then you’re going to be disappointed.”
I saw Derrick and Eliot exchange furtive looks. They clearly sensed this was going to turn into more of a battle than anyone else had anticipated.
Marnie wasn’t going to be dissuaded, though. She and Sally fought like cats and dogs – or like sisters that were only eleven months apart in age – but she wasn’t going to put up with any of Steve’s bullshit. “Get out of the way.”
“Sally is not leaving me,” Steve argued.
“Then you’re going to be disappointed,” my mom chimed in.
“A woman does not leave her husband,” Steve countered. “I am the head of this house and what I say goes.”
I sucked in a breath. Uh-oh.
“The head of the house,” Marnie laughed. “You’re barely third in line.”
Steve opened the door wider and stepped out onto the porch to bar Marnie from going any farther. I saw Derrick tense beside me. Crap.
Eliot took a step forward, and Steve and his brother were suddenly focused on him. He does make an imposing sight.
“Why don’t we just talk about this?” I could tell he wasn’t exactly interested in getting in a brawl. At least not yet.
“Why don’t you go home and braid your hair,” Steve countered. His brother high-fived him for his cleverness. Sometimes I wonder if their mother and father were also brother and sister.
“What is it with this family and my hair?” Eliot turned to me.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I like it.”
The truth was , I found it sexy as hell. I didn’t think now was the time to tell him that, though.
“Can you two stop flirting with each other and focus on the present,” Derrick snapped.
I still wasn’t sure what the big deal was. It’s not like Steve and his brother were some immovable, trained military force.
Eliot seemed to read my mind. “They’re not the only ones,” he said. “There are at least two more people in the house.”
“How do you know?”
“Someone keeps peeking out from that side window,” he gestured toward the picture window that was shrouded in curtains. “And someone is pacing in front of that upstairs window.”
Whoops. I hadn’t noticed that.
“So much for your vaunted powers of observation,” Derrick scoffed.
Eliot turned to Derrick. “Are you armed?”
“No. Are you?”
“No.”
“Nothing in your car?”
“I didn’t think I would need anything. This was just supposed to be a simple family dinner.” Eliot seemed calm, but I could tell that his muscles were tensed and ready for action.
“Nothing is ever simple with Avery,” Derrick reminded him.
“I should realize that at this point,” Eliot ceded.
“How did this become my fault?”
Everyone turned their attention back to the front porch. Steve was regarding Derrick and Eliot, while steadfastly trying to ignore my mom and Marnie. That wasn’t going to win him any points.
“You don’t have any jurisdiction here,” Steve reminded Derrick.
“If I feel that anyone’s life is in danger, I do,” Derrick countered.
I had noticed that Eliot was slipping away from both of us and making his way towards the front of the house. I wanted to follow him – but something told me that was a bad idea. I merely watched as he disappeared around the front of the house. Thankfully, Steve’s attention was still fixed on Derrick.
“If you don’t want anyone to get hurt, then you’ll leave,” Steve growled.
“Just let us get her clothes,” Derrick suggested.
“No.”
I focused my gaze on Steve’s brother, who was still standing inside the kitchen – on the other side of the open door. I saw his attention turn to something inside of the house, and he walked away from the door. Eliot.
Derrick must have realized what was going on, too, because he was determined to keep Steve’s attention on him. He took five steps forward, moving in front of his mom and my mom, and squaring himself in front of Steve. Steve wasn’t a big guy, but Derrick is fairly miniscule for a man.
I saw Derrick and Eliot exchange furtive looks. They clearly sensed this was going to turn into more of a battle than anyone else had anticipated.
Marnie wasn’t going to be dissuaded, though. She and Sally fought like cats and dogs – or like sisters that were only eleven months apart in age – but she wasn’t going to put up with any of Steve’s bullshit. “Get out of the way.”
“Sally is not leaving me,” Steve argued.
“Then you’re going to be disappointed,” my mom chimed in.
“A woman does not leave her husband,” Steve countered. “I am the head of this house and what I say goes.”
I sucked in a breath. Uh-oh.
“The head of the house,” Marnie laughed. “You’re barely third in line.”
Steve opened the door wider and stepped out onto the porch to bar Marnie from going any farther. I saw Derrick tense beside me. Crap.
Eliot took a step forward, and Steve and his brother were suddenly focused on him. He does make an imposing sight.
“Why don’t we just talk about this?” I could tell he wasn’t exactly interested in getting in a brawl. At least not yet.
“Why don’t you go home and braid your hair,” Steve countered. His brother high-fived him for his cleverness. Sometimes I wonder if their mother and father were also brother and sister.
“What is it with this family and my hair?” Eliot turned to me.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I like it.”
The truth was , I found it sexy as hell. I didn’t think now was the time to tell him that, though.
“Can you two stop flirting with each other and focus on the present,” Derrick snapped.
I still wasn’t sure what the big deal was. It’s not like Steve and his brother were some immovable, trained military force.
Eliot seemed to read my mind. “They’re not the only ones,” he said. “There are at least two more people in the house.”
“How do you know?”
“Someone keeps peeking out from that side window,” he gestured toward the picture window that was shrouded in curtains. “And someone is pacing in front of that upstairs window.”
Whoops. I hadn’t noticed that.
“So much for your vaunted powers of observation,” Derrick scoffed.
Eliot turned to Derrick. “Are you armed?”
“No. Are you?”
“No.”
“Nothing in your car?”
“I didn’t think I would need anything. This was just supposed to be a simple family dinner.” Eliot seemed calm, but I could tell that his muscles were tensed and ready for action.
“Nothing is ever simple with Avery,” Derrick reminded him.
“I should realize that at this point,” Eliot ceded.
“How did this become my fault?”
Everyone turned their attention back to the front porch. Steve was regarding Derrick and Eliot, while steadfastly trying to ignore my mom and Marnie. That wasn’t going to win him any points.
“You don’t have any jurisdiction here,” Steve reminded Derrick.
“If I feel that anyone’s life is in danger, I do,” Derrick countered.
I had noticed that Eliot was slipping away from both of us and making his way towards the front of the house. I wanted to follow him – but something told me that was a bad idea. I merely watched as he disappeared around the front of the house. Thankfully, Steve’s attention was still fixed on Derrick.
“If you don’t want anyone to get hurt, then you’ll leave,” Steve growled.
“Just let us get her clothes,” Derrick suggested.
“No.”
I focused my gaze on Steve’s brother, who was still standing inside the kitchen – on the other side of the open door. I saw his attention turn to something inside of the house, and he walked away from the door. Eliot.
Derrick must have realized what was going on, too, because he was determined to keep Steve’s attention on him. He took five steps forward, moving in front of his mom and my mom, and squaring himself in front of Steve. Steve wasn’t a big guy, but Derrick is fairly miniscule for a man.
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