Page 10 of A Sudden Response

“So, one day when Eric was eight, Dad gets a call that some bully had not only beaten the hell out of his baby boy but had also made him eat a handful of worms,” Nathan started.

“That’s awful!” Camie said, looking thoroughly disgusted. It had been pretty gross, Eric had to admit. The worms weren’t too bad, but all that dirt had been fucking disgusting.

“It gets better,” Nathan promised. “I’m a year older than Eric, so Dad dragged me out of class with the intention of having me beat the shit out of the bully to make sure that he left Eric alone. We walk into the office, looking for the bully, only to find these two scraped up and covered in mud. Dad demands to see the little boy that beat the shit out of his son and talk to his parents only to get told that this adorable little girl was the culprit.”

“Hey! He started it by shoving worms down my dress!” Joe said, gasping in outrage.

“I had to do something to improve that ugly ass dress you were wearing. It looked like you were wearing a couch,” Eric said, only to chuckle when Joe threw a roll at his head, which he caught and happily ate.

“Anyway,” Nathan said, drawing back everyone’s attention. “I, being the good brother that I am, offered to kick her ass. Dad was at a loss but still somehow managed to slap me upside the head when I made the offer.”

“You did not!” Alice sounded horrified.

“He really did,” Joe said, nodding solemnly.

“Once Dad decided that I wasn’t going to kick her ass, we hung around waiting for Joe’s mother so he could talk to her. We waited two hours and by then, Dad had fallen in love with the little brat,” Nathan said with a heartfelt sigh.

“So, did you,” Joe said with a teasing smile as she grabbed the silverware and started setting the table.

Nathan chuckled. “Of course I did. I knew right off the bat that you were good sister material. So, Dad, who was at a total loss at this point because her mom still hadn’t shown up, and this big baby,” he jerked a thumb towards Eric, “decided she should come home with us where everything could be straightened out. Mom took one look at Joe and decided she was keeping her.”

“So, you like, all adopted her?” Camie guessed, still frowning in confusion.

Everyone except Caitlyn shook their heads. “Not exactly. Even though Dad mentioned more than once before he passed away that he was going to kidnap Joe and adopt her, we never made it official.”

“He would have done it,” Alice said with a watery smile.

“It didn’t matter what a piece of paper says since we all heard him referring to Joe as his little girl, so it didn’t matter,” Eric said, earning a sad smile from Joe.

“So, she never lived with you?” Camie asked, looking really fucking determined to find out exactly what Joe’s role was.

“She became an instant fixture in the house. She went with us everywhere, did her homework here, and had chores here, but her mother wouldn’t let her move in with us at first, which was okay until she was about fourteen. That’s when she started to sleep over here more often until she was finally living here andMom told us to go get her stuff. She stayed here until after she started working on the ambulance.”

“I moved out a few months before Eric did,” Joe said as she finished setting the table and helped his mother with the food.

“Only because you stole the apartment I wanted,” Eric pointed out, stealing another roll with a mock glare at the little pain in the ass.

“Okay,” Camie said slowly. “So, Eric and Joe are like brother and sister?”

Eric shared a look of horror with Joe. Nathan winced and even his mother shook her head, looking like she might be sick.

“That’s a seriously horrifying thought,” Joe muttered. “Kind of disgusting, actually.”

“Damn straight it is,” Eric said, shooting her a wink.

CHAPTER 5

“Eric, why don’t you sit over here?” Alice suggested, gesturing towards the empty chair next to Camie.

“I’m fine where I am, Mom,” Eric said, ignoring the glare that his mother was sending him. He didn’t care. He came here to spend time with his family and meet his brother’s new girlfriend, not be set up with an ice bitch, who was now glaring at Joe every time she thought no one was looking.

Seriously, where the hell did his mother find these women? The last one she brought home had just separated from her husband and cried hysterically throughout the entire meal. Did she really think he was desperate?

“But-” his mother started to argue.

“I’m already settled, Mom. Let’s just eat before it gets cold,” Eric said, gesturing to the platter of pot roast and large serving bowls of side dishes on the table.

Camie smiled coyly as she stood up. “I can just move over there if you want. I’m sure your mother just wants to have a chance to sit next to Joe,” she said as she started making her way around the table to join him.

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