Jack
“All I’m saying isthere’s no reason why a New Yorker, if you could even call yourself that, would choose to root for the Metsunlessthey hated the Yankees.” I turn and laugh at Law’s exaggerated movements as he tries to understand the logistics of my baseball loyalties.
“It’s simple. I’ve always liked the Mets, but I am also a New Yorker, so if the Yanks are playing the Sox, especially in a postseason game, I’m going to root for my home team.” I turn the waffle iron as I plate another. “And any New York team is my home team.” Law pulls out the syrup from the cabinet, along with cinnamon. “How are you a Red Sox fan? You live in Colorado.”
Plopping the condiments on the counter and moving toward the whistling teakettle, the youngest Riggs brother is riled up, and it’s hilarious to watch. Michael chimes in from the far counter where he’s cutting strawberries. “Law’s buddy Hernandez plays for Boston. Don’t let my brother give you shit about what team you back.” Michael yells louder in Law’s direction, “Two years ago, he was a Dodgers fan!”
“Michael, I don’t remember asking you to participate in this conversation.”
A loud thud draws our attention to the other side of the room, where Henry stomps toward the kitchen. The guy is massive. We can all hold our own in a room, but Henry is the guy you hope is on your side in a brawl. “How are you guys talking about baseball? It’s the off-season. Can we move this conversation to the Lakers, maybe? That’s a conversation I can get behind.” Dropping in the seat next to Michael, he asks, “There enough for me? I’m starving.”
“Tons of bacon under that towel, and I got you. This waffle is almost done. It’s all yours.”
When I started making breakfast this morning, I hadn’t intended to feed the whole house, but I like being in the thick of this crew. I knew Everly never came back last night. I waited up for her, but after around 3 a.m., I assumed she decided to stay at her father's ranch. As much as I’m trying to be distracted by her brothers right now, the only thing I’m doing is waiting for her to come home.
Waffles always make me feel better, so as soon as dawn broke, I went out to the market downtown to get what I needed for a big breakfast. While I was out, I ran into Lenny McKenna again, who proceeded to call me out on my “lies” after she saw the way Everly “eye-fucked me like an omega in heat.” I have no idea what reference that was, but I got her message loud and clear. That I’m not fooling anyone.
If her nosy ass only knew.
“This bacon tastes like that spot in Hell's Kitchen. Law, what was it called? Something about your mom?” Henry barks out after inhaling two more pieces.
“I love that place! They had the fries with those cheese curds. What the hell was the place called? And the boozy milkshakes!”
I pull off the fourth crispy Belgian waffle from the iron. I’m finally ready to dive into the breakfast I’ve been making for the past hour. “When were you guys in New York?”
Michael looks up from his plate and takes a sip of coffee. “We’d go out to see Ev all the time when she was in school.”
“Law was probably there the most.” Henry pretends to shield his mouth, and then whisper-shouts, “If you haven’t noticed, Law practically lives up our sister's ass.”
Law chucks a piece of melon at Henry, who intimidatingly catches it. “I love our sister and New York City was incredible. I lost my virginity the summer of her sophomore year out there. After that, I thought women in New York were on an entirely new level.”
“Dipshit didn’t realize that it was his fake ID that got him into places where women assumed he was older than sixteen,” Henry goads at his youngest brother.
“It was my good looks, you asshole. And I was a horny motherfucker back then.” Law laughs.
“Back then?”
Law ignores Henry’s chide and keeps talking. “But we went out there a lot. Not just me. Henry, you stayed out there for a whole month at one point, looking for that girl from the bar, so don’t bust my balls. Everly thought about staying there. After college, I mean, to make a go of the whole fashion thing, but in the long run, she decided she wanted to help build the family business. We all came to that conclusion too, in our own time, but she started the train. After that, it was easy to come aboard.” He shoves a piece of waffle into his mouth. “If you haven't noticed, she’s kind of a force.”
I look up as I bite into the crispy warm waffle and answer, “Oh, I’ve noticed.”
“She’s spent the majority of her life taking care of us, in one way or another, and it feels wrong not to ask the guy she’s been smiling about lately what he’s doing with her.” Law pours us each another round of coffee. “So? It wasn’t rhetorical. What’s your plan here? You look at her like she’s a plate of waffles.” He takes a bite off his fork and gestures to his almost empty plate. If he only knew how precise he is with that comparison.
I can feel three pairs of scrutinizing and overly protective eyes on me. I didn’t think I was going to have to do this right now, but I suppose now's as good a time as any.
“You messed up already, huh?” Michael throws down his blatant honesty. Henry and Law just bark out a laugh, and I can only shake my head because he’s not wrong.
“I haven’t messed it up. I’m not sure she wants anything serious in her life right now.” Pushing the plate in front of me, I lean back in my chair to give this conversation the attention it deserves. I look at each of the Riggs brothers and lay it out for them in the most honest way. “Getting involved with her was the last thing I expected when I took this job. Then I met her. In this room, actually, and my world tipped on its axis a bit. I mean, she’s fucking gorgeous, that was obvious right away, but the more I get to know her...” I just shake my head, because I’m not sure I should be telling this to her brothers. It should be her to hear this.
Michael clears his throat and looks at me in a way that tells me to listen carefully. “We are the tides and she is the moon.”Not what I was expecting.He pauses, realizing maybe that was too profound. “It may sound like too much, but to us, in our family, she is the force that keeps all of us moving. Always has been.”
I glance around the counter to see if Henry or Law will chime in with more than just this poetically deep statement, but instead, I’m left with silence. How do I respond to that? No wonder she’s never put her desires ahead of the family. They depend on her in a way I can truly understand from what I’ve been through, but that’s a lot of weight to bear. I only had my sister. Everly has three, four, if you count her father, that looks to her.
“That seems like a lot of pressure to put on someone.”
“Michael just means that she’s important to us. She’s our sister, but she’s also our best friend. Geez, practically a surrogate mother, without us realizing it for the better part of our teenage years. We want her to be happy. And quite frankly, there hasn’t been a person to come into her life that has ever really made her happy, so we’re skeptical.” Law lifts his shoulder. “I like you, Jack. I think you’re one of the few people that might be able to keep up with Ev, but you’re never going to find an ally in us if she’s not happy. Just laying out some truths before you decide your next move.”
Henry just grunts next to me and gets up to clear his spot. “Take it however you want, Deacon, but it comes down to this. If you’re just fucking around while you’re here and you’re not interested in more, then you’re a bigger idiot than I thought. And I’d take this conversation as a warning. If you make my sister regret spending time with you, then you’re going to regret ever meeting the lot of us. Clear enough?”