Page 84 of Shattered Dreams

“Wonderful!” Mom walked over and dropped a kiss on his head. “I’m so glad you and he found each other again.”

“Just friends.” Jeremy looked panicked.

“It’s all good.” Libby smiled easily. “You gonna deal?”

We sat around playing cards while waiting on things as they came out and went into the oven.

“When are Jo and the kids gonna be over?” Mom asked pulling a pie from the oven.

I sat back and checked my phone. “I thought she’d be here by now.”

Petey and Sadie started barking, and Mom went to see who they were barking at.

“Why don’t they bark at us?” Sammy looked at Cooper.

“Because they know us.” He shrugged. “If it’s someone they aren’t familiar with, then they announce them.”

Sammy had confusion all over her face. “That’s … kinda brilliant.”

“Yup. No stupid dogs here.” Cooper puffed up his chest.

“Except you.” Libby threw a wadded up napkin at him.

He jumped up from his chair and Libby took off running through the laundry room out to the garage.

Sammy shook her head. “He’s a dork.”

“Happy Thanksgiving.” Andrew came into the kitchen with mom, and we heard Libby scream.

“Ugh. Is he chasing her again?” Mom shook her head and put the next set of pies in.

My brother and Libby came back, and we all settled in for another round of cards when we heard knocking. The dogs weren’t barking, but the knocking grew into a pounding.

I jumped up, knocking my chair back and ran to the door, almost ripping it from the hinges to see a bloody, teary Tyler standing there.

“Tyler?” I dropped to my knee and inspected his head. “What? Why are you bleeding?”

“Richard! Bring that boy inside!” Mom yelled.

Scooping up the boy, I brought him in and sat him on the kitchen table as chairs moved away, giving us space.

“Cooper, get the first aid kit!” Mom called out and handed me a warm washcloth.

“Ty, what happened?”

His bottom lip trembled, and his little body shook with erratic breaths. “Har-son pushed me out.”

Checking his face, I saw his lip was busted open, and he had a long cut on his cheek.

“Out of?” I gently cleaning the blood up.

“Window.” He pointed out our kitchen windows towards his grandpa’s house. “He said, get Richdad.”

I looked over at my brothers. “Something’s not right.”

“Daddy comed over.” Tears rolled down his cheeks.

“He just showed up?” Jeremy hands me a fresh washcloth and takes the dirty one.

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