floor. She circled them, frightened they would seriously hurt each other. Tristan’s leg knocked against a table and the vase of flowers on top would have fallen if she hadn’t managed to catch it.
Sean cursed as Tris got him in a headlock.
“And you need to keep your hands off my girl,” Tris said, his face red with the exertion of trying to hold Sean down.
His girl? Oh shit. That was not supposed to make her feel so good.
Neither man seemed inclined to give up and Lane almost cried with relief when Keira entered the room.
“Jesus Christ. Aren’t you guys a bit old for this shit?” She stepped over the two men flailing on the floor and headed toward the kitchen. “Hey, Lane. All settled in?” Lane nodded, wondering at Keira’s calm countenance in the face of two of her brothers trying to pummel each other to death.
“Want a sandwich?” Keira asked. Lane looked back at Tris and Sean, sweating and panting, still wrestling on the floor.
Keira followed her gaze and yelled at her brothers. “Either one of you dumbasses want a sandwich?”
Tris had Sean trapped beneath him, but the younger man was still giving him a pretty hard fight. “I’m waiting to hear Sean cry uncle.”
“Hell will freeze over,” Sean said.
Keira walked over to the men and gave each a kick. “I’m gonna uncle both your asses if you don’t stop that and get up. You’re scaring Lane. She’s not used to the way you two carry on.”
47
Mari Carr
Her words seemed to take the wind out of their sails as Tris stood quickly, reaching to offer Sean a hand up. Both men turned to Lane with guilty expressions.
“Sorry, kitten. I thought you knew we were wrestling, just messing around.”
“We do it all the time,” Sean added.
She laughed lightly, trying to pretend she hadn’t been worried they’d seriously hurt each other. “Oh, I knew that.” She hoped they’d buy the lie.
Tris frowned. He walked over and placed his large palm against her cheek. “I think we’re going to have to keep in mind you aren’t used to big families.”
“Big, insane families,” Keira added. “Come on, Sean. Help me make some lunch.” Sean started to follow Keira to the kitchen but stopped as he passed Lane. “Sorry if we scared you.” He bent to give her a brotherly peck on the cheek.
“No worries,” she said, “but I think you and I are going to have to talk later about your hip position. You went down way too fast.” Sean laughed. “I’ll look forward to your coaching.”
* * * * *
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly as Keira, Sean, Tris and Lane mapped out a plan for their pop’s return to the apartment. The siblings were determined to make sure the transition was easy and Lane was touched to see how much they all loved their father.
She didn’t even know who her father was. Her mother, a drug addict, hadn’t known who’d gotten her pregnant. Lane could only vaguely recall the grandmother who’d kept her when she was a baby while her mother lived her life strung out on heroin. Her mother had disappeared a few months before her grandmother died and when she was seven, Lane had become a ward of the state.
“Lane?” Tris said. She looked up and realized they were all staring at her.
“Sorry. Drifted off there for a minute. Did you ask something?” 48
Waiting for Wednesday
“We wanted to know if you needed anything else. Is your room okay?” Keira asked.
Lane had unpacked her belongings earlier. Most of her things were in storage for now. “It’s fine.” Sharing the room with Riley, however, was going to be problematic for reasons she wasn’t about to admit to anyone, least of all Tris.
“Well, sounds like we have everything in hand. Just remember, Lane, no one expects you to do it all. There are five of us around and we intend to help out as much as possible. If you ever need a break, just give a shout and one of us will relieve you.” Keira rose from the table.
“Hey, Kiki,” Sean said, standing
Sean cursed as Tris got him in a headlock.
“And you need to keep your hands off my girl,” Tris said, his face red with the exertion of trying to hold Sean down.
His girl? Oh shit. That was not supposed to make her feel so good.
Neither man seemed inclined to give up and Lane almost cried with relief when Keira entered the room.
“Jesus Christ. Aren’t you guys a bit old for this shit?” She stepped over the two men flailing on the floor and headed toward the kitchen. “Hey, Lane. All settled in?” Lane nodded, wondering at Keira’s calm countenance in the face of two of her brothers trying to pummel each other to death.
“Want a sandwich?” Keira asked. Lane looked back at Tris and Sean, sweating and panting, still wrestling on the floor.
Keira followed her gaze and yelled at her brothers. “Either one of you dumbasses want a sandwich?”
Tris had Sean trapped beneath him, but the younger man was still giving him a pretty hard fight. “I’m waiting to hear Sean cry uncle.”
“Hell will freeze over,” Sean said.
Keira walked over to the men and gave each a kick. “I’m gonna uncle both your asses if you don’t stop that and get up. You’re scaring Lane. She’s not used to the way you two carry on.”
47
Mari Carr
Her words seemed to take the wind out of their sails as Tris stood quickly, reaching to offer Sean a hand up. Both men turned to Lane with guilty expressions.
“Sorry, kitten. I thought you knew we were wrestling, just messing around.”
“We do it all the time,” Sean added.
She laughed lightly, trying to pretend she hadn’t been worried they’d seriously hurt each other. “Oh, I knew that.” She hoped they’d buy the lie.
Tris frowned. He walked over and placed his large palm against her cheek. “I think we’re going to have to keep in mind you aren’t used to big families.”
“Big, insane families,” Keira added. “Come on, Sean. Help me make some lunch.” Sean started to follow Keira to the kitchen but stopped as he passed Lane. “Sorry if we scared you.” He bent to give her a brotherly peck on the cheek.
“No worries,” she said, “but I think you and I are going to have to talk later about your hip position. You went down way too fast.” Sean laughed. “I’ll look forward to your coaching.”
* * * * *
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly as Keira, Sean, Tris and Lane mapped out a plan for their pop’s return to the apartment. The siblings were determined to make sure the transition was easy and Lane was touched to see how much they all loved their father.
She didn’t even know who her father was. Her mother, a drug addict, hadn’t known who’d gotten her pregnant. Lane could only vaguely recall the grandmother who’d kept her when she was a baby while her mother lived her life strung out on heroin. Her mother had disappeared a few months before her grandmother died and when she was seven, Lane had become a ward of the state.
“Lane?” Tris said. She looked up and realized they were all staring at her.
“Sorry. Drifted off there for a minute. Did you ask something?” 48
Waiting for Wednesday
“We wanted to know if you needed anything else. Is your room okay?” Keira asked.
Lane had unpacked her belongings earlier. Most of her things were in storage for now. “It’s fine.” Sharing the room with Riley, however, was going to be problematic for reasons she wasn’t about to admit to anyone, least of all Tris.
“Well, sounds like we have everything in hand. Just remember, Lane, no one expects you to do it all. There are five of us around and we intend to help out as much as possible. If you ever need a break, just give a shout and one of us will relieve you.” Keira rose from the table.
“Hey, Kiki,” Sean said, standing
Similar Books
