Page 496 of Lodestar

My younger brother snickered, the grimness in his expression lightening for once. “It did actually.”

“Kat isn’t a boy,” Star remarked.

“No, boys have cooties.”

“Until they’re in middle school?” I teased.

She graced me with a severe nod. “Yes.”

Eoghan snorted while Star heaved a sigh. I just grinned. Then the door buzzer rang again—my app revealed Troy and Dead To Me were there, bickering as always.

“We’ll leave you to the poker game but next time, I want to play too,” I warned.

“Me three,” Kat sang.

“Until you can afford the stakes, you can’t play,” Star retorted. “By the way, I put something in the refrigerator for you.”

Warily, I asked, “What?”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Some snacks.”

Better than a head.

“For Kat?”

“Both of you.”

Eoghan cast a glance between us. “She’s looking after you, Conor. Say ‘thank you.’”

“Thank you,” I parroted. “I can buy food?—”

“Take the snacks and go, Kid,” Eoghan retorted, shoving me in the shoulder.

“She doesn’t need to feed me,” I grumbled at him.

“It’s a woman thing. Inessa does it to me all the time.” To Katina, he explained, “It’s like a kiss but for when you leave.”

Kat frowned. “I’d prefer a kiss to raw veggies. Star’s snacks are boring. She sticks hummus in a box with some carrot sticks and thinks that’s supposed to fill a person.” Kat tugged on Star’s hand. “Can’t we grab hot dogs afterward?”

“You’ll have to ask Conor. Politely.”

Kat batted her eyes at me.

“We can grab hotdogs.” I cleared my throat. “After we eat the carrot sticks and hummus.”

It was worth Kat’sboofor the shy smile Star shot at me.

Before we headed out of the kitchen, I collected the boxes from the refrigerator—confirmed that there were a bunch of crudités and what appeared to be ranch dressing and hummus in two small containers—then gave Star another kiss farewell because I couldn’t resist as Kat hugged her around the middle.

As we walked down the hall, with me trying to avoid Stimpy’s urge to trip me up as he wove a path between my feet, I tugged on the tail of Kat’s braid. “We’ll leave soon, kiddo. You ready to go?”

“Yep. Just need my bag.”

She ducked into her room and collected her gym bag.

As I watched her navigate the chaos of the space, my gaze drifted over her stuff.

She’d settled in but it still seemed temporary, which put me on edge.

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