back of his hand and then used the back of his hand to wipe his running nose.
“Make sure you wear your insect repellent. Do you have your inhaler? Are you eating well? When are you getting back?”
Kaeden held the BlackBerry from his face and frowned as he looked down at it. “I’m good. I know it’s Friday, but did anything major come up at the office today?” he asked, clearly steering the conversation back to business and away from Felecia sounding way too much like his girlfriend or wife.
“I’m holding down things for you. We’re a team, remember?”
Kaeden frowned again. “That’s good to know,” he said vaguely, his focus on a large wasp flying around Kaleb’s silver-flecked head. “Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’ll see you at the office Monday.”
Kaeden ended the call. “If that miniairplane bites me, you gone have to give me my epi shot,” he warned Kaleb.
“Man, stop worrying ’bout stuff like that and just enjoy the experience,” Kaleb told him as he rose from his camp chair and strained the muscles in his arms reeling in the line—and hopefully a fish.
Kaeden cast his brother a stare. “That’s easy for you to say.”
“I think I need the net, big brother,” Kaleb boasted as he leaned back and kept on reeling.
“You ain’t got nothing down there, son,” Kael called down the bank teasingly.
Kaeden grabbed the net and rose from his seat. “That’s a big one,” he admitted as Kaleb held the line with the squirming bass on the large hook.
“Tonight I want to catch the other fish floating around here,” Kaleb told him with a rowdy wink before he used pliers to take the hook from the fish.
“Kaleb, you really need to lay off Jade,” Kaeden told his brother in a serious tone.
Kaleb dropped the fish into the bucket. “What?”
“You just called the woman a damn fish,” Kaeden snapped. “Straight up you acting like an asshole, always pushing up on her when you know she’s not in the mood for you.”
Kaleb closed the lid on the bucket and looked up at his brother as he straightened up to his full height. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to act like a caveman and scoop her up in my arms.”
“You know what, I can eat that and say I was wrong, but one incident of inappropriateness is nothing compared to your horny ass around here being disrespectful,” Kaeden shot back, feeling his anger rising.
“Incident of inappropriateness?” Kaleb barked a laugh. “Man, save that nerdy conversation, man.”
Kaeden stiffened his back as his jaw clenched. “Mind this nerd don’t whup your ass, little brother,” he told Kaleb coldly.
“Hey, what’s y’all problem down there?” their father yelled from down the bank.
Kaeden and Kaleb squared off with their noses damn near touching.
“Why you all swoll up and writing a check you can’t cash, big brother?”
“Because she’s sick of your shit and so am I,” Kaeden told him in a hard voice, not backing down one bit.
“You protecting the coochie like you got a chance of getting it!” Kaleb said, waving his hand dismissively at Kaeden before he turned to bait his hook.
Kaeden snorted in derision as he too turned away to pick up his reel and rod. “Look like you don’t have a chance either, pimpin’. That’s my whole point.”
“Now, I’m sick of both of y’all shit, so both of you sit down before I get up,” Kade said from his spot sitting on a stump. He was the oldest, and growing up he frequently took on the father figure role.
Kaleb cast his line into the water. “Man, whatever.”
Kaeden sat down on his camp chair. “Whatever.”
Chapter 6
Jade was walking from the cleared area where the outhouse sat when she saw Kaeden sitting by the fire reading his book. She paused her steps as she looked down at him alone while his father and brothers were rowdily playing cards at the picnic table. She knew he was close to his family, but in that moment her heart went out to him because he looked alone.
But
“Make sure you wear your insect repellent. Do you have your inhaler? Are you eating well? When are you getting back?”
Kaeden held the BlackBerry from his face and frowned as he looked down at it. “I’m good. I know it’s Friday, but did anything major come up at the office today?” he asked, clearly steering the conversation back to business and away from Felecia sounding way too much like his girlfriend or wife.
“I’m holding down things for you. We’re a team, remember?”
Kaeden frowned again. “That’s good to know,” he said vaguely, his focus on a large wasp flying around Kaleb’s silver-flecked head. “Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’ll see you at the office Monday.”
Kaeden ended the call. “If that miniairplane bites me, you gone have to give me my epi shot,” he warned Kaleb.
“Man, stop worrying ’bout stuff like that and just enjoy the experience,” Kaleb told him as he rose from his camp chair and strained the muscles in his arms reeling in the line—and hopefully a fish.
Kaeden cast his brother a stare. “That’s easy for you to say.”
“I think I need the net, big brother,” Kaleb boasted as he leaned back and kept on reeling.
“You ain’t got nothing down there, son,” Kael called down the bank teasingly.
Kaeden grabbed the net and rose from his seat. “That’s a big one,” he admitted as Kaleb held the line with the squirming bass on the large hook.
“Tonight I want to catch the other fish floating around here,” Kaleb told him with a rowdy wink before he used pliers to take the hook from the fish.
“Kaleb, you really need to lay off Jade,” Kaeden told his brother in a serious tone.
Kaleb dropped the fish into the bucket. “What?”
“You just called the woman a damn fish,” Kaeden snapped. “Straight up you acting like an asshole, always pushing up on her when you know she’s not in the mood for you.”
Kaleb closed the lid on the bucket and looked up at his brother as he straightened up to his full height. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to act like a caveman and scoop her up in my arms.”
“You know what, I can eat that and say I was wrong, but one incident of inappropriateness is nothing compared to your horny ass around here being disrespectful,” Kaeden shot back, feeling his anger rising.
“Incident of inappropriateness?” Kaleb barked a laugh. “Man, save that nerdy conversation, man.”
Kaeden stiffened his back as his jaw clenched. “Mind this nerd don’t whup your ass, little brother,” he told Kaleb coldly.
“Hey, what’s y’all problem down there?” their father yelled from down the bank.
Kaeden and Kaleb squared off with their noses damn near touching.
“Why you all swoll up and writing a check you can’t cash, big brother?”
“Because she’s sick of your shit and so am I,” Kaeden told him in a hard voice, not backing down one bit.
“You protecting the coochie like you got a chance of getting it!” Kaleb said, waving his hand dismissively at Kaeden before he turned to bait his hook.
Kaeden snorted in derision as he too turned away to pick up his reel and rod. “Look like you don’t have a chance either, pimpin’. That’s my whole point.”
“Now, I’m sick of both of y’all shit, so both of you sit down before I get up,” Kade said from his spot sitting on a stump. He was the oldest, and growing up he frequently took on the father figure role.
Kaleb cast his line into the water. “Man, whatever.”
Kaeden sat down on his camp chair. “Whatever.”
Chapter 6
Jade was walking from the cleared area where the outhouse sat when she saw Kaeden sitting by the fire reading his book. She paused her steps as she looked down at him alone while his father and brothers were rowdily playing cards at the picnic table. She knew he was close to his family, but in that moment her heart went out to him because he looked alone.
But
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