Nanette snapped a kitchen towel at Colton, and it sounded like she’d cracked a whip. “Hush you! Jesus, don’t wish that on us yet.”
Then everyone in the kitchen, except Zach, laughed.
Zach demonstrated with his fingers again, and when Tyler nodded, the two drew their bows in unison. After a couple more notes to get in sync, they set into a quick, feisty song Grandpa had taught Zach. Never told him the name or the composer, but it was good for getting the fingers moving quick.
When they’d made one circuit, Colton started to play softly in the background. Tyler lost his spot at Colton’s surprise return. He’d left close to an hour ago when Zach stopped to show Tyler something. One something led to a few things, and Colton must’ve gotten tired of doing nothing.
“Colt,” Tyler said. “You surprised me.”
“Sorry, kiddo.” He didn’t sound sorry to Zach. “Mawmaw said to wash up. You two can play for the family after supper.”
Tyler’s face lost some color.
Zach experienced that stomach-twisting sensation when he was told to perform for the first time. “We got this, Ty.”
“Right.” Tyler didn’t sound so sure, but he put his instrument in the case and dashed off.
He watched Tyler leave and wondered if that was what having a younger sibling felt like. Probably not, or at least not all the time. “He’s a good kid. I can’t believe he sat through an hour of that.”
“Tyler loves to play.” Colton shrugged. “That and he’d have to watch his younger siblings and cousins if he wasn’t with you.”
This was probably a classic, ‘whatever you didn’t have was better than what you did’ but Zach wasn’t sure. Carefully, Zach put the violin back into the case and said, “I was always the youngest, so I don’t know if that’s worse for a twelve-year-old than practicing.”
A moody expression clouded Colton’s face and Zach regretted his words. “Me neither, but I had lots of cousins so trust me, practice is better.”
Another random person, not much younger than Zach, wandered through. He had an apple in his hand and popped it off his bicep. “Baseball is better than music. Anytime.”
Colton rolled his eyes and winked at Zach. “Football is better than baseball, Dub.”
“Lunkhead. Is not!” Dub gave Colton a wicked glance.
Colton chuckled. “Dub here is a pitcher for his high school team.”
“Number one starting pitcher.” He chomped a bite from the apple and used the back of his hand to wipe the juice dribbling down his chin.
Having never been to high school or even seen a baseball game, Zach looked to Colton for help. “That’s good, right?”
“Yeah.” Colton smiled. “Means he’s their best pitcher. Anyone scout you this year?”
“Gonzaga, Oregon State, Washington State, Lewis-Clark State, and a bunch of piddly-ass little schools I wouldn’t sign with.”
The way he rattled off the schools, Zach assumed they were important. “That’s great. Good luck getting into the one you want.”
The hard edge on the teen softened. “Thanks. Uncle Ted said he wants to see you, Colton. You too.” He nodded to Zach, took another bite, and strode out of the room.
“Don’t mind him, honey. Wayne’s seventeen and thinks he’s king shit because he’s a senior this year.”
Zach had never thought about going to college. He’d been homeschooled his entire life, and his grandfather never discussed things like college or what Zach would do with his life.
“You okay?” Colton put a hand on Zach’s upper back and rubbed slowly. “You look a little lost.”
The contact made Zach all wonky. It felt good, reassuring even, but it set his blood on fire. Christ, he wanted Colton to strip him naked, touch him everywhere, and… “I’m fine,” he said stiffly.
“Did I cross a line?” Colton pulled his hand back.
Life had been simpler when Grandpa had been alive and running the show. Zach never stayed long enough in any place to get attached to someone. He also didn’t think about his future beyond the next show, and things like crossing a line didn’t occur to him.
“Hell no,” he said in a whisper thick with lust. “I want you to, but you don’t. That’s the problem.”
