Page 72 of Dickathlon

“He’s all worn out,” Travis answered, joining those gathered around the island.

Owen punched him on the shoulder for me, and I mouthed ‘thank you’ and winked.

“As long as he’s happy.”

“Oh, I think he’s happy, Mom,” Pierce echoed Travis’s sentiments.

“You guys aren’t embarrassing me at all, if that’s what you’re trying to do. I know he’s happy and that makes me happy too.” I tried to deflate my muscles a little. I didn’t want to look too threatening. I knew they were just brothers being brothers, but I still wasn’t used to that.

I heard the thumping coming down the stairs. It was him. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Why’re you happy? What’d I miss?” Ty asked, breathless, as he burst into the kitchen, trying to pull a shirt down over his head. His arm was stuck, then it wasn’t. But the shirt was backwards.

“Pierce tricked Declan into making pancakes for everyone and you’re happy,” Owen answered him.

“Because you got some last night.”

“Christa! That’s my line!” Pierce yelled.

“Okay, I get it. You are way too comfortable about my sex life for this early in the morning. Can we all move past that for now and just eat what smells like a delicious meal?”

“Sounds good to me, babe,” I said to a chorus of ‘Aw’s. “We’ve got pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon.”

Ding.

“And toast.”

“You told him to make all this, Pierce?” Ty asked, getting in his brother’s face.

“I just said pancakes.” Pierce held his hands up defensively.

“You made all the rest of it just because?” Ty looked at me.

I smiled. “Just because.”

There were more ‘Aw’s, and then everyone dug in, while I kept flipping at the griddle.

Eventually, the noise settled down as everyone had a plate and their mouths were full.

“Did you add something to the pancakes, Declan?” Christa asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, I always make the melt-in-your-mouth ones. I added some sugar, vanilla and baking powder, and my secret ingredient, a little cinnamon.”

“Well, damn, they’re amazing,” she said between bites.

“You picked a good one Ty-Bo.” Travis winked at me.

“A good one? For his first guy, he picked the jackpot. I can see why Ty turned for him.”

“I didn’t turn for him, Pierce.”

“Shit, bro. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“Half-ass apology accepted.” Ty rolled his eyes, then smiled at me.

“I just meant, after seeing him in your bed this morning, I get the attraction.”

“You saw what?!” Ty stood up, his chair scraping the floor.