Page 13 of Embody

“Seems you and JT here share a liking for redheads,Uncle Zach,” he laughs. “Young Mr. Kendrick’s eyes have roamed over the little ginger over there with Brynn at least a dozen times. I met her, nice girl. Bellamy is it?”

This family…either we spend way too much time together, or some members just have some psychic, voodoo type tendencies in their blood. Or both.

“So he has good taste,” Zach grins and fist bumps me. “Why you giving him shit about that?”

“Zach, Zach, Zach,” Sawyer shakes his head. “You’re missing the big picture,as usual. Allow me to enlighten you on the real story, which it took me about ten minutes to piece together. I swear, fucking amateurs all around me. Wears me out keeping this family on the same damn page. Try to follow along.” He leans forward on his elbows, dropping his tone to what he thinks is his “espionage voice.”

“Our first, huge clue, don’t know how you could miss it really, is that JT isn’t making a move on her. When is the last time you can remember my young protégé here not bee-lining for a girl he was eyeing?”

Zach scratches his chin and goes wide-eyed. “Never,” he states.

“Exactly!” Sawyer holds up a finger in triumph. “And yet, he’s sitting here trying to act like he’s not looking at her. And every time he does look at her, our lil’ Brynny baby gives him the evil eye.”

“Why is that?” Zach glares at me and grumbles.

Saw that shit coming. It’s no secret that Brynn is hands-down, no contest, Uncle Zach’s favorite Squad Kid. He tends to get very unreasonable when he eventhinkssomeone is fucking with her.

“We kinda had an argument last night, no big deal,” I answer him.

“About what?” he asks, no less automatic anger in his voice.

“Hey, no sidetracking, I wasn’t done,” Sawyer interrupts. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually grateful he does. “Next, we must consider that JT was late to the party and his bathroom light was on up there,” he points. “And…he seems to have forgotten the top snap on his trunks. Now, what do you suppose that means?” Sawyer’s grin is beyond smug and he’s got his fingers steepled, slowly tapping them together.

I snap my trunks under the table and drop my head in defeat. I practically handed him this one.You’re a dumbass, JT.

“That he took a piss?” Zach naively guesses, not near as concerned with everyone’s every fucking movement, nor as one-track minded as Sawyer.

“Perhaps,” my detective uncle drawls, “but let’s test ifmytheory is right. See, I think Brynny forbid you to sniff on her friend and when you saw her, your frustration over forbidden fruit sent you running to your bathroom for a quick round of ‘Yank the Snake.’”

“Jesus Christ, Beckett.” Zach looks around to see if anyone heard, which it doesn’t seem they did ‘cause no one's gasping or choking on their drinks. “Why do we let you talk? Don’t embarrass him like that.”

“Would you prefer ‘Pull the Mule’? He’s one of us, so I assumeMuleis fitting. JT?”

Did he just ask me how big my dick is? Of course he did.

“And I’m out. Your turn to watch him,” I say to Zach as I stand. “Uncle Saw, you’re wrong. And insane. It’s been torturous as always.”

“Hey,” Zach stops me by the arm. “Crazy ass aside,” he nods toward Sawyer, “if there’s anything to his crude, inappropriate theory, nix it now. Plenty of girls for you to pursue. Only one Brynn. Think about that.”

 

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