“You don’t have to comment,” Tyler interjects. “I’m looking high and low for another place for you.”
“Hey! I take offense to that.” I scowl. “Sassy’s new daddy and I have a good thing going. Don’t be a homewrecker.”
Gemma bursts out laughing, knowing damn well my brother’s about to pop a blood vessel. And I swear I hear Archer choke on his food.
“Yeah, I’m sure he enjoyed seeing your date on the couch in his birthday suit,” Tyler throws back.
“He wasn’t my date…and it was a special occasion. I drank more than usual, so sue me.” I shrug.
“I’m fine staying there,” Archer chimes in. “I’ve gotten used to Sassy barging into my room at six in the morning, and I’ve finally figured out the coffee maker, so it can only go up from here.”
“See?” I wave a hand. “We’re doing great.”
“Oh right, shoulda warned you about that damn prissy dog. Never let me sleep in when I lived there.” Tyler shakes his head.
“Stop worryin’, big brother.” I lean over and dramatically grab Archer’s hand so everyone can see. “We’re gonna be one big happy family!”
I glance at Archer, who’s more amused than anything. Luckily he doesn’t scare easily and tends to go with the flow.
While I know he needs time to adjust, I have a feeling my head and body are going to struggle to keep my distance.
Chapter Five
ARCHER
Sitting with Tyler’s friends and family is surreal.
I’ve never experienced a real Thanksgiving dinner, not even as a child, and being here makes me feel included for the first time in my life. A family.
I could get used to this.
However, the guilt of not being with my sister eats at me. I wish I lived closer to Annie and Sadie, but I didn’t want to be a burden. I would’ve had to sleep on her couch and didn’t have a job lined up there. I’m grateful to Tyler and Everleigh for giving me the tools to start over.
“Where’d you live before?” Owen speaks up over the chaos. “Before you lived with Aunt Everleigh?”
She’s not really his aunt, but I think it’s cute considering how close they all are.
Everyone stops talking and looks at him, then at me.
“Um…I lived in Nevada.”
“Did you not like it there? Is that why you moved here?” he asks.
“No, I didn’t like it,” I offer.
“Do you have any siblings?”
“I do. A younger sister named Annie. And a niece. Sadie’s five.”
“Are they in Nevada?”
“No, she moved to Wyoming before Sadie was born.”
“Oh. Did you get to see her a lot?”
“Owen, sweetie…” Katie grabs his attention, but I don’t mind the questions. “Do you want more turkey?”
“No thanks.” He re-directs his focus back on me, and I stifle a laugh. Owen’s a curious one.
“She’d come and visit me once a month,” I tell him. “So, I got to see Sadie, and then we’d talk on the phone once a week.”
“Will they come visit you here?” he asks, shoving a forkful of potatoes in his mouth.
“I hope so, eventually.”
“How much younger is Annie?” Gemma asks.
“Three years. Just turned thirty,” I respond.
One of the twin babies starts crying and Katie excuses herself. Noah follows as they go to where they’d been sleeping.
“So if she’s thirty, that makes you thirty-three,” Everleigh says. “You’re the same age as me.”
“So, are you a Scorpio or Sagittarius?” I ask.
“Scorpio, but I’m right on the border, so I identify with both signs.” She grins. “What’s your sign?”
“Aquarius.”
“Oh my God. You’re one of my matches!”
“Excuse me?” I ask.
“Sagittarius and Pisces are compatible signs. Like soul mates,” she explains.
Tyler coughs, clearly uncomfortable, which causes me to chuckle. Belinda changes the subject and asks me how I like Lawton Ridge.
“So far, so good. Haven’t been out much, but I’m excited to be involved at the gym. Working out has been something I’ve always enjoyed. I’m looking forward to training and teaching others how to box too.”
“Could you teach me?” Owen asks.
I look around, unsure how to respond, but decide to nod. “If your parents say it’s okay, sure.”
“Cool.” He grins wide.
“How come you never asked me?” Tyler acts insulted. “I own the gym, ya know.”
Owen shrugs as if he doesn’t want to hurt Tyler’s feelings.
“It’s the tattoos, isn’t it?” Everleigh teases Owen. “They make him look badass, amiright?”
“Ev…” Katie shoots her a glare as she returns with a baby in her arms. “Language.”
“Mom, it’s okay. The babies don’t understand bad words,” Owen innocently explains, and everyone bursts out laughing.
We finish eating, and most of us are groaning about how full we are. But I can’t deny my desire to try Everleigh’s cake.
“Belinda, that was absolutely delicious,” Gemma says, and we agree in unison.
“Sure was,” Jerry says, kissing her cheek.
“Thank you for letting me join you,” I say. “Even though I’m basically a stranger.”
“Oh, don’t be silly. You’re one of our kids now,” Jerry states.
I can’t hold back my gratitude. He has no idea what that means to me. My own father didn’t even want me around.
“Thank you. I appreciate being included.”
Everleigh stands and grabs her plate, and I do the same. Together we clear the table while the others chat. Tyler meets me in the kitchen, carrying more dishes.
“How ya holdin’ up?” he asks.
“Just fine. Better than my previous accommodations.” I chuckle.
“You mean I only have to provide better housing than a prison cell?” Everleigh taunts. “Hope I exceeded all your expectations.”
“You were in prison?” Owen gasps from the doorway.
Shit.
I’m not sure how much he knows about Tyler and Noah being in prison too, so I stay quiet.
“Owen, sweetie. Let’s go check on your brothers. I think I hear Finn crying,” Everleigh says, guiding him back toward the dining room.
“Guess I should anticipate that reaction,” I mumble when it’s only Tyler and me.
“It gets easier.” He shrugs. “People will talk. You can’t stop that, but you also didn’t do what you went there for. Just gotta shake it off.”
Easier said than done, but I don’t tell him that.
“I’m glad you’re fitting in with everyone. I was hesitant to have you live with my sister, but I see y’all are getting along just fine.”
“Yeah, we are. I can’t imagine rooming with anyone else,” I say with a grin, not giving any more details. Everleigh’s a spitfire with high energy and a bubbly personality, which is opposite from me, but she’s entertaining nonetheless. I already see myself liking her more than I should. Right now, I’m forcing myself to only think of her as a roommate and friend.