“I’ll drive you, no problem. You should’ve just called. I would have come out to pick you up.”
Nate shook his head and then winced. “I know, but I needed to get out of the house. And I wanted to see you at work. And…talk about a puppy.”
“You really want a puppy?” I asked, walking off to get my stuff as I listened.
“Yes, and I figured your place of business was a good place to start.”
I snorted. “We aren’t a shelter, Nate.”
“That’s true. But you can tell me where to find one.”
“So, you want a puppy? Not an older dog?”
“I want one I can grow with.”
I snorted. “You may be the baby brother, but you’re not a baby.”
“Fuck you,” he whispered, flipping me off.
I flipped him off right back.
Nate continued. “What I meant is that I want a puppy that can work with me and understand that sometimes I have bad days. I don’t know. I always thought about holding a little one and growing up with him or her. And it doesn’t have to be a purebred.”
“But you don’t want a breed that has too much energy and needs extra training you might not be able to handle. Or one that constantly barks at a decibel that will give you worse headaches.”
Nate winced again. “True. Maybe getting a dog isn’t a good idea.”
“No, I think you’d be a great dog parent. We can look into the shelters and see what’s going on. Who knows, you might fall in love with a dog that’s not a puppy.”
“I’m completely open to that. I know that shelters around here are usually filled with pit mixes, right?”
“These days, yes. Which is fucking annoying. We’d have to check with your neighborhood to see if there are any issues with certain breeds. I hate that there could be a problem. Some of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever met have been pits, but people are assholes. Not dogs.”
“You don’t have to explain it to me. I get it. And, thanks. Whenever you’re free.”
“Well, I thought I should get a dog as well. And maybe a cat since it’s time. We can look together.”
Nate grinned. “That’s awesome. Perfect.”
“Glad I could make you happy. Now, let’s get to Prior’s. If we’re late, Paris will beat us up.”
“It’s amazing how strong she is for such a tiny woman,” Nate said, and I laughed.
“Pretty much,” I replied.
We headed over to Prior’s, and I parked behind Paris’s car. “Arden, Liam, Hazel, and Cross aren’t coming tonight, are they?” I asked. The fact that our family was growing as quickly as it was should be alarming, but I didn’t mind. I liked the people my siblings had chosen to anchor their lives to.
“No.” Nate got out of the car as I did.
“They had other things planned. We are the only ones heading over.”
“What about Myra?” I asked, not saying Dakota’s name. I wasn’t sure I could without accidentally revealing the things I wasn’t all that good at hiding.
“Not sure. Don’t know about Dakota, either,” Nate said pointedly.
We glared at each other before turning to the house, nearly stomping our way to the front door. Prior opened it before we even got there, and Joshua ran out.
“Macon!” the little boy called out. I went to my knees and hugged the kid tight. I looked over Joshua’s head and raised a brow at Prior, who only shrugged.
“Hey there, big man. I didn’t know you would be here.” I picked him up for a moment until he wiggled down. I was grateful since my body hurt. I had gained back a lot of my muscle mass after the shooting, but I still wasn’t in tip-top shape. And while boxing was helping that, it wasn’t helping the aches. And since I had pressed Joshua to my bruised side, I knew I was going to pay for it later.
“Mom had to work late, and I still don’t have a babysitter. Paris said she’d take care of me and brought me here. Now, we’re going to eat, and I get to hang out with you guys. I didn’t know you were coming. I’m excited because you’re my favorite person, Macon.”
I nearly took a step back, shocked, warmth filling me.
“I am right here,” Nate complained, roughing up Joshua’s hair.
“I like you, too, Nate. But you’re not Macon.”
“Ouch,” Nate said with a laugh.
“Hey, buddy. That’s not nice.” I held back a chuckle.
“Sorry, I do like you, Nate. I like all of you guys. You’re fun, and you let me play sports, and we can talk about farts because we’re guys. Mom wouldn’t let me talk about farts this morning. I don’t know why.”
I held back a chuckle, feeling Nate’s entire body shake at my side. “We can talk about anything you want, kid.”
“I’d watch what you say,” Nate muttered. My brother had a point. The last thing I needed was Joshua asking about something I couldn’t answer.
Was the kid old enough to ask about the birds and the bees? Did he even like girls at this point? Why did I not remember anything about being six other than trying to wrestle with my brothers while keeping Arden safe because she was the only girl in our family?
“Do you want to help me set the table? Paris said I had to do it, but I still can’t reach the glasses.”
“I’ve got you, buddy. Lead the way.”
“Yay!” Joshua said and tugged my hand.
I followed the kid into the house, nodding at Prior. “Hey there,” I said.
“Hi, glad to see you’re finally coming into the house. I know I’m no Joshua, but still. I was feeling a little left out.”
I didn’t flip him off, but I almost did.
“I’m glad you
