Page 36 of Remade

Yesterday, I’d seen a bunch of guys from a security company called MadCo install a new window and more security, which I remembered because I’d initially read it as Mad Cow. Then they’d been my witnesses when I’d thanked Shay for being a great instructor. He’d been there too, with his partners, and I’d acted without thinking. I’d just walked up and hugged him, followed by an awkward rambling about how he now lived in my head with Crew, Ryan, Beckett, and my dad.

I’d made a complete idiot of myself, but whatever. Shay had been a champ about it.

“By the way, Darius and his hubby made it too,” Ryan said.

Oh shit. That was even more nerve-racking.

“I thought their daughter was sick,” I answered.

“Elise and my wife will watch the kids.” He shrugged. “On that note, you might get to see two sides of Darius today.” He was warning me, wasn’t he? Oh God, it was a warning. “My brother was born skeptical of the world in general—and even though he trusts me with his life, he’s…”

“He wants to see for himself,” I deduced.

He nodded with a dip of his chin. “But once you get past the society-hatin’ hermit in him, you’ll see a good dad with a shitty sense of humor, a great brother, and someone who will always rub it in your face when he’s right. Especially if you try to climb your own roof without a ladder.”

I coughed, torn between wanting to laugh and run away and hide.

That was a very specific scenario.

“Just pretend to enjoy his dad jokes, and he’ll warm up in no time.”

Well—hold on a minute. “I love dad jokes.”

“Yeah, just like that.” He gestured his to-go mug at me.

I huffed. Dad jokes were the best, simplest form of brilliance. I’d fight anyone who disagreed.

He checked his watch. “They should be here any minute.”

Christ.

I took a breath, my stomach twisting with frazzled nerves.

I could do this. Maybe. Mary and James Quinn. Ethan Quinn. Willow Quinn. Darius and…

“What’s Darius’s husband’s name?” I asked.

“Gray.”

Right. Gray Quinn. Ryan had mentioned that Gray would be the easiest one to get to know, along with Elise and Lias. And those two wouldn’t be here today. The hope was for me to visit them around the holidays when I could take time off.

I swallowed nervously. “Um, do I hug them…? Shake hands?”

I was glad Ryan didn’t laugh at me.

“Ma won’t give you an option,” he said. “She’ll hug you. Pop…” He weighed his response with a pensive look on his face. “You know what? I think he will bring out his two-handshake for this. He’ll shake your hand, add a second for effect, and say very little.”

Heh. Good to know.

“Ethan is a mystery,” he went on. “The past few years, he’s been going through a transformation. He’s warmed up a lot, and he’s way nicer than the douchecanoe attitude he adopted in his thirties when he started stressing out about his age.”

Maybe I should take notes…

“Willow will not hug you,” he added. “She will, however, spend the entire time staring at you, only looking away whenyou try to make eye contact.” He smiled a little, but it wasn’t the happiest of smiles. “This will be rough for her. Jake was her anchor.”

I swallowed and felt my eyes sting already. “And Darius and Gray?”

“Oh, Gray’s a hugger like me,” he said. “If I wanna piss off my brother, I casually throw out that he married a man who’s essentially a younger version of me.”

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