Page 16 of Hello Tease

9

KNOX

One day a month,my entire family went to Dallas for dinner and reserved the biggest table at our favorite steak restaurant, Rare. (Which, if you’re asking my opinion, is the best and only way to eat a steak.) Located on the north side of the city, it was the most convenient place for all of us now that one brother played for a professional football team in Dallas and my youngest brother, Bryce, went to college in Oklahoma.

We used to pile into Dad’s truck to go there, but now with Fletcher having a growing family, we took two separate cars. Fletcher, Liv, and their two in one vehicle. Hayes, Dad, and me in another.

We all got there around the same time for our reservation, and once we walked inside, the regular hostess, Rhonda, gave us a big grin. “There’re those motley Madigans!”

Liv went up with Leah on her hip and gave Rhonda a hug. Rhonda returned it with a kiss on the cheek for Liv and Leah both. “Great to see you again.”

I leaned closer to Bryce, saying, “If you’re not getting any action at college, Rhonda’ll give you a big ol’ sloppy kiss on the cheek.”

Bryce shoved my shoulder, an annoyed smile touching his lips. “Don’t you worry about me.”

I roughed his shaggy brown hair. “Killing it with the ladies?”

He rolled his brown eyes at me. “Not bribing my famous brother to help me get a girl, if that’s what you mean.”

My cheeks got hot. Okay, he might have had me there. Shaking my head, I followed everyone back to the big round table we always used and slid in the middle between Bryce and Leah. The table fit all of us, but barely.

Rhonda smiled as she handed out menus to all of us sitting there, her bright red lipstick still intact despite all the cheek-kissing. “Soon you’ll have to rent out the whole place to fit your family.”

Bryce snorted. “Not for Knox.” He ribbed my side, and I got him back.

On Bryce’s other side, Dad said, “You take your time, Bryce. The others...” He tapped his wrist where he never wore a wristwatch. “I’m waiting.”

Rhonda smiled while Ford, Hayes, and I did our best to look distracted. “You know, I have a niece who would be just—”

Hayes cleared his tattooed throat. “Rhonda. You don’t want me anywhere near your niece.”

She gave him a look, all his tattoos and lip ring on display, and swatted her hand at him. “I see through you, Mister Tough Guy. You have a secret heart of gold under all that ink.”

I swore Hayes was blushing before he hid his face behind a laminated menu.

Rhonda and Dad exchanged a friendly look, and she said, “I’ll be back with your drinks shortly.” She winked at my niece, Maya. “Extra cherries in your Shirley Temple, right, dear?”

Maya nodded happily.

As Rhonda left, we began catching up. Ford told us about the weight training he was doing. Fletcher shared about owning the medical office in town. Hayes had plenty to say about a hot girl who came into the shop. And Bryce caught us up on how his studies were going in computer science.

But then I swore I felt everyone staring at me.

Hayes gave me a shit-eating grin before breaking the silence. “How’s your new neighbor?”

“Oh shut up,” I muttered.

Of course little Leah immediately copied me. “Oh shut up. Oh shut up.”

Fletcher glared at me while Liv just laughed. “She’s heard worse from my brother Rhett.”

I felt relieved at that. “Larkin’s daughter pranked me the other morning. Put Saran Wrap on my toilet. Classic.”

Chuckles echoed around the table, and Ford said, “So when are you takingLarkinout?”

Liv spared me an answer, saying, “I’m taking her out first... if she can find a sitter.”

Dad’s thick gray eyebrows drew together. “Thought the grandparents were helping out?”

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