“You two are really a mess,” I say as my mother laughs softly.
“Are my boys hungry?” she asks, pushing her cheek out to them so they can give her a kiss on it.
Deacon nods and then does just that. “Always.”
Ryan goes to her other side, kissing her other cheek. “When you cook, we know we’re eating good. It’s only when you let Lark in the kitchen that it gets dicey.”
I stick my tongue out. “Shut up.”
However, they’re not lying. I’m really not good at domestic stuff. My heart is in the horses, though I try.
“Make me, Tornado.”
“Momma,” I say, turning to her. “Ryan is being mean, and Deacon told me I’m stupid.”
My mother gasps. “Boys.”
I grin, knowing she’s about to lay in on them. It doesn’t matter that we’re all in our thirties. She’s in charge, and she doesn’t put up with them being rude.
Deacon lifts his hands. “I didn’t say a word!”
“You were thinking it,” I say, crossing my arms.
“Now I am.”
Momma claps her hands. “Enough, you three. Go wash your hands before you sit down at my table.”
The two of them walk off to the bathroom, and then she nudges her head toward me.
“I already did.”
“Do it again, Lark Elaine.”
Now I’m in trouble. I wait for my brothers to come out before attempting to enter. The last time the three of us were in that room trying to wash our hands at the same time, I had to change my pants because they splashed me so much it looked like I peed them.
I swear, it doesn’t matter how old any of us are. When we’re together, we’re ten.
So basically all the time.
Ryan doesn’t live in the main house anymore. He built a small cabin that is rustic in every sense of the word on the back edge of the property, but his culinary expertise is Pop-Tarts and cereal, so he’s basically here all the time.
There’s another cabin that Carter owns, but since he’s stationed in Florida, it’s vacant. He offered to let Deacon live there while he was gone, but Deacon stays where there’s a steadysource of food and comfort. Which means Deacon will never leave.
When they both exit, dry by some miracle, I go in.
This house is literally a time capsule. It’s clean, well maintained, but dated by every measure of the word. The bathroom is very—green. The toilet, tub, and sink are a minty color that matches absolutely nothing, but my mother says it reminds her of a peridot, and she loves it.
When I get back to the table, everyone is seated. We take each other’s hands, and my father prays. Then, before theninAmenis finished, Ryan and Deacon are grabbing handles to serve themselves.
I swear, these two act like they’ve never been fed before.
Daddy shakes his head but waits until they’re done and grabs for his. “I heard from Carter today.”
Momma smiles. “He called the house phone too.”
We’re one of those families that still have a landline. It’s adorable. The only calls that come through are telemarketers and my brother. Momma’s cell phone is off unless she’s leaving the house.
“He sounds good,” Daddy says.
