AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You didn’t make me play,” Ellie argues. “Does that mean I’m not part of the family yet?”
“Sweetheart, nobody wants to beat the sunshine kitten that you are. It just makes us feel bad.”
Ellie bristles, and all of us wait with glee on our faces to watch her take Nolan down a peg. “Hold on a goddamn minute. You’re saying you don’t ever want to play me because you think I’ll lose and it’ll make you feel bad?”
Nolan blinks at her, suddenly realizing his mistake. “I just… uh… don’t want to make you sad?” It’s a question, not a statement, and I cough to cover my laugh.
Sam’s eyes are wide as they bounce back and forth between my soon-to-be sister-in-law and my idiot of a baby brother.
“Give me that fucking controller.” She holds her hand out. Nolan gently places it in her hand, as if he’s trying not to spook a lion. “I’ll show you sunshine kitten,” Ellie murmurs. Only it’s loud enough for us all to hear, and the laughter can’t be contained any longer.
She grins, her eyes sparkling with humor, and Nolan gets the game set up. Sam takes another controller while Ben takes the fourth. They pick their cars and the track, and then they’re off. Sam holds his own against Nolan, while Ben is close behind them. To no one’s surprise, Ellie blows all three guys out of the water, and the race ends with Nolan faking a bow in Ellie’s direction.
“I apologize, Queen Ellie. I am your humble servant.”
Ellie giggles at Nolan’s ridiculousness.
“Nicely played,” I say to Sam.
“That was just my warm-up attempt. Another couple races and I know I could beat Nolan.”
“Please do that.” I laugh.
More games are played. Sam beats Nolan a few times, but then Nolan gets more competitive and wins a few, as well. We laugh and tease, and it’s as if Sam has been part of the family forever. He can take the teasing just as well as he can dish it out, and I sit there in awe of him.
I got incredibly lucky the day I ran into him at O’Malley’s. And even luckier that he was confident enough to ask me out. Without that, I’d probably still be sitting at home fantasizing about him.
“Carter, bring your firefighter in here, please!” Mom calls from the kitchen.
I raise my eyebrows at Sam. “I thought you might get out of the interrogation since you met her at my house. But I guess not.”
“That’s all right. I like your mom.” Sam stands before I can say anything more, and I follow him into the kitchen.
“Hi, sweetheart.” Mom wraps her arms around Sam’s waist. “You holding up okay after the smack talk in there?”
Sam grins. “Definitely. I didn’t grow up with siblings, so this has been fun to get a taste of what it was like.”
“And your mom is in Greensboro, right?”
“Yeah, that’s where I grew up.”
“I went to college in Greensboro. That’s where I met Steve.” She looks over at my dad with a soft smile. He winks at her. “But boy, am I glad we moved here. This is where Steve grew up, and I’m so glad we raised our kids here. Do you think you’ll stay here, too?”
“Subtle, Mom,” I chastised. She just waves me off.
Sam runs his palm down my back and gives me a soft look. “Yeah, I have every intention of sticking around for a good long while.”
My cheeks flush at the implication. I don’t think I could love him any more than I already do.
The timer over the oven beeps, making Mom jump up from where she was leaning on the counter. “Go yell at your siblings to come sit at the table, please.”
I do as I’m told, which creates a stampede of people trying to get to a chair. We pack around the table like sardines. Everyone’s elbows bump into each other, and not a single one of us complains about it.
“There’s no more room for me to bring someone home. I’ll probably die a bachelor now because the rest of my family took up all the spots at the table,” Nolan laments.
“You’re so dramatic.” Sara throws her napkin at Nolan.
“It’s true, though. I’m never going to find someone.” We all hear the note of resignation in Nolan’s voice and know he’s not kidding anymore.
