Chapter 2 #3
All the kids groaned and gagged.
“But, baby, you like my charm,” he reasoned.
“No more food throwing,” Rimmel told the room.
Jax belched, and frankly, it was impressive.
“I felt the house shake!” Asher announced.
Blue and Jax high-fived.
“Ewww,” Andi and London both sang.
“Boys are disgusting,” Nova announced, not even looking up from her phone.
Ivy stopped behind her chair, a mug in her hand. “Oooh, that’s cute,” she said, pointing to something on the screen. “Send me the link.”
“Done,” Nova said a second later.
“Good, now put your phone down. It’s family time.”
Nova sighed. “Mom.”
“You know the pancake Sunday rules,” Braeden chimed as he sat at the table.
Rocket lumbered over and dropped his head on his lap. Braeden made a face but then scratched behind his ear.
Sucker.
After setting down our plates, I went and refilled Drew’s coffee and added some creamer. On the way back to the table, I helped myself to a few sips before handing it back to him.
“Can I have some coffee?” Andi asked from beside Drew.
“It’ll stunt your growth,” he told her, then immediately took a long drink.
“Ha, her growth is already stunted,” Travis quipped.
“Is not!” she hollered.
“I’m not the one who needs a stepstool to brush my teeth,” he shot back.
“At least I brush my teeth, dragon breath!”
“Oooh, burn!” London jumped in.
“My growth’s not stunted, is it, Daddy?” Andi said, lifting her big brown eyes to me.
My heart somersaulted just looking at that sweet face. I’d do anything for her. “‘Course not, peanut. Why do you think I have to lift so many weights? I gotta have muscle to carry you around.”
Trav opened his mouth, but I shot him a look. He rolled his eyes but closed his lips.
“If I’m so big, why do you call me peanut?” She wanted to know.
Plucking her out of her chair, I held her up, dangling her above my head.
She laughed, her cheeks turning rosy while her long dark hair fell forward in a curtain around her face.
“Because to me, you will always be my little peanut,” I said, pulling her in to smack a kiss on her cheek.
Instead of putting her back in the chair, I sat beside Drew with her on my lap.
“I really want to try coffee,” Andi said, leaning over and batting her eyes at Drew.
He groaned, and I stifled a laugh.
“Fine. But just a small sip.”
Andi clapped and sat up straight as though trying her dad’s bean juice was a serious matter.
The mug was massive in her hands, the pink polish on her nails chipping and a small gold ring with a butterfly on it circling her index finger.
The intrauterine growth restriction she’d endured as a fetus due to her mother’s heavy drug use resulted in an impairment in blood flow and also nutrition, causing her to be born prematurely and with a low birth weight.
That, coupled with the poor nutrition and living conditions she was first introduced to, meant Andi was small in stature.
Once adopted, she caught up quite a lot and no longer lacked in nutrients or vitamins.
However, the doctors did think she would remain with a slight build, likely because of her early development and general genetics.
Slurping brought my attention back to the girl in my lap, and I smiled, watching her gulp down the coffee.
“I said a small sip, not half the mug,” Drew told her.
I chuckled and took the mug from her hand. “Don’t drink all of Daddy’s coffee, peanut, or he will be grumpy.”
Andi looked at me, lips glossy from the drink and a stoic look in her eyes. “It’s not very good.”
Everyone laughed.
“You don’t like my coffee, peanut?” Drew asked, taking the mug back to help himself.
“It tastes burned.”
“That’s ‘cause Uncle B made it,” Romeo put in.
“I feel the love,” B quipped.
“Your dad makes better coffee,” Drew told her.
Andi looked at me, doubt written all over her face.
“Just stick to juice,” I said, giving her a small glass of OJ.
She took it and then fed Ketchup a piece of bacon.
Drew handed me the mug, and I drank some before digging into my food.
“Next time you want to try coffee, Andi, I’ll make you a latte,” Nova offered.
“With caramel?” Andi asked.
“Sure.”
Drew shook his head and grumbled about how the new generation couldn’t appreciate real coffee.
“You’re just mad you can’t use the espresso machine,” Ivy mused.
Rimmel laughed. “Last time he tried, frothed milk ended up everywhere but his cup.”
“Who needs frothed milk anyway? That’s what creamer is for,” Drew said around a mouthful of pancake.
“How’s the team looking for the new season?” Romeo asked Braeden.
Ever since a knee injury forced him into retirement from pro football, B had spent the last few years coaching his and Romeo’s old high school team, the Green Hornets.
“Gonna be a helluva lot better with Blue and Jax playing this year,” Braeden answered.
“Junior varsity,” Blue said, a bit of remorse in his tone. He was just like Rome. Wanted to be the best, so he was already looking at varsity even though this would be his first year of high school.
“We all start somewhere.” Romeo reminded him. “Junior varsity is just as important.”
