“No worries, Pa. I’m good. I ate a couple of hours ago.”
“Nonsense,” Lorrie said. “There’s plenty of food for everyone. If I know your father, he got fried chicken since he didn’t think I’d be up to watch him eat it.”
Sawyer glanced at his father, huffing out a laugh when the old man had the decency to blush. He went to retrieve the food, and sure enough, there was a bucket of fried chicken.
Brendon finally stopped acting like a bump on a log and made quick work of emptying the bags and grabbing plates and silverware before returning to the table. He still didn’t make much eye contact, but he didn’t hesitate to dig in when Curtis told him to.
“I saw your truck up at the vet today,” Curtis said by way of conversation after they’d all started eating, including their mother, who was enjoying the chicken noodle soup Curtis had obviously picked up at the diner before grabbing fried chicken.
Sawyer looked right at his father, casting him a look that said Really, Dad? Here?
“Somethin’ wrong with Buster?” Lorrie asked, looking down at the dog.
“Nope, he’s perfectly fine. A little ornery, but fine.”
“You stop by to check on Kennedy?” Curtis asked, getting right to the point.
“I took her food.”
Brendon’s head slowly swiveled around until he was looking at Sawyer.
“What?” Sawyer asked in response to the look.
“You took her food? And she didn’t fire warnin’ shots to keep you off the property?”
Sawyer laughed. “No, she didn’t.”
“I guess we must’ve worn her down last night,” Brendon said.
“She mentioned y’all went on and on about Travis’s football.”
Brendon smirked, turning his attention back to his food.
“You takin’ care of things while Jared’s out of town?” Curtis asked, just as quickly changing the subject as he’d done when he brought up Kennedy. Sawyer knew his old man did it on purpose. Although Lorrie was the one who liked to meddle in her sons’ love lives, Sawyer knew that Curtis didn’t have a problem spurring her on.
“Yes, sir,” Sawyer told him, dishing more fried okra onto his plate. “Is he gonna keep stayin’ here when he gets back?”
Lorrie was the one to answer. “They’re gonna stay in Kaleb’s old house.”
“That’s a smart idea,” Sawyer replied.
“Who’s ‘they’?” Brendon asked, his fork halfway to his mouth.
Sawyer looked at his mother and father, waiting for one of them to answer. Curtis spoke up.
“Jared’s goin’ to pick up his boy.”
“His boy?” Brendon’s confusion rang in the simple question. “I thought Derrick wasn’t biologically his?”
“That don’t mean he ain’t his boy,” Curtis said simply, snatching another piece of chicken from the bucket.
“I’m confused,” Brendon stated, sitting up straight and looking at his father.
“Doesn’t take much,” Sawyer whispered loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Shut up,” Brendon said without heat. “Seriously. Jared’s gonna go and get his son, who isn’t really his, but now he is.”
“That’s pretty much the gist of it, yes,” Sawyer answered. “He’s adoptin’ the boy.”
“His ex couldn’t handle him or what?”
“Somethin’ like that,” Sawyer said, not wanting to go into what he thought about Jared’s ex-wife. Especially not with their mother sitting at the table.
“Well, boys,” Lorrie said softly, “I think I’m gonna head back to bed. Hopefully I’ll kick these allergies by mornin’ so I can go hold my newest grandbaby.”
“Night, Ma,” Sawyer called to her when she got to her feet. “We’ll take care of cleanin’ up.”
She nodded as she moved around the table, hugging Brendon and kissing the top of his head before doing the same to Sawyer and then finally to Curtis.
When she was out of the room, the three of them went back to eating. And they didn’t stop until they couldn’t move from the table. It was then that Brendon announced, “Not it,” with Curtis chiming in a close second.
Which meant Sawyer got left with cleaning up the mess.
Oh, if the ladies could see him now.
BRENDON DIDN’T MOVE from the kitchen table when Sawyer took over the chore of cleaning up the dinner mess. He just didn’t have enough energy to do much of anything, which was why’d he’d planted his ass at his parents’ kitchen table as soon as he walked in the door.