“I know, right? Guys, you all know Rex.”
Everyone nodded but Joey. “I don’t,” the kid piped up, staring shrewdly at Rex.
“Well let me rectify that.” I laughed. “Joseph Cooper Lawson, this is Rex McFarlane, my friend from Dover.”
“Everyone calls me Joey. I’ll let you know by the end of the day if you can, too.”
Rex grinned. “I’ll try my best to make that happen.”
“How you doing?” Cooper held out his hand to him.
They’d already met but this was Cooper. He was reminding Rex that I had a Cooper in my life, a Cooper who would do him bodily harm if he hurt me.
I rolled my eyes at Jessica but she just snuggled deeper into Cooper’s side, loving him for being protective of the people he cared about.
What wasn’t to love about that?
“Forgive him.” Cat ruffled her son’s hair. “He’s playing today at the festival and he’s full of beans and smartbuttery.”
“Smartbuttery?” I said.
“Mom doesn’t want to use the a-s-s word around me,” Joey explained.
“Ah, smartassery,” I deduced. Everyone groaned in amusement as I made a face at Cat. “Oops. Sorry.”
“It’s not like I don’t know what the word is,” Joey blustered. “Mom is just being silly.”
“I quite like the word ‘smartbuttery.’ I think I’ll add it to my personal vocabulary,” Em said.
Joey, who worshipped Miss Tall, Blond, Kind, and Beautiful, stared up at her. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. I guess it is kind of funny.”
“Oh, sure,” Cat said. “I say it, it’s embarrassing, Elsa says it and it’s kind of funny.”
“Watch it, Catriona.” Cooper tapped her nose. “Your envy is showing.”
She grunted at her brother and turned to Em. “Do you want to come live with us? Make it a permanent thing?”
Emery rolled her eyes at her, which was a vast improvement, too. Cat could be a little intimidating and Em still wasn’t too sure how to act around Joey’s mom.
“When are you playing?” I said to Joey, looking forward to hearing him.
“In a couple of hours.”
“Can’t wait.” I turned to Rex. “Joey is a pianist and somewhat of a protégé.”
“Is that so?” Rex looked impressed. “Well I can’t wait to hear you.”
“Are you Bailey’s new boyfriend?”
“No,” I said so Rex wasn’t left floundering in awkwardness. “Have you all had ice cream yet?”
“Vaughn!” Cooper shouted instead, staring off to our left.
I froze. Rex followed Cooper’s gaze with intense focus. Jessica caught my eye and winced sympathetically. Emery surreptitiously squeezed my wrist and I gave her a grateful smile.