Page 17 of Blood

Smiling, I raise my shoulders and give a sheepish look. “I’m not so good. I’m having a cash issue, and I’m out until I get new cards. Put it on my tab?” I plead, nodding down at the food bag.

“Tab?” she practically shrieks. “Kaleb Cromwell, you get to eat here for free. We’re here because of you,” she declares, waving her arm to show the building.

“You’re here because you’re the best cook in town. I just financed it. Selling out of Duke’s gas station just wasn’t doing it for me. I needed better access to your food. All day, every day. I may have helped you start, but you keep it alive.”

“Well, it still stands.”

“I’ll pay for it next time,” I promise, dropping a kiss on her left cheek. “Besides,” I call out on my way back to the car, “the amount I eat here, I’m your profit margin.”

Judy laughs, waving to the girls as we pull out and head home. Finally.

CHAPTER SIX

Samantha

Stretching out my legs, I wiggle my toes under the blanket.

Kaleb side-eyes me but ignores my feet.

I glance over at Shelby slouched on the other sofa. Cocooned in her blanket, she can barely keep her eyes open. I wiggle my toes again.

Gray eyes connect with mine. The brows above them arched.

I smile before pouting.Please?

Warm hands encase my left foot. Heat pours in.

“How are your feet this cold?” Kaleb tuts, shaking his head, but his hands don’t stop massaging.

A shrug is the only answer he gets.

“Either of you ladies ready for bed yet?”

“No,” we chorus.

Kaleb’s chuckle is breathy and tired. He’s ready for bed.

I nudge his thigh with my other foot. “You should go on up.”

He looks at me as if I have six heads.

“I didn’t sleep this morning when you were too excited to sleep. What makes you think I’d leave you two now at”—he pauses to check his watch—“eight thirty at night.”

Guilt hits me hard. “But it’s a boy,” I remind him.

“Woohoo,” Shelby whisper-shouts, her hand slips out from her huddle and waves a blue flag on a stick that we made. Mine lay abandoned on the coffee table.

Mom texted during breakfast that Charlie had given birth to a small but healthy baby boy. Name to be announced.Spoilsports.

Kaleb had been his usual fun self and helped us make some blue flags for when we FaceTimed with our brother. He rarely tells me no.

Daniel had been the picture of relief and stress . . . and then shock when we called with party horns and flags.

At that point, Shelby and I had gone past tiredness and straight into delirious energy. No one slept.

We talked Kaleb into a movie day and haven’t moved since.

“I think he did sleep.” I nod, looking at Shelby for support.