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Lucas crossed his arms. “Well don’t be on the board then.”
Mom whistled like she was an NFL-certified referee. “Enough. Both of you!” Her tone was sharp enough to remind everyone that no one messes with her kids—even one of her kids.
“I swear if Emma comes back out and sees you two about ready to jump into an MMF cage, I’m going to kick both of your asses,” Harris said. “It’s stupid enough that you guys are bickering like a couple of grannies at bingo, but the rest of us don’t want to hear it anymore.”
Lucas ran a hand down his face. “You’re right. Sorry, Mom.”
Where Lucas took to calling Peggy Mom from the start, it had never felt right to Jax. Even though Cindy was the furthest thing from a present parent, she was still his mom, and calling someone else that felt like a betrayal. But he didn’t want to hurt Peggy’s feelings either, which left him somewhere in the middle.
Always in the middle.
“It won’t happen again.” Not the fighting, but it wouldn’t impact the Carmichael family again. He’d make sure of it.
“Good.” Peggy patted his cheek. “Family is thicker than ego.”
Jax read the temperature of the room, the expressions on everyone’s faces, and felt his turn hot. Was that what they thought? That this was about ego? Because it wasn’t. It was about trust and brotherhood. Two things Lucas broke.
“Under the bridge,” Lucas said, approaching and offering his hand. He wasn’t offering an apology, Jax noticed. But that was a talk for another day.
“Under the bridge.” Jax took his hand, and they shook. Hard.
“Now isn’t that nice. My two boys together again.” Peggy took them both by the hand and pulled them into her, her arms going around each twin’s waist. “Let’s hug it out, shall we?”
“Nothing says I love you like a healing hug,” Kent said, coming in on the other side. It was the most hugs Jax had gotten in a year. He cleared his throat and it felt surprisingly thick with emotion.
Jax met Lucas’s eyes over Peggy’s head and something charged passed between the brothers, but it didn’t feel hostile. More like exhaustion.
With a firm clap to their backs, Kent wiped his eyes a little. Unlike Jax, Kent wasn’t afraid of hugs, cheek kisses, anything that showed his overflowing love. In fact, he was more outwardly affectionate than Peggy, and that was saying a lot.
After a Guinness Book of World Records hug, everyone stepped back and Jax could finally breathe. Lucas stayed where he was, keeping an arm around Peggy and Kent. He gave a tight squeeze.
“You’re not heading out, then coming back for the party, are you?” Brynn asked Jax, so much hope in her eyes he didn’t want to tell her that he couldn’t stay. He had exactly one week off before his next competition. Brynn might be a decorated soldier in the National Guard, but beneath the camo and ranking she was a sensitive soul.
Before he could deliver the news, Kent spoke. “Of course not, he’s staying right here with us.”
“I can make up your bed with fresh sheets,” Peggy said and went to move to do just that when Jax tucked her under his shoulder.
Jax opened his mouth to tell them the truth, but instead he said, “No need to make up the bed, I’ve already got a room at the lodge.”
Lucas stilled. “You’re staying at the lodge?”
Jax knew what his brother was really asking. Why, when Lucas worked, lived, and breathed the lodge, did he not know his brother was there?
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Peggy batted his chest. “I would have stocked the fridge and made you a container of your favorite cookies.”
“I wanted to surprise you. But I’ll take some of those brownies to go.”
“You better not be paying for the room, son,” Kent said.
“It’s fine.”
Jax hadn’t used the free family rate, he’d paid for his room with his own damn money. The Carmichaels had given him so much, he didn’t want to take any more.
“No, it’s not,” Kent objected. “Lucas, make sure he gets a full refund. And Jax, you can stay as long as you want.”
Lucas cleared his throat, then shared a look with Peggy that Jax couldn’t decipher.
“Now?” Peggy whispered.
