Page 17 of The C*ck Down the Block

My head shot up before my brain even knew what I was doing. Being the two eldest of the family, Deck and I never missed an opportunity to take each other down a peg. Except on the field. When it was important, we always had each other’s backs.

“What, you thought I was going to razz you?” He shook his head at me. “Come on, brother. Not when it actually matters, you dickwad.”

Huh. “How is it half the fam knows I’m in love with Trix? I’ve never said a damn thing.”

Deck rolled his eyes and snorted like I was being a real dumbass. “First of all, everyone in the family knows. I mean, who among us hasn’t been a little bit in love with Trixie over the years? But everyone also knows she’s your fucking soul mate or some shit.”

The magnitude of Declan’s words hung in the air like a Hail Mary pass waiting to find swift hands to catch it in the endzone. My heart pounded hard against my chest and the blood whooshed through my ears like I was actually on the field and adrenaline was pumping through me. My soul mate? Even thinking of her like that gave me a level of certainty I hadn’t realized I was missing.

“Yeah, I think she is.”

“All right, so what’s the plan?” Deck asked, rising from the bench, making it squeak again. “We need to strategize this, and God help you if you bungle it, Chris. It’s not just about you, it’s Trixie. If you hurt her, you’ll have to deal with all of us. We’re all a little protective of her.”

That was the last thing I wanted. I got up and punched Deck on the shoulder. I didn’t have words to say thanks for being a cool little brother right now. A bruise would have to do.

“Finally, he gets it,” Flynn said, rolling his eyes. He hopped down the step and joined us on the back porch, and Gryffen was only two steps behind him. Great, more little brothers to punch.

“Was everyone listening to our conversation?”

Hayes, Isak, and, Jules all stuck their heads out from behind the curtains. They were grabbed by their shirts one by one shoved into the yard by Everett. “Yes.”

Jules shrugged and plopped down on the bench next to me. “Duh, of course we were.”

Everett jerked his chin at Declan. “Deck was sent as the sacrificial lamb in case you were freaking out.”

I could not think of the last time I’d been ganged up on by all seven of my siblings. “I don’t freak out.”

“Umm, yes you do.” Hayes, who hadn’t even played his first game with the Mustangs yet, side-eyed me. “If your game plan is even an iota off, you freak the fuck out, and we all just watched Trixie mess with the plan hard core.”

“If this family is going to grow, we all want in on it,” Jules said as if she wasn’t dropping a fucking bomb on me.“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I held up my hands, ready to call a whole lot of flags on the play. “Nobody said anything about the family growing.”

“Hey,” Isak pointed at me in a move that looked exactly like the one dad pulled on us when he even suspected funny business. “If you think you’re going to bang Trixie and then leave her high and dry, I’m here to tell you that is a career ending decision. Because you won’t recover from the beating the rest of us will give you.”

I dropped my head back onto my shoulders and stared up at the sky through the slats on the pergola. “You’re all a bunch of dickheads.”

“Except me. I’m a fucking lady,” Ms. Bossypants Jules corrected.

The mouth on her. That’s what she inherited from growing up with seven older brothers and no other woman in the house. I’d never tell her I thought it was adorable.

“Yes, pretty, pretty princess, except you. You’re a fucking lady.” I looked around at them all, making sure to catch every single one of my brothers’ eyes. “Of course that’s not what I’m talking about. But I haven’t even gotten her to kiss me yet, much less gotten her into bed or asked her to marry me.”

Declan nodded all sagely as if he wasn’t about to say something to poke at me. I knew that look. “Mmm-hmm, right, right. You can’t tell us you’re not already imagining a white picket fence with half a dozen little Chrises and Trixies running around with their whole flock of chickens trailing after them.”

There were murmurs of agreement from everyone. “Each and every one of you needs to get the fuck out of my head.”

Hayes smirked and shook his head. “What fun would that be?”

“Lord save me.” There were only two people missing from this impromptu family meeting. One was watching down on us always. “What’s Dad think about this?”

Jules patted my arm. “Who do you think sent us to eavesdrop and intervene if necessary?”

Dad always did like Trix. He and mom had been good friends with the Moores. It made me wonder if our parents had ever had one of those weird our kids should get married when they grow up chats. But if even Dad was on the Trixie train, we were going full steam ahead.

“Fine. Huddle up. You lot are going to spend the rest of game night strategizing my grand love plan.”I was going to be the best damn pretend boyfriend Trixie had ever seen.

“Dude, you need to be mysterious,” Flynn suggested, to which Gryffen added, “Yeah, keep her on her toes. Girls love a little intrigue.”

“Since when do you two know anything about girls? Your last date was a joint disaster at your last sci-fi con,” Jules retorted, snickering into her soda.

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