Grant got up and pushed the button. “Yup.”
“We’re back with food.”
“We’ll be right up,” Grant said.
They headed upstairs. Katrina and Anya were in the kitchen unpacking bags of groceries.
Katrina turned around and smiled, then came over to give Tucker and Barrett hugs. “It’s great to see both of you. You’re just in time to help.”
Barrett looked at him. “This is just like being at Mom’s house.”
Katrina patted Barrett’s arm. “I’m going to take that as a compliment. Now go put these in the pantry.”
Katrina was an internationally famous model, one of the A-list types. Gorgeous and smart, too. Why she was with his doofus of a brother, he had no idea. He sure as hell didn’t see any appeal to Grant. Then again, he wasn’t sleeping with him.
Thank God. Sharing a room with him as a kid had been bad enough. Grant was Katrina’s problem now.
And she had two cool younger siblings, too. They had all bonded with Leo and Anya during the short time they’d known them. It was like they were part of the Cassidy family already.
And getting to be a part of the Cassidys wasn’t easy. But Grant loved Katrina, Leo and Anya. And his acceptance and love for them meant the rest of the Cassidys brought them into their fold.
It helped that they were exceptional people. Easy to like, friendly and fun.
It didn’t hurt that Leo liked sports, and Katrina and Anya were great cooks. Bonus points and all that.
“I hope you guys like seafood,” Anya said, already dragging out pans from the cabinets.
“We’re guys,” Barrett said. “We eat anything.”
Katrina leaned against the counter. “I know guys who are very choosy about what they eat.”
“You’ve met the Cassidys, haven’t you?” Tucker asked. “We really do eat anything.”
“Including things we probably shouldn’t have,” Grant added. “But that was when we were kids. As far as I know, none of us have eaten dirt recently.”
“I wouldn’t say that yet, pretty boy,” Barrett said. “Our teams play each other this year, and I intend to pound your face in the turf.”
“You’ll never get past my offensive line.”
Katrina rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.”
Anya laughed. “You two should record this conversation on a video and just press play every time you see each other.”
“Flynn said to tell you that when you play against San Francisco, you’re going down,” Barrett said. “And he’s going to be the one to take you there.”
Grant grinned. “See how my brothers fear me?”
Tucker laughed and slapped Grant on the back. “You’re the one who wanted to be a quarterback like Dad. Now you get to reap the rewards. And the threats.”
“And that’s why Tucker chose baseball,” Barrett said, snatching a grape from the pile Anya was rinsing in the sink before popping it into his mouth. “Because you couldn’t handle the heat.”
“Oh, I’ve got the heat. I believe you swung and missed at several of my pitches the last time you challenged me.”
“And I believe I nailed you to the ground during our football skirmish.”
“Guys. Guys,” Katrina said. “How about a truce? At least until after dinner?”
Grant slid in behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “You think we’re fighting don’t you?”
“Well, yes.”
Barrett laughed. “Don’t worry, honey. For us, this is a normal conversation at the breakfast table.”
Katrina frowned. “Didn’t it drive your mother crazy?”
“She got used to us over the years,” Tucker said. “As long as no blood was shed, she learned to ignore us.”
Katrina sighed. “I guess it’s something I’ll have to get used to as well, then. But you all make me nervous. It’s like you’re all seconds away from coming to blows.”
“Not a chance.” Grant kissed her on the cheek. “And if we are, we’ll be sure to give you fair warning so you and Anya can remove yourselves to a safe place.”
“Good to know,” Anya said. “Now all of you can get out of the kitchen while we cook.”
Tucker’s lips curved as they all headed into the living room. They’d been like this for years, always bickering about everything, but mainly sports. The Cassidys were nothing if not competitive, obviously a gene passed on from their father.
It had made their lives a lot of fun growing up. And sometimes a giant pain in the ass.
But he’d chosen baseball because he loved the sport, and not for any of the bullshit reasons his brothers always accused him of.
He finished his beer, so he wandered into the kitchen. “Something smells amazing in here.”
Anya looked up from the stove and grinned at him. “Shrimp creole with rice. We’re also doing a corn salad on the side. And Katrina’s baking bread.”
His stomach reacted with a violent grumble. He was starving. “Oh, God. Can we kill off all the other guys, so only the three of us get to eat this?”
Katrina laughed. “I’d kind of like to keep Grant around, if you don’t mind.”
He shrugged. “If you’re going to insist on that.”
Leo showed up a short while later. All the guys ganged up on him to ask him about football. The kid had changed a lot in the past half a year or so. He’d gained muscle and height, as well as confidence. After he took a quick shower, they sat him down in the living room.