Page 24 of Until It Was Real

Jaxon scowls. “I don’t need an assistant.”

“If you need to work on a Friday night after you’ve already worked fifty hours this week, you need an assistant. I’ll set up a meeting with you and Dakota on Monday. You can go through your requirements for an assistant.”

“I don’t need Dakota’s help,” Jaxon insists.

“But Rhett does.” Kai waggles his eyebrows.

I start toward him. I’m done with my brothers and their teasing about Dakota. Do I want Dakota in my bed? Hell yeah, I do. The woman is sexy as hell with those bowtie lips, green eyes, and curves for days.

But I don’t fool around with women who are obviously liars. I thought we might have something. When we were stuck in the closet during the hurricane, we laughed and joked, and she opened up to me about growing up in care.

Except it was all a mirage. The second the hurricane was over, she ran away. She was being all sneaky. What is she up to? What are her secrets? I will find out.

Eli steps in front of me. “No fighting. You’re the one who’s supposed to keep these yahoos under control, remember?”

I remember. How could I forget? It’s been my full-time job since Dad up and left us when I was fifteen.

“I’m with Jaxon. If we’re not playing poker, I’m out of here.”

“But Nugget wants to play poker.” Zane holds up his taxidermized squirrel. It’s wearing a cowboy hat because, of course, it is. This is Zane after all.

“Nugget’s getting his ass kicked by Mr. Crisp.” Kai cuddles a jar containing a pickle he’s named Mr. Crisp. The pickle is apparently wise and full of poker wisdom.

Miles dangles his rabbit’s foot. “Hopper is feeling lucky tonight.”

Zane points to the foot. “Hopper is not a bunny. No rabbit has ever had a foot that big or lumpy.”

“Says the man holding a squirrel in a cowboy hat.”

Zane hugs the squirrel. “Do not make fun of Nugget. He’s a gentle soul.”

Eli sighs. “Whose idea was it to play poker with lucky items?”

Miles wags his finger at him. “Says the man whose lucky item is a pair of teeth.”

“Because those teeth scared the hell out of you when you were younger. It was the only way I could get you to brush your teeth.”

Eli used to chase Miles – and Kai and Zane – around the house while snapping the teeth at them. More than one pair of pants was peed in fright.

Zane elbows Miles. “Better a set of teeth than a lonely bowling shoe.”

“Leave me out of this,” I insist.

“One shoe is kind of lame,” Miles adds.

“I’ll have you know I won the bowling championship in junior year while wearing this one shoe because you shits stole my other shoe.”

Kai widens his eyes. “I have no idea what you’re referring to. I would never steal someone’s shoe.”

I cross my arms and glare at him. “Which is why I found it under your bed.”

He throws his hands in the air. “I was framed. I didn’t put it there.”

“Where did you put it?”

“I mean. I didn’t have the shoe at all. I didn’t take it.”

He’s lying. I caught the little thief running away with my shoe. But I didn’t have time to chase him because I was already late for the bowling championships. I thought I could rent another shoe at the bowling alley. But they were out of rentals. I still won despite wearing a sock on one foot.

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