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Spotting Silas and Booker sitting in one of the family booths, they headed in that direction. “Why? You said you didn’t need to be at Lennon’s parents’ until elevenish?”
“It’s not exactly that. And Lennon informs me it’s more like ten-thirty for their Christmas brunch.”
Kari reached the booth first, sliding in next to Booker. “What is it then?”
“What’s what?” Booker questioned, lifting a huge jug of beer to fill the empty glasses sitting on the table.
“Kodi’s talking about wussing out on us.”
Kodi moved along the padded bench next to Silas. “That’s not even a word, Kari,” he spluttered, grabbing for the beer, seeing how things were going to be.
“He’s got to get up early tomorrow,” Kari continued in an exaggerated tone.
“Is that code for sex?” Silas asked, smirking. “Popi said pregnancy can make the hormones go crazy, and not it the bat shit way.”
“I see we’re getting to the good stuff already.” Jupiter slid in beside Kodi, giving him the full-on Jupiter grin that spelled trouble.
Rue, who had followed behind him, looked at the remaining seats and sat next to Kari. “Good stuff?”
Jupiter flashed his killer smile. “Yep, sex.”
Kodi groaned and plonked his now half empty glass down. “We aren’t talking about sex.”
Taylin and Laken stopped at the table, Dad just behind them dragging a seat for the end of the table.
“Is that because you ain’t getting any?” Taylin kept a straight face for three seconds before he caved and laughed at Kodi giving him the middle finger.
“I see we’ve jumped right back into puberty,” Dad muttered, eyes rolling while Taylin and Laken took the remaining two seats, forcing them to squish together with how big the eight of them were.
Dad placed his chair and sat down, reaching for the beer Booker offered him. “You’re gonna need it for this lot.”
Silas jabbed a finger at Booker. “You better be adding yourself to that ‘this lot’. You were the one who threw in the group chat about Kodi and the ass—”
“Don’t you fucking dare,” Kodi growled, struggling to hold back his amusement despite being the butt of the joke. Dad, who never got flustered, was starting to look uneasy.
Kari sipped at his beer, looking over the glass. “So, what’s got you getting up early in the morning?”
The heat building in his face, Kodi put down to how busy the place was and that he was stuck between his brothers. He cast a ‘fuck you’ look at Kari. “If you must know, Lennon is suffering with morning sickness.”
Beer snorted out of Booker’s nose as he coughed. “Don’t tell me you’re getting up to help your mate when he pukes?” He wiped at his nose while Silas used napkins to mop the table. “The man who can’t stand the noise of someone being sick because it sets you off too?”
“I’m not that bad.” Bastards. His brothers clearly disagreed with how hard they laughed at him. Dad had his face buried in his glass, but his shaking shoulders gave him away. “I’m not!”
“What about that one time when Jup got the stomach flu and puked in the kitchen all over your shoes? I recall you vomiting on Jup’s hair while he was bent over up chucking,” Silas said, looking at Jupiter for confirmation while Kodi cringed at the memory.
“Is this going to be pick on Kodi night?” he groused at the table of hyenas.
“Looks like,” Taylin replied, hailing the server. “You’ll most definitely need more beer for the vomit horrors.”
“It started when they were three. Kari got sick and Kodi took one look at Kari and went as green as pea—”
“Dad,” he groaned, “not you too!”
“If you can’t beat them, son.”
Kodi caught the gleam in Dad’s eye and got what he was meaning. “Then I’ll join in.” He turned to Silas. “If we’re doing memory lane, what about when you came home freaking out because the nurse at school had discovered you were crawling with head lice and it turned out you’d infected everyone?”
“Ugh, I’d forgotten about that. Every time my head itched, I thought they were back!” Booker shuddered. “What did we call you?”
