Graham stands so he can see the discs sliding across the board better. “You’ve got him, Jovie.”
“Quick, quick, quick.” Nathan’s full of helpful pointers. “You’re almost there, nugget.”
Jovie squeals, her fingers flying as she tugs her discs against the elastic to shoot them my way. “He’s too fast!”
Everyone groans when I manage to pop one of her pucks back onto her side.
“That’s so rude!” she shouts.
I won’t straight up let her win, but I might throw my aim enough to let her catch up again. I’m not a monster. Unless I’m playing my brothers. Then I’m out for blood.
“Shake it off,” Nathan tells her. “Eye of the tiger.”
Jovie starts singing the pop version of that song complete with dance moves, distracting herself enough for me to get my last puck through the gate and onto her side of the board.
“Aw!” Her expression falls for a moment before she looks up at Graham. “Want to play me, Uncle Graham?”
“I’m up for a little humiliation.”
I stand so he can take my place across from her. Nathan starts commentating like he’s an auctioneer, his words tumbling together in his attempt to keep up with the plays. Leaving them to their battle, I wander around the corner to find the rest of my family.
Mom, Dad, and Luke are still in the kitchen. Lucy’s at the far end of the dining table with her notebook. I move closer to try to see what she’s always working on. The moment she spots me, she slams the book shut.
Interesting.
“Plotting more schemes, Lucifer?”
She makes a smart aleck face at me. “I guess you’ll find out, won’t you Reedonkulous?”
Using our teenage nicknames for each other is how you know we’re mature, responsible adults.
“Don’t do the setup thing.” I tell her straight out. No teasing. I need her to hear me loud and clear.
Except I might have overdone the “loud” part.
“What setup thing?” Mom moves closer, her gaze darting from me to Lucy. The two of them have similar light brown hair and blue eyes, but only one of them perpetually looks like she’s up to something.
“I’m trying to help Reed find love,” Lucy tells her. “But he’s being stubborn.”
“Did you really think Reed would be anything else?” Mom’slook of pure affection slips over me like the warmest, softest blanket. “He’s been stubborn since he was two years old.”
“Not when I was one?” I tease.
“You were an angel when you were one.”
“Are we paying the children insincere compliments?” Dad wants to know. “Is it too late for me to join in?”
“Yes,” I say as he slides between Mom and me. He’s about my height, with a slighter build. His thick, dark hair my brothers and I inherited is now streaked with gray, but his eyes are as vivid as ever. Paired with the black plastic glasses frames he favors, it’s easy to imagine him as the aging professor he should have been.
He clears his throat. “Uh, Reed, the foam art you put on my coffee last week was very recognizable. An overall improvement in your barista skills.”
Lucy peals out a laugh, while Mom and Luke barely hold theirs in.
“Thanks, Dad. Very believable.”
“Speaking of Reed’s various failures,” Lucy says. “I’ve been trying to set him up with one of my coworkers, but he’s being unhelpful.”
All four of them train their gazes on me like I just walked in with a head wound. Why did I think Lucy might keep this plan to herself? The last thing I need is my whole family trying to get involved in my personal life. They’ll probably run a poll in the family group chat to vote on which of Lucy’s coworkers I should ask out.
