Page 48 of Spike

“Hi yourself.” Ismiled up at him. “Please tell me you cooked.”

“Rude,” Mattyadmonished.

“Self-preservation,”I retorted.

“Of course Icooked.” Ron chuckled. “Come on in.”

“Can I get yousomething to drink?” Mattias asked.

Spike looked myway. “Ah…”

“Beer?”

“Oh, thank god,”he rasped.

“Did Gary have aFresca at the ready for you?” Ron asked.

“Of course hedid,” I said. “Followed up with a verse about the sins of drunken debauchery.”

Matty handed Spikea beer. “Glass?”

“Bottle’s great,”Spike said, twisting off the top.

“Wine, sis?”

“Yes, please, redif you have it.”

“Do I have red?”He scoffed. “I’m not an animal.”

“That was reallymore of a rhetorical question.”

The doorbellpealed just as he handed me a glass of my favorite red and I raised an eyebrow.

“Jens.”

“You got Jenson todrive over the bridge?” I asked.

“What can I say?”Matty bragged. “I have all the power.”

“Ooh, let me getit,” I begged, and Matty waved me to the door.

I set my wine downand rushed to the door, pulling it open. “Ah-huh! Surprise!”

Jenson chuckled,pulling me in for a hug. “Hey, sissy.”

“You don’t seemsurprised to see me.” I met his eyes. “Why aren’t you surprised?”

“Because I knewyou’d be here.” He walked in, removing his jacket and hanging it on the hook bythe door.

“You did?”

“I did.”

“I hate it whenyou two conspire against me,” I grumbled as we headed into the kitchen.

“Conspiring tospend time together over kick-ass food cooked by Ron? Yeah, sure, we’ll go withthat.”

I wrinkled mynose. He had a point, but still. As the baby sister, I had a serious case ofFOMO most of the time when it came to my brothers and often felt like I wasleft out of the conversation. Silly, I know, but true all the same.

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