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She lifts her eyebrows at me and whispers the way she always does when she’s about to say something sassy. “Don’t you start thinking you’ll get rewarded for bad behavior.”
I laugh at her, and she flings a towel at me.
“I was just about to start the frying. I’m expecting everyone in just a few minutes.”
I wash my hands. “All right. Let me help.”
We fry the fish, and my family starts trickling in. Sutton and Owen are first. My oldest brother is a freaking judge, but he’s still cool. People say we look the most alike, the two of us and Scarlett. Owen is eight and smart as all hell, cute as can be.
I wrap my arms around him, careful not to get greasy hands on him, and he grins up at me.
“I think I’ve got Dad talked into a dog,” he says.
“You’re kidding. It’s about time,” I tell him. “I’d give you a high five, but I’m a mess. How did you pull this off?” I give Sutton a look and he rolls his eyes.
“One-track mind,” Sutton says. “He’s pulling the wear-him-down trick and it’s working.”
“Naw,” Owen says, laughing. “Dad wants a dog as much as I do, he just likes pretending he doesn’t.”
Sutton scoffs at that but doesn’t disagree.
“You know, I think you’re right,” I tell Owen. “Well, let me know the minute you get one. I can’t wait to meet the new pet.”
Wyatt rushes in like he’s scared he’s already missed the food, and Scarlett and Jamison are right behind him. I hug Scarlett and fist-bump Jamison over her shoulder.
“I don’t think I’ve ever gone this long without seeing you,” Scarlett fusses.
“I came to see you two days ago at the lodge.”
My sister and Jamison run the lodge that was built by our family. Jamison and his NFL brother, Zac Ledger, bought the place, which didn’t go over well with my sister at all in the beginning, but they’ve managed to work it out, judging from how they can never keep their hands off each other.
“That didn’t count,” she says.
“You sound just like Grinny.”
“So I’ve been told,” she sings.
“Any word from Callum?” I ask, putting my arm around Wyatt.
“He should be here any second. He had to secure a fence, but he said he was almost done,” Wyatt says.
Callum was over last night, but not for long. He’s a rancher, so he goes to bed early, and I’ve slept like shit, so we weren’t very chatty.
The doorbell rings and Grinny has stepped into the other room, so I go answer it. Must be a delivery because Callum wouldn’t be ringing the doorbell.
I open the door and there stands Sofie holding two pies. She smiles at me sweetly and my blood boils.
“The hell are you doing here?” I ask.
Her face falls. “Grinny didn’t tell you that she invited me?”
“No. She did not.” I sigh.
I should’ve known Grinny was up to something after that phone call.
“There you are, dear,” Grinny says behind me.
I turn to look at her and her expression is innocent. I narrow my eyes and she pats my arm.
