Sam exchanges a look with me. “I’d turn you in for a dollar.”
“Shut it, Blondie.” Wrapping my arm around her neck in a fake chokehold we walk into the kitchen like this.
Mom sees us and motions to the mess. “Grab the biscuits and gravy, Samantha. Max, would you carry this chicken dish to the dining room for me?”
“Sure, where’s Lexi?” I ask.
“She had to take a phone call from the yoga studio.”
“How’s it going for her over there? She like working for Paige?” I lift the platter and snag a plate of sautéed broccoli on my way, too.
Mom’s volume raises so I can hear her. “Well, it’s just working the counter but I’ve been encouraging her to maybe get certified as an instructor. I think she’d be good at it. But she says yoga’s boring.”
Dad mutters, “I hope she doesn’t tell the customers at Om This how she feels,” as he walks by with a bottle of white wine.
Sam sets the bread down and adjusts everything so it looks nice, telling us, “Stop worrying about her! They love Lexi over there.”
From the dining room window I can see our backyard. I freeze, watching my redheaded sneak smiling in a way you don’t smile when talking to your boss. Unless it’s me and Natalie, and that just proves my suspicion.
“Should we light the candles tonight? Just for fun? Max? Where are you going? Mom needs more help. Max!” Sam chases after me as I whip open the back door.
CHAPTER 11
M AX
“G ive me that phone!”
Lexi takes off running, and flings it over the back fence. It goes flying. We all stare at it and listen to the thump on the other side. Flipping around Lexi crosses her arms and has the balls to give me this innocent look. “What?”
I’m speechless, dumbfounded, pissed the fuck off, but astounded even more than that. “You just threw your phone over the fence so I wouldn’t see it!”
“No I didn’t!”
“You did!”
“That’s so weird, Max. I would never do that.” Her green eyes flick to Samantha’s wide brown ones. “Did you see me throw my phone, Sam?”
I turn my head to watch my sweeter sister lie to my fucking face, “Why would she do such a thing, Max? That’s weird.”
I leap onto the fence, climbing it as both of them claw at my legs. “Get down!” “Stop it!” I kick them off but hear one cry out in pain. Real pain. Looking back from the top, her phone spotted just two seconds away—so close!—I see tears in Lexi’s eyes and her mouth covered. “You kicked my tooth out!”
Dropping to the ground I reach for her. “Let me see. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to. I wasn’t looking. Let me see.”
She pulls back her hand, teeth all there, but her lip is cut. She really did get kicked. With liquid eyes she asks, “Is it bad?” like only I can help her. “My tooth is pounding. Are you sure it’s not loose?”
My heart melts and I tug on her tooth as fresh tears rise. “No, it’s just a little cut. I’m sorry, Lex.” Cupping her face with both hands I ask for her forgiveness again, “I’m so sorry!”
She sniffles, “It’s okay,” and goes in for a hug, burrowing into me. Kissing the top of her head I look over at Samantha who’s frowning with concern, too.
I feel like such an asshole. That I took it this far. All of us acting like children. I’m almost twenty-seven. Lexi is only twenty-two. Samantha’s twenty. She’s not even able to legally drink yet.
Releasing Lexi from the hug I realize it’s a metaphor for letting her out of her cage too. “Look, it’s your business. You have a right to your privacy. My bad, okay?”
From her profile she looks at me, unsure if I mean it. “Yeah?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
Samantha echoes, “Thanks, Max.”
At Caden’s voice overheard from inside, I brighten up but point a finger at them. “You keep quiet about my kicking your face and I won’t tell Mom and Dad you ditched your phone after you said it was from work calling.”
“Fine,” she grumbles. “But it was!”
“Bullshit, but I’ll drop it.” We walk in the house and I call out, “Caden! What the fuck took you so long?”
He laughs, “I’m lucky they let me out of there,” and gives me a hug, slapping my back before his eyes land on Lexi. “What happened to your lip?”
“Max kicked me.”
The room freezes. Dad’s wine bottle hovers above Mom’s glass while she blinks from her chair. Hunter joined us just in time, and his feet are frozen mid-entry into the dining room.
Caden’s eyebrows are up.
My mouth is wide open.
Sam looks sheepish.
This all happens in the span of three seconds.
The spell breaks as Lexi laughs, “He didn’t mean to! A lizard ran up the fence and he tried to chase after it. His legs flailed and bam.” She knocks her head back. “Heel right in my face!”
Everyone relaxes except me who gives her the death stare as she prances to the table, loving making my blood curdle.
Hunter practically flies into his seat, mumbling, “I’m starving, let’s eat,” his shaggy strawberry blonde hair hanging over his eyes.
Mom picks up a biscuit and tosses it at his head. “Just because you turned eighteen doesn’t mean you don’t give your mother a hug when you see her!”
He laughs and jumps up, embraces both her and her chair before dashing back for the chicken platter. “Am I good now?”
“No,” she wryly smiles. “Jason, I blame you for our rude children.”
Pouring his own wine he chuckles, “I’m the nice one in this marriage.”
“Whatever makes you sleep at night.”
“You happy makes me sleep at night.”
Her grin sneaks
