Page 9 of Griffin (Stone Brothers #5)

NINE

GRIFFIN

I ended up staying late at my parents' house and fell asleep on the couch. Jules stood over me with a spatula in her hand. I squinted up at her. "That spatula better mean there are pancakes on the griddle and not that you were thinking of using it to smack me awake."

Jules pouted for a second. "Well, darn, I guess that was a missed opportunity. Yes, it's for pancakes, and I'm here to find out just how many you can eat this morning, and don't say twelve because I'm not standing at the stove all day."

I sat up and raked my fingers through my hair.

Jules was wearing my mom's apron over a pair of jeans and a blue turtleneck sweater.

She was one of those women who wore confidence with the perfect mix of humor and smarts.

She'd recently saved a beloved surfing beach from being destroyed by a developer.

While the rest of us were using our fists and tempers to claw back our local beach from, of all people, Nathan Walsh, the father of Bridget Walsh, Jaxon's girlfriend, Jules cleverly figured out a way to make sure the pristine stretch of coast was never touched by bulldozers or greedy developers.

It turned out the beach we'd all spent hours on was also the nesting site of a protected bird species.

That was all it took, and while the rest of us were standing around dumbstruck with bloody noses and black eyes, my little sister Jules became an instant hero.

Mom came downstairs. "Hey, sweetie, I didn't know you stayed the night. You should have told me. I would have cleared all those real estate brochures off your bed."

"Nah, I don't mind the couch."

Her phone rang, and she put up a finger to let me know she needed to answer it.

Mom and Aunt Britton had started their own real estate brokerage and after some struggles and a few tears getting it off the ground, it was finally starting to take off.

It also meant she was busy a lot, on the phone, showing houses, talking to clients.

I knew Dad was proud of her, and at the same time, I sensed he was feeling a little neglected.

Jules shrieked in the kitchen.

I hurried in. "Did you burn yourself?" I asked before I spotted her clutching her phone and scrolling wildly through it. It was just some shriek-worthy social media post.

Mom dashed into the kitchen, too, with the same question about getting burned.

Jules finally pulled her attention from her phone and shook her head. "I do know how to use a stove without burning myself."

"Well, you screamed," Mom said.

Dad's loud steps pounded down the stairs. "Why did Jules scream?" he asked as he reached the kitchen.

Jules stared at all of us. "Seriously, you people all need to get a life."

I chuckled. "We need to get a life? You just about caused all of us heart attacks because you read some ridiculous social media post and reacted with a scream."

"It was more of a shocked shriek, and it was not ridiculous. It was a stunner. Roxi Carhill, better known as the Banana Bandana, because she always wears a yellow bandana, was in Zion with her partner, Toby Barron, and she caught him making out with one of the forest rangers."

"Man or woman?" Dad asked.

Jules shrugged. "Good question. She didn't go into details, but she's devastated, and they're breaking up."

Dad looked over at mom. "Are these people we know personally?"

Jules huffed. "Sort of. I mean I've been following them for like two years, so I feel this breakup right here." She touched her chest. Jules was super level-headed about most things … most of the time. Jules spun around to pour more batter onto the griddle.

My dad was still confused. "Roxi is a lifestyle influencer," Mom explained. "They travel all over the country and world and post pretty photos of themselves for people to comment on."

"Way to make it sound silly. They're a little more than that, Mom," Jules said without turning around from her task. "There's a stack ready for whoever wants it."

Dad looked at me to let me know that stack was his. I waved my hand toward the plate.

The four of us sat down at the table, something we rarely did anymore for breakfast. Mom seemed to be holding back a grin, but Dad was too involved with his stack of pancakes to notice.

"Good news, Mom?" I asked.

Her smile broke free. My mom had one of those light-up-a-room smiles. "Now that you ask, Fin."

Dad finally looked up from his plate of food.

"We sold that giant house. The owners just accepted the offer of 2.5 million."

"Holy shit, Mom," I said.

"Was it that older couple from France?" Jules asked. She worked in the brokerage office with Mom and Aunt Britton.

"It sure was. It's still early in the process, and there are many hoops to jump through, but it's a cash offer, so that takes away one hurdle."

Dad shook his head. "Can you imagine being able to offer cash on a multi-million-dollar house?"

"Maybe someday," Mom said with a teasing wink.

Dad reached over, took her hand and kissed it. "I knew I'd won the lottery when you pulled me in for that kiss in the bar."

Jules had heard far less than me about my parents' somewhat wild early days. She picked up her glass of orange juice. "What kiss? Do tell, please."

Mom's face went peachy pink, and Dad rubbed the back of his neck, a sure sign that he wasn't going to say a word.

Jules blinked at both of them with her big brown eyes. "Someone better spill the beans, or I'm going to come up with all kinds of scenarios in my very young and impressionable imagination, and none of them are going to be flattering."

Mom sighed, knowing full well that Jules was not going to give up easily. "Let's just say, I was running from someone, and I needed a human shield, and your very large dad just happened to be nearby so I grabbed him and?—"

"You kissed him to hide from someone else?" Jules asked, her eyes as round as the pancake on her plate.

"I did."

Dad nodded. "It's true. I just happened to be big and have a pair of lips and let's end this topic.

" He looked at me. "I'm going to stop by another possible job this morning.

Make sure everyone has their assignments, and let Shay know I left a list on her desk.

You said she seemed all right after you talked to her last night? "

"Yeah, but I wasn't buying it. I mean we both met that asshole yesterday, and we both got the same bad feeling about him."

"She's protecting herself," Mom said. "It'll be worse if she says something." She wiped her mouth hastily. The subject had upset her. I knew Mom had been with an abusive monster before she met Dad, and those memories still haunted her.

Dad reached for her hand and squeezed it. She forced a smile. "I've got to get to work. There are a million things to take care of for this big real estate purchase." She hurried out of the kitchen.

Jules looked upset now too. Her eyes were glassy with tears.

"Guess that conversation would have been better away from the table," Dad said.

I nodded. "Guess so." One thing was for damn sure, I was going to be keeping a close eye on Shay, and I knew Dad was too.