“Yes, food and blankets.” He nods, glancing at me. My brows raise, but I don’t help him dig himself out.
“Security blankets have been around for years,” he continues when he sees I’m no help. “They’ve been comforting people in sad times, so we just wanted to capitalize on that.”
“So you’re trying to comfort people in all kinds of weather?” Bless Anna’s heart for trying to make sense of his nonsense.
“Uh…yeah. People need security blankets for comfort in the rain and snow just as much as they need it in their bedroom or the hospital.”
Erin looks confused. “I thought the blankets were just supposed to keep people warm and dry in all kinds of wet weather.”
“That too.” Caleb scratches his ear. Maybe it’s time to bail him out.
“I’m the financial backer of the whole thing!” Carma grunts from the table.
Caleb’s eyes shift to me for confirmation. I give a slight shake of my head, clueing him in on my aunt’s delusion.
“That’s right, Carma!” He smiles at her. “Although, I thought you were a silent investor.”
“Pfft!” She blows a raspberry with her lips, and a drop of spit flings out. “I’m not the silent type.”
“Anyway”—I turn back to my family—“that’s enough of that.”
“Yeah, nobody wants to hear about my boring blankets. Why don’t you guys tell me something embarrassing about Summer.” He turns to me with a mischievous smile. “Like, has she ever mistakenly kissed someone she wasn’t supposed to?”
My jaw hardens. I am not amused. I repeat:notamused.
“I hope not!” Hailey laughs. “That would be really embarrassing.”
He looks directly at Hailey. “Wouldn’t it, though?”
Somebody thinks he’s a funny man.
I kick his shin under the bar as I say, “Trust me, I don’t get embarrassed.”
“You don’t get embarrassed?” His brows rise in surprise as he studies me.
“No, not really.”
“Oh, come on. I’m sure one of these sisters of yours has something good on you.”
“I know one!” Juliet bounces excitedly. “When Summer was in high school, they were reading the bookThe Outsidersin class, and when it was her turn to read out loud, she got to a word and pronounced it so-no-fay-gun and then asked the teacher what that meant. The most beautiful boy in school laughed from the back and said, ‘You meanson of a gun?’She had to leave the class because she was so embarrassed.”
“In my defense, the phrase was smooshed together into one big word like the character in the book had said it fast, so it was an easy mistake.”
“I can top sonofagun,” Caleb says.
I lift my chin to him. “I doubt it.”
“Oh, I can.” His blue eyes peek down at me in a playful way. “Senior year. English class. The word was manslaughter, and I said man’s laughter.Man’s laughter.” This makes my entire family cackle while I try to bite back my smile. “I just couldn’t understand why the character in the book was getting fifteen to twenty for laughing.” That’s when I crack and laugh too. Caleb’s face is dead serious, which makes everything even funnier.
“Justin won.” Juliet points to him. “His story is better than sonofagun.”
I can't help but glance around the room and notice how everyone is laughing and hanging on his every word.
And just like that, Caleb took Justin from public enemy number one to the most popular kid in school.
ten
CALEB
