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“You need to find your Zen,” York suggests as she lifts the top of the Crockpot and inhales the smell of the brisket. “And, CeCe, this smells incredible.”
“Not bad for a brisket I cooked two days ago. But wait until you taste the ribs.”
Aggie squeals and lets out the most adorable belly laugh. We all look over and see Elle’s front paws on her shoulders and her tongue running up the side of her face.
“She’s giving you kisses.” Roman laughs, and it’s seriously just as adorable.
I see Gwen and Chloe looking at me like, What the fuck is wrong with you?
I roll my eyes and continue on my way, ignoring them.
“Can’t move,” Roman groans, holding his hand over his stomach. “Everything was delicious.”
“We Southern girls know how to cook.” I smile down at where Aggie and Elle are snuggled up against Bananas on the floor.
“And the Shaw girls only do one thing better than cook.” Danny wags his eyebrows at Chloe.
“Oh my God, really?” I gasp.
“Hell yes.” Danny pushes back in his seat and stands. “Your ability to clean a dish is next level.”
Chloe laughs as she stands. “Nice try, hotshot. The cook doesn’t do the dishes, so we’re up.”
“I can help,” Rome offers.
“Nope. Guests don’t do dishes. So, if you’ve never eaten a meal here, you’re still a guest.” Chloe stops stacking plates and looks at him. “This your first time here for a meal?”
“It is.” He chuckles.
“Then, you sit with the cook and let us clean up.” She looks at Gwen.
“Hey, I just got here. I’m still a guest.”
“Fine, you get a pass today.” Chloe blows her a kiss.
Roman looks at Gwen. “So, you’re a Mavericks fan?”
She crosses her arms and quirks a brow. “I cheered for the Jags last night.”
“She’s a Pope fan,” Chloe calls back. “Pope, Whit, Danny, and Marks were inseparable growing up. York—I mean, Gwen—and Whit became good friends after high school.”
“You played softball with Whitley. You were her friend before I was,” Gwen says.
“Lost touch for a bit, but she and York were there when I needed them the most.” Chloe smiles as she grabs more dishes off the table. “They helped me out of a situation with an ex.”
“Situation is an understatement,” Danny grumbles.
I turn my glass with my finger to avoid questioning eyes and wonder how it was I totally missed the dump truck’s arrival.
“My old man was a situation a time or two.” Rome’s tongue swipes across the scar above his lip. “I’m sorry you went through that.”
“He still in the picture?” York asks.
“No, he’s not. He did a few months in jail, during which time our house went into foreclosure. Mom busted her butt to make ends meet.” He shakes his head. “When he got out, he moved in with his mother and drained her bank account. Grandma Hart asked us to move in with her out of fear of him. We moved in, packed his belongings, put them on the porch, and hung the standing order of protection in the window.” He chuckles. “One of my favorite memories.”
“Did your mom move in with his mother?”
“Grandma Hart loved my mom. She was like a mother to her since she was seventeen years old. All four of us moved in and took care of her. She had health issues; it was the emphysema that—” He stops and laughs. “Sorry about that. Just want you to know, I get that sh …”—he glances down at Aggie—“that situations happen to even the strongest women.”
