Page 31 of Sterling Fight

“Oh,” he deadpans.

“Shh,” Vale demands, waving at our brother. “Let Judd explain.” She beams at me like I’m about to narrate the most romantic tale.

I don’t want to disappoint her, but there isn’t much to share. “Genie asked me to be her friend.”

“Judd.” Genie’s voice is quiet, confused.

I feel her gaze on the side of my face, but I know I won’t get this out if I look at her. I’ll blurt out more truths than she can handle in a day. More than I care to share all at once.

“She always had these braids in her hair.” I wave over my head like my hair is woven together. Finally, I turn to Genie. “And I thought she was the cutest girl I’d ever seen.”

Genie quietly scoffs while her brows deeply crease.

“It was love at first braid tug.” I reach for the end of her now shorter hair and tug a curl, then turn back to my family, unable to look Genie in the eye after admitting the moment I fell for her. Like I told her this morning, no one had ever asked to be my friend. In truth, I didn’t have many. My older brothers were best friends with one another. I’d been especially close to my mother as a child, and as my younger siblings came along, I became her ‘special helper’. She was my best friend until I was eight. Until she was gone.

“I never knew,” Genie whispers, as if playing along with an act when what I’ve said is the truth.

I’ve had a crush on her since I was ten.

“And what about you?” Vale asks a bit suspiciously, her tone suddenly protective. “When did you fall for Judd?”

Genie looks at me a long minute, and then turns toward Vale, giving her a warm smile. “I don’t think it was love at first braid tug for me. I pushed him off a chair after he pulled my hair.”

My family collectively chuckles, and I’m hopeful that’s the end of grill Genie-and-Judd time.

But Genie continues. “When I was in middle school, though, I had the biggest crush on him.” She pauses and turns to me. “But of course, eighth graders were too cool to look at sixth graders.”

She must be lying. I was never too cool for anything in middle school. But I remember meeting those eyes of hers across the middle school library. When she’d be waiting for her mom to pick her up after school, and I’d just be hanging out, avoiding my home and my dad until the last possible minute.

“Can I be a flower girl in your wedding?” Ford’s oldest daughter, Zelle asks, breaking into the stare Genie and I share. I hadn’t seen Zelle’s approach.

“Can I be one, too?” Winnie asks next. The now-seven-year-old isn’t much for stereotypical girl things. She’s mischievous as hell but where Winnie is, Dutton is sure to follow, so I’m not surprised when he asks next.

“Me too,” he adds enthusiastically.

“I want to be a flower girl,” June, Ford’s youngest states, so as not to be left out of the mix.

Oh boy. “Um . . . we aren’t exactly to the wedding planning stage yet.” The engagement was only established yesterday, and as it isn’t real, I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. Plus, I’m sensing the panic starting to swirl around Genie.

“I’m starving,” I announce, rubbing at my belly like a child to distract everyone.

“Why don’t you help me with the burgers, Judd?” Stone asks, after having remained silent throughout this exchange.

Truth is, no one helps Stone with the burgers. He’s a grill master and takes the position of feeding his family every Sunday very seriously. So, I know what Stone really wants. A chat.

“I don’t want to leave Genie.” She’s new to this madness. Seven siblings plus significant others and the ever-expanding second-generation hoard. It’s a lot to take in.

Or maybe I’m the one who wants her to remain by my side.

Stone glances at her and offers a kind smile. “Something tells me she can handle herself.”

“Go,” Genie whispers, placing her comforting hand on my back again. “Now I can get the real gossip on you.” She nods toward my sister. “And maybe see a baby picture or two.”

“No pictures,” I counter, knowing how I looked when I was younger. Buckteeth and big ears. Then the awkward glasses stage. The skinny phase with ill-fitting clothes. And the hungry years.

“Oh, I have pictures.” Vale wiggles her brows and slips her arm through Genie’s, pulling her away from me. They are going to be fast friends.

With my head down, I follow Stone to the grill.