14. Silver
14
SILVER
L ink is sitting in the dining room, taking a bite out of a hard-boiled egg when I get to the kitchen.
“Congratulations, man. It sounds like things went pretty well last night. Do we have a new brother-in-law?”
I sink down in the chair next to him. “Not yet.”
“Really? I thought for sure you sealed the deal. Lucas was loud .” Link tosses the rest of the hard-boiled egg in his mouth and grabs for the second one on his plate.
“Sorry about that.”
He shrugs. “At least I couldn’t see you this time. Back in college?—”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You fucked omegas in our room, too. Why are you up so early?” I ask.
“Coin made us get up. We have to leave in a few minutes. He’s got work, and Slade has to get back to the trailer park before ten. Did you know he’s taking up plumbing with Mom?”
“What?” Our alpha mom has been running the Fox Plumbing business by herself for as long as I can remember. She won’t even let Uncle Dagger’s bookkeeping guy help her with her taxes.
“Yeah. I guess he’s a licensed electrician, so they’re expanding the business.”
Tin appears in the doorway of the eat-in kitchen. His eyes are alert, and his face is already shaven. He probably gets up this early every day at the ranch. “Good morning. I hope you don’t mind, but I already brewed a pot of coffee.”
Coin squeezes around him and walks into the kitchen. “Thank you very much.” He opens a few cupboards before locating a coffee mug. “Are you guys ready to go?”
Link shoves the remaining egg in his mouth and gives a thumbs up.
Chime scampers into the kitchen wearing a bright red dress and gold shoes. Link holds out his arms to her, and she runs toward him. At the last moment, he stands up and lifts her off the ground. She squeals with delight.
“What are we having for breakfast?” Quin asks, trailing behind her. Slade has his big, beefy arm around his narrow shoulders. They seem so comfortable together, which is bizarre. Back when we were in high school, Quin got all jittery and nervous every time Slade so much as glanced in our direction.
I guess a lot has changed for them, too in the last five years.
“Tin made coffee and Link raided my fridge for eggs. You’re welcome to eat whatever you can find. I have bread for toast. There’s cereal, yogurt, bananas.”
Quin opens the fridge. “We could make pancakes.” He smiles at something behind me. “For old time’s sake.”
I turn to see Lucas standing uncertainly in the hallway. He’s wearing his new jeans and one of the nicer shirts. The collar is wide enough to expose his scent gland, which is still puffy and scabbed over from last night. I notice the way Quin’s eyes dart to the bite, but only for a second.
“We don’t have time for pancakes,” Coin reminds him, taking a long swallow of coffee. “We need to be out of here in ten minutes.”
“Are you sure we have to leave?” Quin asks. “We haven’t seen Lucas in forever. Wouldn’t it be fun to play hooky and bake cinnamon rolls or something?”
Lucas gives him the sweetest, shyest little smile. God, he’s cute. I can’t wait until he’s properly mine.
“What do you think, Chime?” Link says, tickling her belly. “Should we play hooky and bake cinnamon rolls?”
She giggles. “Yes! Stop it, Uncle Link.”
He sets her down, as requested. “Okay. But I think a tickle monster might be coming.”
She rolls her eyes dramatically. “I’m too old for the tickle monster.”
“That isn’t possible. The tickle monster attacks everyone. Even old people.”
“It does not!” she argues.
“The tickle monster only attacks people who consent, remember?” Quin says pointedly.
Link flops back down into his chair. “Okay, okay. But Lucas needs to have his pups already, so I’ll have more kids to tickle.”
Lucas does that sweet, shy smile again. I want to kiss him. Would he let me right here in front of my brothers? They already know we’re sleeping together.
I better not. I don’t want to push him into anything he’s not ready for.
“If ya’ll want to stay here, then be my guest. But I need to get to work,” Coin says.
Slade bends down to kiss Quin’s cheek. “I’m sorry, but I have to get to work too.”
“So do I,” Tin agrees.
Quin sighs. “Okay, fine. When do we get to see you again, Lucas? Could I get your number?”
Lucas hugs his chest nervously. I’m not sure he has a phone. I haven’t seen him use one since he got here.
