“Justin wouldn’t saykinky.”
“Well, I’m not Justin.” I watch as she drops her arm and repeats the same thing on the other side. “Are you stretching?” I try to tone down my amusement, but I’m not sure it worked.
“Obviously.” She jumps up and down, wiggling and loosening her body. “I have to be limber for the turkey stuff and for the fake-boyfriend performance of a lifetime.”
“I see.” I watch as Summer bends at the waist and touches her toes.
She twists her head and looks up at me from her bent-over position. “Right now, you’re wondering why your brother keeps dating me, huh?”
At least she’s aware of her crazy flag flying in the wind.
“No, actually, I’m wondering why you haven’t done the most important stretch of all.” I drop into a lunge with hands on my hips. I might have a crazy flag I fly sometimes too.
She walks around me, assessing. “Impressive, but that’s not the most important stretch.” She grabs her ankle and bends her knee, stretching her quad.
“What about high knees?” I start running in place, making sure my knees go way up past my hips.
“You guys are weird.”
We both turn our heads to Anna. I don’t know how long she’s been leaning against the doorframe, but the judgment in her eyes says it’s been a while. “We’re ready to stuff the turkey.” She pushes off the doorjamb and walks away, yelling into the kitchen, “They weren’t making out—unless stretching is some kind of kinky foreplay thing they do.”
We bust into laughter.
I point to where her sister stood moments ago. “Anna sayskinky.”
“That’s probably why she likes you more than Justin.”
In the back of my mind, I try and picture Justin fake-stretching with Summer. Or laughing this easily with her.
But I can’t.
No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to fit Justin into anything about tonight.
SUMMER
* * *
I handMax some canned milk. “Pour this over all the breadcrumbs.”
“What about me?” Miles whines.
“You’re in charge of the pepper.”
“That’s a big job.” Caleb nudges Miles’s shoulder.
“What’s your job, Justin?” Peter asks.
“My job is whatever Summer says.”
“You’re the mixer man. Get in there and scrunch all the ingredients together,” I boss Caleb.
“With my bare hands?”
“Yes, I believe you already stretched for this moment.”
“Indeed I did.” Caleb rolls up his sleeves and then slowly sinks his fingers into the stuffing. He looks over at my nephews, making silly faces, as if touching the stuffing grosses him out. The boys giggle and laugh as he plays it up.
Juliet is beside me, whispering in my ear, “He’s cute.”