“It only matters if you have fun,” Rimmel said.
“Junior varsity is where we need improvement. Varsity is looking solid. Right, Trav?”
“The quarterback isn’t as good as Uncle Romeo.”
Romeo let out a sound.
Braeden laughed.
“Not many are, son,” I told him.
“That’s why I’m glad we have you, Trav. To make sure no one mows him down before he gets the ball out.”
Travis nodded, and I studied him a moment before turning back to the conversation.
“How about Alpha U, Rome? You nervous about your first season as head coach?”
“Nah. It only matters if we have fun,” Romeo replied, tongue in cheek.
“Roman Anderson, are you making fun of me?”
He widened his blue eyes and smiled, very reminiscent of the way Blue did earlier. “I would never do that, smalls. You’re my favorite.”
She made a face.
Romeo slid her off her chair and into his lap. “It’s gonna be fun being back on campus. Like when we met,” he said, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“I’ll wear my hoodie to the games!” Rimmel said.
“That ratty old thing?” Braeden questioned. “You’ll freeze to death.”
Romeo pinched the fabric of his ancient Alpha U hoodie between two fingers and pulled it away from her arm. The blue was faded, the golden lettering half rubbed off, and there were probably at least a dozen holes in it.
“Maybe now that I’m back, I can get you a new one. One that says coach on the back,” Romeo said.
“Fine, but you’ll have to wear it at a few games before you give it to me.”
“Deal,” he whispered.
“What about you, Ives?” Drew asked, stealing some food off my plate because his was already empty. I pushed it toward him when he wasn’t looking. I always added extra to my plate because he always ate off it.
“What’s going on in the fashion world?”
“Fashion week is coming up in New York. I’m covering it for People but also for my own socials and website. LA Torres invited me backstage to help style a few models.”
I wasn’t sure who that was, but I knew enough to know he was probably some famous and exclusive designer.
“Can I please come?” Nova begged.
“You have school.”
“It’s LA Torres,” Nova said as if that somehow explained it all.
Ivy pursed her lips. “It’s your senior year.”
“It’s only a couple days. Please.” Nova turned her baby blues on Braeden. Dude was fucked. That girl got her eyes from Drew (okay, technically Ivy), and they were irresistible. “Daddy, pleeease.”
“You’ll miss a game. Doesn’t the squad need you?”
Nova was the cheer captain at the high school.
“Tayla can take over for one game.”
Tayla was the co-captain.
All the best uncles keep up with the 4-1-1.
Braeden sighed.
“I’ll bring you a brownie from that bakery you like.” She sweetened the deal.
“What about me?” Romeo asked.
“You too, Uncle Romeo.”
“Fine.” B relented. “But only if you take a bodyguard.”
“Braeden,” Ivy admonished.
Excitement shone in Nova’s eyes, and when she shot up from the table, her long dark hair (which she got from her father) floated around and stuck to Braeden’s unshaven jaw when she hugged him. “Thank you, Dad! I love you.”
Braeden grunted. “Two bodyguards.”
Ivy tossed up her hands. “Anyone else want to come?”
“Me!” London and Andi exclaimed.
“You girls can come when you’re older,” Ivy promised.
“Don’t playoffs begin in the NRR soon?”
“In about two weeks,” Drew answered. “Perks of not being in NASCAR. Those suckers don’t get any break between end of season and start of playoffs like we do.”
“Fall is coming at us fast and furious like always,” Rim concluded.
“Yeah, but this time I’ll be home for all of it,” Romeo said.
“But before summer is officially over, we have one more thing to celebrate,” I said, glancing down the table at Travis.
“Trav’s birthday party is gonna be lit,” Asher announced.
Everyone laughed.
“No one says lit anymore,” Nova told him.
“Have you been on that clock app again?” Rimmel asked. We were all very strict about social media in this house. We had to be. The paparazzi had never been kind.
“Yeah, on Nova’s phone,” Asher said, making a face at Nova.
“What are you doing with that app?” Ivy wanted to know.
“Everyone has it, Mom!” Nova defended herself. Then to Asher, she added, “As if I’d tell you the passcode to my phone.”
“Don’t need it when you have face ID. I’m surprised it even recognized you with the way you were drooling.” Asher leaned back in his seat and feigned sleep with his mouth hanging open and started to snore.
“I do not look like that!” she demanded.
“You totally do.” Jax snickered.
Jax, Blue, and Asher laughed.
Nova pushed back from the table and stood. “I’m going to my room.”
“We aren’t done with breakfast,” Ivy said.
“I am,” Nova said.
“You can go to your room when we’re done,” Braeden said, no give in his voice. “Sit.”
With a huff, Nova sat back down.
“Boys, apologize to your sister,” Romeo said.
“She’s not my sister,” Asher argued.