Page 48 of The Troublemaker

Cole and I both laugh at that. “Poor girl doesn’t know what she’s up against,” Cole says, and I shake my head.

“In for a rude awakening,” I agree.

“It can’t be that bad, can it?” she asks and crinkles her nose.

“I’ll leave you to answer that,” Cole says. “Come on boys. You have to get up early for fishing, so let’s move it.”

“Are you coming?” Brandon asks me, and I glance at Kinsley. Honestly, I don’t want to smother her this weekend, but I do want to spend as much time with her as possible. Does she want that, too? Want to make every minute together count?

“Go ahead,” she says with a wave. “I plan to sleep in and then hang out with the girls.”

Guess not.

“Okay, kiddo, I’ll come,” I say and inject a lightness into my voice that I don’t feel. “Someone has to teach you how to properly cast, anyway. I can’t remember the last time your dad caught anything at the lake, other than a cold.”

“Why would I need your help when I have Alyssa?” Brandon says innocently enough, and Cole and Nina burst out laughing. So does Alyssa, who is in the process of stuffing a marshmallow between two chocolate cookies.

“Schooled,” Nina says. She gives Brandon a high five even though he’s completely confused by our reactions.

“Alyssa fishes?” Kinsley asks.

“She’s amazing,” I tell her. “Her grandfather had a rod in her hand by the time she was two. She out-fishes us all the time.”

Casey rubs his eyes and lets loose a big yawn. “Okay boys, let’s get going,” Nina says.

“I’m not tired,” Casey says, his eyeballs practically falling out of his head.

“Yeah, I can tell,” Cole says and scoops him up.

“I don’t want to go to bed,” he whines.

“Casey,” I say. “If you get a good night’s sleep, we can get pancakes at your favorite restaurant for breakfast.”

Casey smiles at me. “And a toy?”

“Of course. What are pancakes without a toy?” I say. Hand on her hips, Nina glares at me and I grin. “What?” I chuckle at the way her lips are twisted.

She points a finger at me. “Bribery on your part makes it harder for me to parent.”

“It worked, didn’t it? Look at Casey, he’s ready for bed. Aren’t you buddy?” Casey nods his head emphatically and I give him the thumbs up.

“Fine then, when you have your own kids, get ready for their aunt to bribe them. Then you’ll see what it’s like.”

“Not going to happen little sister,” I say, as an invisible band tightens around my heart, wanting that so badly.

“You’re quite the negotiator,” Kinsley says and leans into me.

“He’s good at getting what he wants,” Cole says with a smirk, and I toss a marshmallow at him, knowing full well he’s talking about my rotating bedroom door—all the relationships I messed up. Why did I always say the wrong thing?

Because none of them were what you really wanted.

My entire body stiffens at that sudden epiphany. Holy shit, have I purposely been fucking up, sabotaging, saying the wrong thing, and keeping myself emotionally closed because while I want what my friends and sister have, I just never found the girl I wanted to have it with? As that rattles around in my brain, everyone gets up to get their kids off to bed, leaving Kinsley and me alone by the dying fire. I put my arm around her and breathe in her scent as she lays her head on my shoulder.

“I love all your friends, Cason. You have an amazing tribe.”

“They’re your friends, too.”

“I only really know you guys through Jules and my food truck. It’s nice getting to know everyone better.”

---