“You can contact him through me,” I suggest.
Quin presses his lips together. “Um, I was hoping to be able to contact him directly. Do you have a phone number, Lucas?”
“My phone is kind of dead, so…” Lucas shrugs.
“I could buy you a new one,” Coin says. “If you need it. Or a charger, if that would be easier.”
Lucas glances at me. He’s overwhelmed. I don’t know if it’s because he’s planning to leave us all behind soon, and he wants to make a clean break, or because this is triggering some kind of trauma in his brain. The strangest things used to scare him, and sometimes it didn’t make sense, even when he tried to explain it to me afterward.
“Tell you what, I’ll make sure you get Lucas’s phone number as soon as we figure out if his phone is working.” I step in front of him, putting a physical barrier between him and my brothers.
Quin steps back, the concern still etched on his face. I understand. We all missed Lucas when he ran off with Daryll. I thought he’d at least stay in contact with my family. They were extremely close.
“I just think he should know that he’s family, no matter what,” Quin says.
He means no matter what happens with me.
“Yeah,” Coin agrees. “Lucas is family, even if the two of you don’t get together. We don’t want to lose him again.”
I turn around slowly, not wanting to spook Lucas. His shoulders are rounded, his head ducked down. I wish I knew what was going on his head.
“I’m tired. I should go take a nap,” he says softly. He retreats down the hall and into the guest bedroom at the far end. The door clicks shut behind him.
The silence that follows is thick and unnatural. We’re not a quiet family. The only time our home was silent growing up was when everyone was asleep.
“Didn’t he just get up?” Link asks.
Tin walks over to the fridge and pulls off a sheet of paper from the post-it pad where I write my grocery lists. He jots his name and a phone number on the paper and sets it on the counter.
“We can write our phone numbers on here, and Silver can pass it on to Lucas.” He holds out the pen to Quin. He reluctantly takes it and writes his phone number on the paper.
“He had our phone numbers before, and he didn’t message us,” Quin says.
“Why not?” Chime asks.
Quin gives her a gentle side-hug. “I don’t know. Sometimes people have a hard time accepting love.”
“Why?” she repeats.
“Lots of reasons. Sometimes it’s because they believe they don’t deserve it.” He looks directly at Slade as he says this.
“Why?”
Slade holds out his hand to Chime. “Maybe no one’s loved them properly before.”
Chime takes his hand and follows him out of the kitchen. “Why?”
“That’s a good question.” Slade’s deep voice fades as they walk away.
“I guess we’re eating on the way?” Coin says, jotting his number on the piece of paper.
Link grabs the loaf of bread and a bunch of bananas on the counter. “Yep. Good luck, man. I want all the updates, okay?” He writes his name and phone number on the paper, too, although it doesn’t look particularly legible.
Tin, Link, and Coin head out. Only Quin is left in the kitchen. He picks up the paper and hands it to me. “Do our moms know he’s pregnant?”
I shake my head.
“They need to,” Quin says.
“I know. But I’m not sure he’s ready yet.”
He purses his lips. “Okay. It’s just… he needs a mom. Or a dad or whatever. He needs a parent.”
“I’ll take care of him, Quin. I promise.”
Quin shoves his hands in his pockets. “Sure. But you’re sleeping with him, aren’t you? That makes things complicated. I think Lucas needs love that isn’t complicated right now. Make sure he charges his phone, okay? And ask if you can take him home for family dinner this Saturday. Tell him I’d love to see him.”
“Yeah, okay.”
He holds out his arms to me. I bring him in for a hug. He smells of vanilla and warm bread, as always.
“Thanks for coming over,” I say.
He pulls away. “It was good to see you. I left some cookies in the freezer for you and Lucas. I hope you can make it on Saturday.”
I watch him go, waiting for the inevitable loneliness that always comes after a visit from one of my brothers, but all I feel is concern for Lucas. I’m not sure if I should let him have space or go comfort him.
In the end, I decide to knock on the door to the guest room because of Quin.
I think Lucas needs love that isn’t complicated right now.
I’ll give Lucas all the love that I can, complicated or not.