Page 25 of Under the Moonlight

Xander heard the key in the lock just before the squeak of the front door opening. Clyde Larsen’s loud voice boomed, “Xander! Where you at, boy?”

Xander kissed Greer’s lips before depositing her back on her feet and standing up. He came around the chair just as Clyde entered the living room, his three sons behind him. All of them were big men, though not as tall as Xander. Clyde was shorter than his sons with copper hair and eyes the color of pine needles in the spring. His beard was darker than his hair, and his teeth were straight and even as he grinned at Xander.

“Clyde,” Xander said.

Clyde stomped forward and pulled Xander into his arms, slapping him on the back. “It’s good to see you. It’s been too long.”

“Yeah, it has.” Xander hugged him back hard before breaking the embrace.

The older man’s gaze swept past him to Jill and Greer. “And who are these two lovely ladies?”

“The one sitting down at the table is Jill.” Xander pulled Greer into his side as she came over to join them. “And this is Greer.”

Clyde winked at him. “Greer, huh? I like that.”

Greer held out her hand. “I’m so glad, sir, since it’s the only one I’ve got.”

“Oh, I like this one. She’s sassy.”

Clyde’s oldest son, Dereck, slapped him on the shoulder. “Hey now, let go of the girl and greet me properly, you giant pain in my ass.”

Xander gave him a hug and Dereck lifted him off his feet, cracking his back in the process. Xander squeezed his shoulder when Dereck released him. Dereck was only a year older than Xander, and never let him forget he was his elder. His hair was brown with a red sheen to it, but his eyes were the dark mud of a swamp, almost black.

“I missed you, little brother,” Dereck said.

“I appreciate you coming,” Xander said.

“Move out of the way, Der, so we can give Xander a proper greeting,” Luke said.

Luke was the middle child and the clown of the Larson siblings. He looked just like his dad without the gruff exterior. Luke pinched Xander’s cheeks when he approached him, his green eyes dancing with mirth.

Xander yanked away from him with a scowl. “You’re an ass, Luke.”

“You love me best, just admit it.”

The last one to give him a hug was Clyde’s youngest, Clint. He was just shy of twenty, with his mother’s black hair and eyes. He was the quietest of the three.

“Good to see you, kid.”

Clint rolled his eyes. “Not a kid anymore.”

“You’ll always be kid.”

Xander introduced the three men to Greer and Jill. Luke took Greer’s hand and brought it up to give it a kiss.

Xander growled low and Luke stopped. He released Greer’s hand and stepped back respectfully with a grin. “So, that’s the way of it, huh?”

Xander wrapped his arm arms around Greer’s waist. “Yeah, so keep a wide berth where she’s concerned.”

“Fine, fine. Now, where’s the pizza?”

17

Greer sat at the table, her two slices of pizza still intact as she watched the Larson boys, Xander, Clyde, and even Jill, go through four of the pizzas in under fifteen minutes.

It was Clyde who caught her staring and shot her a wink. “Gotta grab it while it’s hot, girlie, or there won’t be any left.”

She laughed. “So, I see.”

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