Page 108 of Protecting Peyton

“Coffee’s fine,” Mom agreed. “But you need the catechins in tea as well. And finish your orange juice. A growing boy like you should get plenty of vitamin C. Connie drank hers.”

Winston grimaced, but he humored Mom and lifted the juice glass to his lips. It had probably been well over a decade since anyone referred to Winston as a growing boy.

Each of our team members had given in to Mom’s demands and held a glass of orange juice, some more full than others.

Mom looked around the group. “Now then. What brings all of you secret-agent types to Ruppie’s house?” She knew perfectly well we weren’t secret agents.

I cringed at Mom’s use of her nickname for me. “Yeah, why the hell are all of you here?”

“I brought the bear claws,” Serena blurted.

“Ruppie?” Terry choked on his laughter.

Fuck. There was no containing the secret now.

“Ruppert is my middle name,” I admitted. Pointing a finger around the room, I laid out the rule. “If any of you repeats that, you’re dead.”

“It’s a family name,” Mom explained.

“Enough,” I barked.

Mom was as uncontained as always. “It was his great-grandpappy’s name.”

“Mom,” I warned sternly.

Winston and Duke both raised a brow. They were going to grill me about this later.

“Why the meeting?” I asked to get us back on track.

“Lucas called it,” Terry answered as Peyton joined us. “Jordy has some data to share, and Lucas mentioned an announcement.”

Mom pointed a finger around the group. “Drink up. Even secret agents need their vitamin C.”

Miraculously, the entire group did.

“Who wants pancakes?” she asked. “Not gluten-free this time. They’re still healthier than bear claws.”

Multiple hands went up.

“I liked the last ones,” Duke grumbled.

“Zane’s girl had a reaction, so I’m changing it up.”

Duke shrugged. “Sure.”

Next to me, Serena, raised her hand as well.

Peyton made her way around the group to be by my side.

Serena inched close. “I see you didn’t get a full night’s sleep,” she whispered.

Peyton looked straight ahead and didn’t answer.

“Good for you,” Serena added.

As Mom worked the stove, the group shot around questions, trying to guess Lucas’s announcement. I didn’t have a big enough table for everyone, so people took turns sitting down to eat as the pancakes arrived.

Terry made the mistake of trying to eat standing up and got a full broadside from Mom. “Young man, where are your manners? In this house, we sit down to eat.”