“Whoa. I never thought I’d see the day when one of my brothers would say that,” Becca said, grinning as she walked out to join them. “And if you don’t mind, can we change the subject? Because the thought of any one of you having sex is going to ruin my Karaoke winning high.”
“Shut up,” Tanner told her. “It was fixed. You only got all those cheers because you paid for them.”
Gray finished his beer and put the bottle on the ground. When he looked up, Cam was looking at him, a speculative expression on his face. As though he could see right through Gray’s brain to the thoughts inside.
He hoped to god it was just an illusion. Because if he could read Gray’s thoughts, he’d probably think he was crazy. Because they were full of the girl who happened to be his ex-girlfriend’s sister.
If that wasn’t a mess, Gray had no idea what was.
* * *
“Your father’s feeling well enough to join us for breakfast,” Aunt Gina said a few days later as she poured out four glasses of orange juice. “Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Great.” Gray took a sip of his juice and tried really hard to smile.
“That is w
onderful,” Becca said, jumping up from the table. “I’ll go help him.”
When she’d left the room, her bare feet slapping against the floorboards in the hallway, Aunt Gina glanced at him. “It’s a shame he couldn’t get up while your brothers were here. Maybe they can come visit again soon.”
Logan and Cameron had left early the Monday morning after Tanner’s party, making hurried excuses as they raced to catch their flight. Tanner had left a few hours later.
Gray already missed them like crazy, which was stupid considering how little he’d seen them in the past few years. They’d made promises of coming to see him in L.A. when he was back there, but he knew it would take a lot of organizing to get them all in the same place at the same time again.
“Here he is,” Becca said as she walked with her father into the kitchen. He held tightly onto her arm as he shuffled along. Gray stood and pulled a chair back and Becca helped him sit down.
“Orange juice?” Aunt Gina asked him.
“Just a dash.”
Gray could feel the atmosphere in the kitchen change. It was like somebody had dimmed the lights and turned the volume down.
“What’s happening at work today?” Aunt Gina asked Becca as she buttered a slice of toast.
“We’re having a new still fitted and the bosses are bitching like crazy about the loss in production, so I’m going to put in my headphones and pretend I can’t hear them.” Becca shrugged. “Oh, and I’m still lording it over Gray that I beat him at Karaoke.” She winked at him, and he raised an eyebrow back at her. “Did I tell you about that?”
Aunt Gina laughed. “About a hundred times.”
Becca shrugged. “It’s not often I get to beat a Grammy winner. I’m thinking of putting it on my resumé.”
“I was thinking of putting it on my next album cover,” Gray told her. “The second best singer in Hartson’s Creek.”
“Third, really, if you count Maddie,” Becca pointed out with a grin.
Maddie. The mention of her name was enough for his grip to tighten on his glass.
“You planning on doing any work this morning?” His dad’s voice cut through Gray’s thoughts.
“Yeah. Once breakfast is over, I’ll get changed and cut the water off.”
“Better hurry, then,” his dad said, pointing at the uneaten toast in front of him. “I’ll help you with it today.”
“You’re sick,” Gray pointed out. “You should be resting.”
“I’m feeling a little better. And I’ll just sit and watch. Make sure you’re doing it correctly.”
“I am doing it correctly.” Gray tried not to show his irritation.