Page 93 of Things Left Unsaid

“I only have a master’s degree, Callan. I’m too dumb to talk to you.”

The corners of Ida’s mouth flicker.

Slightly.

“Less infighting, you two.” She takes a dainty sip of coffee. “Callan, we know your IQ is high. We knew it before you were tested. Stop bringing it up.”

Callan’s sigh is long-suffering. “I don’t bring it up.”

“Objection,” Colt rumbles.

I cough out a laugh.

Ida smiles. “Sustained.”

“This explains so much, you guys.” Callan pouts. “It’s why I don’t fit in with people.”

“That’s because you prefer computers and horses to humans, Callan. Don’t whitewash the last eighteen years and pretend otherwise.”

Ida’s tone is so droll, I outright grin. “What’s your IQ, Callan?”

“159.” His gaze turns earnest. “It’s why real people don’t like me.”

Because I thought he’d be cocky and he isn’t, more distressed, I tut. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

“He has a habit of calling people idiots.” Colt’s brow furrows at something he’s reading on his cell. “That doesn’t help.”

I hide my smile behind my coffee cup. “What do you mean by ‘real people?’”

“Not online ones.”

“Oh, you mean most of your friends are online?”

“Yeah. Do you know what a chatelaine is?” Callan inquires. “I won’t call you an idiot if you don’t.”

I riffle through my memory. “They’re the women who ran estates, I think. They wore a chain around their waists that held the keys to the doors of their homes.”

Thankful I’m not an idiot, Callan beams with pleasure. “Correct!”

“Ten points to Zee,” Colt mocks, but he winks at me.

It’s more charming than I’d like to admit.

This wholethingis.

His ease with his kid brother. How Ida sits with us at the table and chides Callan for calling a ranch hand a moron earlier.

It feels like family.

Man, it’s been a long time since I had a glimmer ofthis.

Grand-mèretried. I’ll give her that. But Mom and Dad were keystones. The triplets never got to experience it in the same way Walker and I did.

Thisis also comforting.

It lets me sit back in my chair and relax more than I thought I’d be able to in enemy territory.

“As I was saying before Callan interrupted with his version ofJeopardy. We can talk later about routines you want to integrate.”

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