The front door opened and Cristie walked in, closing the door behind her, which was interesting and encouraging because she didn’t slam the door.
“Hey, baby,” Riley said. “How was your day?”
Cristie hesitated, then simply painted on her dealing with people she didn’t know smile. “Fine.”
“Hey, girl. That Kaiser out there?” Lucas asked.
“It is. He’s not coming in because he’s got Buster Bee in the car and T2 hates Buster Bee, so they’re waiting in the car. I have to change,” she said as she started for the stairs.
“That dog is still alive?” Lucas asked.
“And he’s obese now, so I put him on a diet dog food,” she said as she climbed up the steps.
“I thought he was obese when he was a puppy,” Lucas whispered.
“Where y’all going?” Riley called after her.
“Out,” she said, her voice sharp, but not quite sharp enough for her father to decide she should be called to task.
Riley dramatically lowered one eye and shook his head as he rolled his eyes and blew out an exaggerated breath.
“Hey, she answered you. She could have pretended she didn’t hear. That’s Tia’s thing lately, ‘What? I didn’t hear you!’. Like she’s not a freaking Bear and damn fire bender, too. Knows she heard every damn word I said and still tries to pull it off.”
Riley chuckled. “Keegan doing the same?”
“No, she’s smart enough to know there’s no way I’d believe that shit. She just glances my way and says, ‘You know she’s lying, right?’.”
“You’d think she’d cover for her sister,” Riley said.
“Oil and water, Riley. I’m telling you those girls are like oil and water, unless somebody else messes with one of them, then all hell breaks loose when they team up,” Lucas said.
“You know I can hear you, right?” a slightly high-pitched female voice, Tia’s, called from the kitchen.
“Me, too,” a more medium pitched voice that rang clear and steady, Keegan’s, added.
“He knows. And it’s his way of telling you you’re not amusing,” Anahla’s voice could be heard saying to the two girls who’d just spoken.
“How about instead of listening to me and Uncle Riley, you just concentrate on helping Aunt Maia and Mom with dinner?” Lucas called out. He focused on Riley. “Just one son,” he said with a shrug. “Was it too much to ask? I am the only male in a house filled with estrogen.”
“Keegan might have drowned him at birth if you’d had one. She’s as strong as any son you might have had.”
“There is that,” Lucas said, grinning.
“Besides, you know you wouldn’t trade those girls for anything.”
“No, I would not. It’s the teen years; the attitude is killing me.”
Riley laughed. “I remember it well, and hang on, it doesn’t change all that much all of a sudden. It slowly tapers off only to rear its head just when you think you’re all finished with it.”
Footsteps could be heard as the owner of said feet ran nimbly down the steps and toward the living room. Seconds later Cristie, having shed the scrubs she wore to work every day in favor of her favorite pair of jeans and boots with a deep brown Henley, and her hair pulled free of her ponytail holder, came to a stop at the foot of the stairs. She checked her purse to make sure she had everything she needed, then turned to look over her shoulder as she heard her mother approaching.
“Don’t you look cute,” Maia said.
“Thanks,” Cristie answered.
“Where you going?” Maia asked.
“Going to eat with Kaiser. He got in this morning and brought Buster Bee to get checked out.”
