Page 47 of Cross-Check

“I get it. I try to eat clean year round, but sometimes a cheat meal is good for the soul,” I add.

Beckett tosses a peanut in the air and catches it with his mouth. “That sounds like something our Jelly Bean would say.”

“Jelly Bean?”

“Grace,” Clay says.

“Makes sense considering she’s the one who always said it,” I shrug.

It’s weird talking about her with these guys. Guys who clearly have a nickname for her. One I have no idea how she got, but as curious as I am, I won’t ask. I’ll wait until someone fills me in.

Burt comes back and slams the drinks down on the table, making water slosh over the sides before walking away.

“Great service as always, Burt!” Brett says loudly right as the horrible music stops.

Clay slaps him on the shoulder. “Knock it off before he kicks us out of here.”

Brett scoffs. “Please, we all know that man can’t turn away business. Look how dead it is in here.”

“How did you guys find this place?” I ask.

“By sheer accident,” Wyatt says quietly.

“Our sophomore year, the team thought bowling would be a good form of team bonding. One of the players shredded his bicep tendon and had to go to the hospital. Some of us stayed and then got kicked out when water started shooting out of the ceiling. We weren’t quite ready to call it a night, so we came over here since it was across the street,” Clay tells me.

“And then they dragged me here last year against my will,” Wyatt adds.

I grab my arm and wince. I’ve heard shredding your bicep is painful as fuck. I can’t imagine doing it while on a team-building exercise that’s mandatory.

“I thought we weren’t supposed to play other sports or do anything too dangerous so close to the season,” I mutter.

Brett raises his beer. “Why do you think that rule was created?”

I tip my head toward him. “Fair enough.”

“So, Kellan, how do you feel about bad karaoke?” Beckett asks.

“I mean, I’m here, aren’t I?” I quip, making Wyatt smile.

“Yes, but how do you feel about getting up there on stage and serenading all of us?” Beckett presses.

I look at all the guys before looking back at Beckett. “You can’t be serious.”

“If you want to date our sister, you need to prove that you are worthy of her,” Brett says.

I look at Clay and raise my brow. He responds with a shrug.

“I mean, if you ask me, we’re letting you off easy. We could be asking you to do something way worse,” Beckett adds.

My jaw clenches. I hate that they think I have to prove myself to them just to date Cora, but I get it. Hell, I’m sure I would feel the same way if I had a sister. Besides, a few minutes of torture isn’t that bad in the grand scheme of things, right?

“Okay, what do you have in mind?”

“I hope you know the words to ‘Barbie Girl.’” Beckett smirks.

“Seriously, that? Come on, pick something else, please,” I say, trying not to beg.

Anything but that.

---