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My mother laughed. “You can guard terrorists, but you can’t keep track of your brother’s children for a night?”
“She’s got you there,” Kayla said. “You afraid, Noah?”
“Bock bock bock!” Canyon laughed. “Chicken!”
“I’m not afraid. I just don’t watch children.” I swung around to address all of my siblings. “By your reactions, it doesn’t seem like any of you can do it.”
My father sighed. “We haven’t had great track records with those sleepovers.”
“Please!” Trent begged.
Looking at Damon in disbelief, I asked, “What in the world?”
Damon flashed a mischievous smile, then shook his head. There was a tired look in his eyes. “I don’t even want to tell you, bro. Maybe we’d better not let you do it.”
Well, if someone was going to tell me I couldn’t do it, then I sure wasn’t going to listen to them.
Jason put his hands together. “Will you? Will you? Will you?”
“Please, Uncle Noah.” Trent pulled at my shirt.
Damon and McCrae were already picking up their dishes and leaving the table. Damon’s eyes met mine. “You don’t have to.”
I supposed Trent might be a bit young to be out in the back end of my parents’ acreage with just his brother. There were times when the highway felt uncomfortably close, and we’d seen stragglers walk onto the property. “I’ll do it. You guys are just trying to psych me out.”
“Oh yeah!” Jason gave Trent a high five.
McCrae pointed at me. “Watch those boys. They like to wander.”
“What?” I’d thought they were worried about someone else getting to the boys.
Damon nodded and moved to the kitchen sink. “Boys, mind your uncle Noah.”
“Yeah, Dad!” Jason gave me a wild look. “It’s going to be so fun. Can we take the BB guns?”
Kayla laughed. “Damon, are you sure you trust Noah?”
I scowled. “Again, what is it about these boys that makes all of you think I can’t handle this?”
My father’s eyes twinkled. “You asked what you could do for me. Well, keep track of those two miscreants tonight. That will let my heart rest.” He stood and moved toward the recliner. “And Noah, I have a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday that I need you to take me to. I’m going to rest for a while and turn on the news.”
I was thrown off for two reasons: first, my father wanted me to take him to an appointment; and second, my father had admitted he was tired. Trying to cover up my worry about him, I focused on the boys. “This will be easy time.” I ruffled the hair on their heads. “Like Grandma said, it’s not like they’ve been trained by terrorist forces. Those guys have more advanced weapons.”
McCrae hooted at that. “Bro, you have no idea what you’ve signed up for.”
“Keep telling yourself it’s easy,” Kayla said, shaking her head. “Maybe it will be.”
Damon leaned in, speaking just to me. “Call me if anything happens, okay?” His expression said he wasn’t joking.
“Are you really worried?”
He patted my shoulder. “Just don’t get psyched out by the things Canyon and Kayla tell you. Seriously, call me if you need to.”
I watched him walk away and felt like there were a lot of secrets being kept from me. Too bad I was running this op completely blind. I didn’t understand the inside jokes or the looks my siblings were giving each other. I didn’t know why Dad was pissed at me. He was right that I hadn’t come home much, but he’d never acted like he really cared.
Staring at my nephews, I considered my situation. I doubted I could fix my relationship with Ella. I couldn’t bring my best friend back from the dead or crack whatever was going on with my family. I could do this one thing.
So I grinned at Jason and Trent and said, “Boys, tonight we’ll have an adventure.”
