Page 114 of Bodybuilders for the BBW

“Yes, Mum.”

Suddenly we were both ten years younger and standing there downcast as we got told off.

“Good. Now Katie, is Garrett going to join us for dinner?” Mum asked.

A perfectly reasonable question, but one I didn’t know the answer to.

“Garrett’s stuck in the emergency department,” Rhys hissed when we went to join the guys outside. Rhett and Dad were talking about my father’s barbeque set up, a topic they both seemed to have a lot to say about. “There was a massive car crash on the way in. That’s why we had to jump in with Charlie to get here on time.”

“Car crash?” My mother could hear a mouse fart from ten feet away. “I hope no one was seriously hurt.”

“We’ll find out when Garrett gets here, I guess.” Rhys shrugged. “We’re really sorry this happened, but it’s the occupational hazard of being a nurse.”

“Of course. Bill’s a bit on edge, but he’ll understand.” Mum was using her best soothing tones. “This is literally a matter of life or death.”

So why didn’t that make me feel any better?

“So you’re in talks to start franchising your gym?” Dad asked Rhys.

I’m not sure if he really wanted to know about the ins and outs of gym management or if he was just trying to fill the deathly silence that hung around the table. Once the guys had finished talking about the barbeque, they seemed to run out of topics to talk about. I reached down and rubbed Bronson’s ear, the dog whining a little as he stared up at me.

“Um, yeah.” Rhys took a sip of his beer, winced, and then forged on. Dad’s frown deepened. “I don’t know too much about it really. My business partner, Drew, he’s the brains of the outfit…”

And this was exactly the wrong thing to say. Dad’s brows pulled down further. Rhys blinked and then straightened up, nodding at Rhett’s hard look.

“But we were approached by a big name chain. They like our branding, the vibe we’ve created in our gyms, the focus on creating a more inclusive environment, and are interested in buying the name from us and employing us as consultants to help set up a chain that replicates the user experience.”

“I wouldn’t be caught dead anywhere else.” Mandie provided some social proof almost grudgingly. “Most gyms can be super blokey. When a woman steps into those places, she’s either a nuisance or someone to hit on. Rhys and Drew make sure everyone knows that kind of behaviour is unacceptable.”

“Hmph…”

Dad didn’t say anything else, because his stomach spoke for him. A loud grumble had Mum leaping to her feet.

“Sounds like someone needs some more nibbles.”

“I’m not filling up on chips and dip,” Dad said. “Not when there’s steak on the menu. How?—?”

“Let's just eat.”

I flushed bright red, suddenly the centre of attention, right when I didn’t want to be. Part of me felt responsible for this whole situation. We’d sat there trying to make small talk for three quarters of an hour, hoping Garrett would turn up, and I think we were all done with that. But I wasn’t responsible. I’d made clear to the guys that they needed to be on time, that Dad got hangry if he didn’t have dinner on the table by 6.30 sharp, and we’d all agreed… I blew out a breath. I couldn’t even be angry. Garrett had to be working his arse off, the team desperately trying to save people’s lives, and I was what? Getting huffy about dinner with my parents?

Except a small part of me was. I didn’t like to admit it, probably because it was a breathtakingly selfish thought, but… Part of me couldn’t help but wish that this time was different.

Dave was like a feral cat. He turned up when he felt like it and took off the same way. I learned quickly not to rely on anything he said. If he actually appeared when we’d made plans, I’d pull on some appropriate clothes and go. If he didn’t, well, I just Netflixed and chilled on my own. The guys were different. When they said they’d do something, they did.

It just wasn’t always with the person who I made the plans with.

As if sensing my traitorous thoughts, Mandie stared at me across the table, then nodded.

“Steak time, Daddy-O,” she said.

“Oh, we need—” Mum started to twitter.

“To feed Dad before he goes Hulk Smash?” Mandie finished for her. “We can make a plate for Garrett and set it asideifhe can make it.” I’m not sure if anyone else caught the emphasis on if, but I did. “So Rhett, if I set the barbeque on fire, you’d know how to put that out, right?”

“Of course.” Rhett sat up straighter. “You’d have a dry powder extinguisher on hand, wouldn’t you, Bill?”

“In the shed and inside the house,” Dad replied, holding out a hand to stop my sister, then waving Rhett forward as they ambled towards the outdoor kitchen. “So you like your steaks rare, right?”

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