with him. He’s also moving Creed into his new place. Creed is unamused by that. Are brothers allowed? I know sisters are, but what about Creed?”
“Assholesaren’t allowed. It just happens that the sisters who live locally are not assholes, and the brothers who are not assholes aren’t local,” I clarified. “As long as your siblings are not assholes, they’re welcome.”
Instantly I regretted saying that as I remembered HalethrowingGrace like a ball on the beach. However,train wreckandassholewere two different things. We’d have to childproof the house when he came to visit.
“Okay, thanks,” she replied.
“My internship starts next week. I need more shit.” Riley gave her brother an imploring look.
“How about tomorrow after boxing camp?” Evan asked.
“Sure.” Riley piled more green beans on her plate.
“I’d like to bring up the chicken army,” Grace said. “According to zoning, we can have six hens. I would like to put a coop in the backyard and get some. We can’t have goats, but I think we can have ducks. Bunnies, too.”
Jett thought for a moment. “I’m all for bunnies, but we should probably wait on a duck until we have a pond and a garden. Next time I go home, I’ll find all my stuff from the landscaping classes I took back when I was a scout.”
Um, what?
Grace nodded. “I like that.”
“Chicken coops are not very attractive,” I blurted.
“Some are. I mean, one that looks like a spaceship would be fun,” Riley interjected, getting more green beans.
“Who would take care of them when we’re gone?” I added. Her look hurt my heart, and I regretted saying anything.
Evan looked at me, then Grace. “Brennan has never had pets, and the idea scares him. Jett has wanted a pet for ages.”
“Pets are a lot of responsibility.” The idea of caring for one more living thing was a lot.
Grace nodded. “True. I can take care of chickens, but we would have to find someone to care for them when we’re away.”
“I want a dog,” Wes said. “We had one when I was little, but my mom took him in the divorce.”
Oh.
“I didn’t know that. Um, maybe after the summer? Since we’ll be away for a bit.” Both for our vacation and for Evan's heat.
“Fair. I will have a chicken army,” Grace agreed.
“Sadly, we are not zoned for mini tigers,” Riley added sadly.
I was happy for that, because Jett was right, a tiger the size of a dog was still a tiger.
Everyone talked about what they were doing. But my mind went back to the bear Grace had made me–and how sad she looked that I was going away.
…you’d be there, wouldn’t you?
Yeah. I would do whatever Grace wanted, anytime.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Grace
Nerves coursed through me as I went down to the Compass BioTek lobby. Why was I so nervous? I literally wasn’t this nervous yesterday when I took my motorcycle test, which I passed.
Creed, Pippa, and Nate walked through the door. Pippa was here. Yay. Not. She might seem on the surface to be the voice of reason, but she was very critical of Verity, which I didn’t like one bit.
