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“Wow,” Ares said. “You’d never have guessed that you were overweight as a kid. I wouldn’t have even believed it about Lock, to tell you the truth.”
She grinned when she looked up at me.
“Me, neither.”
I looped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her into my chest.
“I don’t take meds anymore,” she said. “But I also am very conscious that I likely will when I’m older. The doctor told me that my hormones were throwing everything out of whack.”
“Wish I could blame mine on anything other than being lazy.” Aspen laughed.
Drew, who was sitting next to his wife, curled his arm around her neck and buried his face into her hair.
“You had my babies,” he said. “It’s understandable that you’re going to not be a tiny little stick anymore.”
Aspen smiled softly.
“And I’d do it again. All day and every day,” she said sweetly.
I normally would’ve gagged over their syrupy sweet words, but then Saylor nudged a piece of chicken my way, and I finally understood.
I’d be the same exact way with Saylor.
Had been, actually.
I wasn’t normally a food sharer. Ares was right. It was odd for me to be doing what I was doing.
If it were any other person, I would’ve been adamant that I didn’t want to share.
But with Saylor, I didn’t seem to mind.
I’d do anything for her, even eat all the green beans.
“Y’all ready to play a game?” Memphis said when all the food had been consumed.
“What kind of game?” Saylor asked. “I’m not very good at any game.”
Something in which we all realized about an hour later.
“You could buy that,” Ares suggested.
Saylor frowned. “I don’t want to buy that.”
“But if you buy it, it’ll mean that Lock can’t buy it,” she pointed out. “It’s a railroad. If he lands on it, he’s going to snatch it up.”
She looked over at me. “What are the chances?”
The chances, apparently, were really good.
Because within the next two turns I’d landed on it, bought it, and then caused Ares to have to pay out the ass.
Ares turned a glare onto Saylor.
“See?” she said. “This is what I’ve had to deal with my entire life.”
“Pffft,” she said. “It’s not that bad.”
Ares rolled her eyes as Aspen took her turn.
“Just you wait, Saylor,” Aspen said. “He’s going to fuck you over like he fucks the rest of us over.”
Saylor looked over at me and batted her eyelashes.
“Surely you wouldn’t,” she said to me, smiling wickedly.
Two hours later, the game was over, Saylor was pissed off, and Ares was laughing her ass off.
“All is fair in love and Monopoly, Saylor,” Ares teased.
Saylor stuck her tongue out at Ares, then turned her glacial glare on me.
“I can’t believe that you act the way you do,” she said, still miffed. “Why do you play like that? How could that ever be any fun?”
I grinned. “I can’t help it that’s the way the game is played. I’m sorry that you lost but…”
“I lost,” she agreed. “But you played like a jackass. I’ll never play Monopoly with you again.”
“He’s like that with every single game he plays,” Downy said. “He’s a competitive little fucker.”
“Please don’t call our child a fucker,” Memphis said, rubbing the back of her neck.
Downy walked up to her and started to rub her neck, massaging it in deep, smooth strokes.
“Everything okay, Memphis?” Saylor started to look worried.
“This little bastard kid that I didn’t hire,” she murmured. “He’s caused me to have headache after headache. Jesus Christ, it would’ve been easier to hire him and then fire him. He’s cost me more money than hiring him for a year would’ve.”
I felt my stomach tighten.
“Has something more happened?” I asked, leaning forward, forgetting everything about what I was doing.
“No.” She paused. “Still the same stuff he hit me with originally. Kid’s persistent, though. He wants to settle out of court. I want it to go to court. He’s making it damn difficult, that’s for sure.”
“I wasn’t aware that they got the decision to settle it out of court at all,” Saylor frowned. “Why would he want to settle? He feels he has a legitimate claim to the money, therefore, he shouldn’t be upset to go to court.”
Dad growled under his breath.
“The little fucker is slippery,” he said. “I looked him up at the station. Kid’s got a rap sheet a mile long. He’s also gotten out of every single offense due to his upbringing and mental health issues.”
“Mental health issues?” Drew asked. “What kind of mental health issues?”
“The kind that lands him in a state-mandated rehab after each offense,” Dad grumbled.
“So, who does he have on his side that he’s able to get that each time he’s landed himself in prison?” Jonah asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Not sure,” Dad admitted. “But, luckily, the court was able to lock down a court date. We’re going to be going next Thursday.”
