The Lyon's Cub Caitlin (Lyon The Next Generation 1)

“Oh no sis, the paper you gave me is gone.”

“I know, daddy found out about it, but that’s not why I’m here.” I started to ask her how he knew about it but then her next words stopped me.

“Guess what Todd told daddy.”

“What?”

She sat on the bed next to me and swung her legs like a kid. “He said he’s going to marry you.” My eyes widened and I almost slid off the bed. I didn’t know if to be pleased or scared out of my mind. “And what…what did daddy say?” I could barely get the words past my suddenly full throat.

She shrugged her shoulders, “daddy didn’t say anything, not before I left anyway, I’ll go see if I hear any more.” She got down off the bed and left before I could stop her. I wasn’t too far behind her but I headed in the opposite direction to mom. I’m not as brave as she is yet to listen in at doors.

“Mom!” I flew into the room all but forgetting aunt Cierra was there.

“What is it, what’s happened?”

“Todd told daddy that he’s going to marry me.” They both looked at each other wide eyed.

“Start from the beginning, tell me everything.” Mom patted the bed between the two of them and I crawled in still a bundle of nerves.

I told them what Catalina said and you could hear a pin drop in the room. Then mom squealed, a sound I don’t think I’ve ever heard her make before, almost like one of my friends at school and she and aunt Cierra high-fived each other and grinned.

I couldn’t understand half of what they said to each other after that. I just got something about telling the others about this new development and I didn’t know he had it in him, blah-blah-blah.

I left them and went in search of Todd thinking he should be out of the lion’s den by now, but the office door was closed tight and he was nowhere in sight. Had daddy killed him in there? I put my ear to the door, something I’ve never done before. I couldn’t make out what was being said but I know both he and uncle Hank were in there with daddy.

Catalina was nowhere to be seen so I headed to the garage too worked up for my own company. Caleb saw me first and smiled. “Hi sis!” Aiden and Quint picked their heads up and put them back down. “Hey!” I walked over after their greetings to see what they were up to. Anything to take my mind off of Todd and what was going on behind that closed door.

“Bet you’re excited that Todd’s home huh sis.”

“Yes Aiden I am.” Quint gave me one of his ‘big brother’ looks which he gets away with because although I’m less than a year older than they are, the twins now tower over me at six feet and growing.

“How was your drive?”

“It was fine, I saw Leslie at the store with her mom.” Both their faces flushed and I grinned. They think I don’t know that she was here the other day. It’s just that I was too busy with my own stuff to tease them before.

Between my parents and my twin brothers I don’t know who embarrasses me more. It’s not exactly fun when your younger brothers run through your friends like Kleenex and you have to hear the whispers all over school. Or when your parents have more instances of PDA than your teenage self.

“Yeah well, you watch yourself.”

“What do you mean by that Quint?”

“I mean if you want dad to let you leave for college play it safe while Todd is here. Don’t do anything…you know.” He shrugged and went back to taking his bike apart.

“What is it that you think I’m gonna do?”

“Bow chicka wow-wow.”

“Caleb, stop that.” I know that’s the sound they make when they’re talking about sex, how embarrassing.

Aiden swatted him with a dirty rag and scowled at him. “Where did you learn that?” At fourteen Caleb is still a baby compared to the other two, at least mom treats him that way, so does daddy come to think of it.

Caleb grinned like the little rascal he is and went back to his skateboard. As I stood there watching them I realized that I could be leaving them soon. If things go the way I want them to, I’ll be leaving home and it would be a long time before we share moments like this again.

I felt a slight pang of nostalgia and got all choked up at the thought that we were all growing up. There was a time when I’d be in the garage with daddy following him around, both of us covered in grease as he let me do grunt work while he worked on something.