Page 66 of Something Tangled Something True
7. Levi
8. Teddy
“Why’d you include Zeke?” I ask.
Ryder chuckles. “He never joins us for anything, so I figure this is the only way we might get the chance to change that.”
I roll my eyes at him, and Mayte explains the rules to everyone based on what she’s read on the back of the box. She picks up the first card and reads it for us. “Who gives the most awkward hugs?”
My shoulders shake as I put down a four. We flip them over, revealing seven fours. “It’s not his fault,” Mayte whines. “He’s an awkward man. Very cute, butsoawkward and grumpy.”
Bee snorts at this assessment but makes no move to come to her youngest son’s aid.
“As his brother, I agree. The man is adorable, like an angry grizzly bear squeezing a cute plushy version of himself. His attitude only got worse when he returned from his last deployment.”
“I wish he’d join us for once. It always feels like we unintentionally leave him out of things,” I say, my shoulders deflating.
“I invite him to everything, Lols. He keeps to himself, is all. Maybe another time. I keep trying because he’s my little brother, but it’s hard when it feels like he doesn’t put anyeffort in himself.”
“I’m sorry, Ry. It’s just hard to believe things are still so tense between you two.”
He shrugs. “They’re not. He’s been like this since high school. I think he never grew out of the brooding teenager phase,” he says with a chuckle, attempting to lighten the mood.
Levi and Teddy keep their gazes cast downward, not wanting to get in the middle of this conversation.
“Orrr maybe it’s because you married his childhood crush?” Mayte interjects, making our heads snap to her.
“Excuse me, what?” I ask in shock.
Mamiand Bee ask the same, our voices melting together.
“When Ezekiel was a freshman in high school, there were more than a few times I caught him and Lemmon getting frisky on the ranch, but as soon as she got her sights set on Ryder, she dropped that boy like a hot potato.” She says it like it isn’t news to anyone, nonchalant and totally relaxed as she leans back in her chair.
“How on Earth have you never thought to share that with anyone?” Ryder asks, dumbfounded. His jaw is practically hanging on the floor.
“It wasn’t my business to share.” She shrugs.
Mamismacks Mayte over the back of the head, shouting, “¡No mames!”
Mayte rubs her hand over the spot while she pouts. “That wasn’t very nice,Tia,” she grumbles.
“I don’t know if you’vemetyou, but you didn’t get the nickname ‘lengua suelta’ for no reason,” I chide.
She rolls her eyes dramatically. “When I drop the goodchisme, it’s usually by accident. How am I supposed to know what everyone already knows and doesn’t around here?”
“Well, that would certainly explain why he’s so closed off,” Ryder groans beside me.
Mayte waves a hand around. “No. Your brother is the broody type. He wouldn’t have been happy with Lemmonanyway. It was probably just the thrill of an older woman. Anyway,moving on.”
How can she be serious right now? She dropped a massive bomb on us and acts like it’s nothing, but for Ryder’s sake, I let it go and read the next card.
Who’s most likely to marry someone who isn’t born yet?
I scrunch my brows, unsure of what to do with this one since Isabela isn’t an option. I decide to put Mayte down, and when we flip them over, there are several for Mayte.
“You voted for yourself on this one, didn’t you?” Bee asks with a knowing smirk.
“Hey now, it never specified which marriage this would be. I could get a divorce from the husband I don’t currently have and then wind up a cougar and marry someone thirty-four years younger than me. I’m already a MILF; what’s stopping me from being a GILF too?”
