Above and Beyond (Twist of Fate 4)

“Zach, why do you think Oz and I waited so long to renovate the damned thing? We already know who we want to live there.”

I glanced at Jake and saw him looking at me pointedly.

I found myself smiling because I hadn’t even considered that my brother might want me around after everything I’d put our family through. But staying in Haven after I’d so spectacularly driven Lucky out of my life… I stared at my beer and began shaking my head. “I don’t—”

“Oz!” Jake called over his shoulder. Their ugly little hairless dog began barking just inside the door.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Calling for reinforcements,” Jake said.

I laughed. “The old Jake wouldn’t have had any problem convincing me to move in next door.”

My brother looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “Seriously? That”—he pointed to the cabin—“will have your name on the deed inside of a week, I guarantee it.”

“Then what are the reinforcements for—”

“Yeah?” Oz called. He had a piece of sparkly fabric in his hand. He automatically dropped down onto Jake’s lap and stole a sip of his beer. “He agree to take it?” he asked.

“Pffft, as if there were ever any doubt,” Jake responded.

Oz nodded his head like it was a ridiculous notion.

“Lucky stopped by to give this dolt a second chance and Genius here doesn’t take him up on it and he doesn’t call or text afterwards. Go.”

With every word Jake spoke, Oz got more and more tense. When my brother was finished, Oz was shaking his head at me. He began clicking his tongue.

“Okay, yes, I fucked up,” I said. I tapped my fingers on the beer bottle.

“Oh honey,” was all Oz said right before a gleam entered his eyes and he began twining his fingers together like some old cartoon villain.

Oh, hell, this can’t be good.

Chapter 34

Lucky

I started off the Fourth of July with a stern talking-to.

At myself.

I was bound and determined to enjoy the day. After four days in the hospital and two on the sofa at home, Xander was thankfully well enough to join everyone for our annual holiday cookout. He’d have to spend the party propped up in a chair with his casted leg elevated, but at least he wasn’t on strong pain meds anymore.

After showering and throwing on a pair of shorts and a red, white, and blue T-shirt, I hustled downstairs to help Bennett with the babies. Lola was happily mashing cereal into her face while Danny’s entire face lit up as I entered the room.

“Wuck!”

I stared at him as the room went silent around us. Bennett put his hand over his mouth and looked over at Xander who was sitting at the table between the babies with his cast on a stool under the table.

“Did he just…?” Xander asked with a grin.

“First word!” Bennett whooped.

I scooped Danny up from his high chair and grinned at him, feeling the first moment of lightness I’d felt in a week. “That’s me, little bro. Lucky. Say it again. Luck-eee.”

Bennett scrambled in the junk drawer. “Where’s a pencil? I need to write this down. What day is it? Oh, duh. What time is it? Where are the pencils? Why don’t we ever have any pencils in here and how many measuring tapes does one house need?”

Xander smiled big and winked at me. “Score one for big brother. I’ve spent months repeating Dada, Dada, Dada, and the first word out of his mouth is Wuck.”

I laughed and snuggled the sticky monster against my chest. “Good, smart boy. Takes after me. Isn’t that right? Such a smart boy.”

“Why thank you,” Oz said, breezing in the back door with a white, pink, and turquoise scarf floating behind him from its loose knot at his neck. “But, honey, I am a leeeetle older than you. So, really, it’s you taking after me.”

Jake entered behind him rolling his eyes. He held a suspiciously familiar shape under one arm. I noticed our dog Bear’s tail thump in the corner of the room despite his continued snores.

“Wuck!” Danny called to Jake, reaching his arms out with a squeal for the ugly mutt the man carried. “Wuck!”

I rolled my eyes and dumped the kid in Xander’s lap. “So much for that. I’m equivalent to the family lint ball.”

“Hey!” Oz said. “You take that back. Darla is on vacation, so Boo’s salon visits are a smidge overdue. It’s not our fault.”

Jake handed me the skinny little thing before I had a chance to put my defenses up.

“Ew,” I said before putting Boo on the floor. Bear’s tail thumped faster, betraying his false chill. As soon as Boo pranced over to the big black beast, Bear swiped one giant lick up the side of Boo’s face, making the hair disaster even more dire. Boo didn’t seem to mind, spinning once, twice, and then settling underneath Bear’s chin for a morning nap.