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Our eyes met. His expression closed. There it was again. That wall.

I looked away first.

Chief shook his head and walked out of the kitchen.

I watched him go. Of course I did.

Some things were apparently beyond my control.

I washed up and started rinsing potatoes.

Clayton squeezed in beside me, and I moved everything out of his way so he could wash up too. Our shoulders rubbed together and I bumped into him affectionately.

He bumped back.

I was an only child, but I’d never felt like one. The Bishop boys had taken care of that.

I went to the pantry and grabbed more potatoes. There were eleven of us with Coach Ben coming, but I prepped fifteen to be safe. The boys could eat.

“You forgot the broccoli,” Clayton said.

I stopped. Damn it. Sunshine was never going to let me live that down. “Go get it,” I told him.

“I’m grilling.”

“You’re standing at the sink.”

“Preparing to grill.”

“You two sound married,” Ruckus said. He’d planted himself at the kitchen table with his homework, though from what I could tell he’d spent more time interfering with us than actually doing any of it.

Clayton looked at me. I looked at him.

“No,” we said together.

Ruckus grinned. “See? Married.”

“Ruckus,” I warned.

He bent over his textbook, still grinning.

“I’ll get the broccoli,” Micah said.

I looked over.

He was still eating the sandwich he’d appeared with earlier.

“You will?”

“For five bucks.”

“You’re charging me?”

“I have to walk all the way over there.”

I stared through the kitchen window at my house.

“Micah, it’s right there.” I pointed.