“I don’t know, we haven’t figured that out yet. But we have Sunday off so we thought it might be fun to go sailing, and Uncle Gray said we could borrow the Runnin’.”
“I was thinking maybe we’d head over to San Juan and hit up that empanada stand. We could bring you some back if you want,” Kyle injected, hoping the mention of Simone’s favorite street food would be a good distraction.
“I don’t know how I feel about the two of you being gone for an entire weekend,” Vaughn said.
“Why, you need her for something?” Miller asked, leaning over him to place pans of eggs and breakfast meats in the middle of the table.
“No. But just the two of them?”
“We’re right here, Uncle Vaughn,” Drea said.
“Oh no. Our twenty-six-year-old niece is going away for the weekend with her twenty-seven-year-old best friend!” Grayson snarked sarcastically.
“Well, when you put it that way.”
“She’s an adult, Vaughn. As much as it kills me, you know, having raised her and all, as your lovely bride-to-be pointed out the other day, she owes us no explanations,” Miller stated, finally sitting down at the table.
Kyle could feel the heat of embarrassment rising up his neck. He wanted to chime in, but he didn’t want to intrude on a family discussion. He knew that Vaughn had always been the seriou
s one in the family, the worrier, and that his overprotectiveness of Drea stemmed from his own methodical way of handling life. He also knew it wasn’t personal, that he’d be just as concerned if it were Leona and Drea going away for the weekend. Although if he knew all the things Kyle had imagined doing to his sweet little niece on that boat, he might never let him near her again.
“Can everyone stop talking about us like we’re not here?” Drea exclaimed. Leona looked down, stifling a giggle. “Look, if it’s that big of a deal, we won’t go. But we both haven’t had many days off lately, so when Uncle Gray floated the idea of a weekend away, it sounded nice. But not if it’s going to be a great debate at breakfast!”
Kyle inhaled slowly, and reached over to squeeze Drea’s hand lightly, in what he hoped looked like a best friend move and not something more. He wanted to lean over and kiss her temple to help calm her, but instead just kept holding her hand.
“Vaughn, Miller, Grayson, I promise to not let anything happen to your baby girl,” he said calmly. “Or the boat.”
Everyone at the table laughed, even Vaughn.
“So, back to the real problem at hand,” Grayson said sternly, glaring at his brother. “Booze cruise today? It’s those blondes and their meathead counterparts.”
“Ugh, no,” Drea grumbled. “Give us someone else. Make Dalton take them.”
“Dalton was specially requested by some very hot-to-trot old ladies,” Dalton said, referring to himself in the third person as he walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a mug from the rack and poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot.
“Well done, dude,” Kyle replied, holding out his fist for Dalton to bump. He saw Drea roll her eyes out of the corner of his and he laughed.
“Why, thank you! But that does mean you all get to spend the day with Staci with an i.”
“Is she gonna be less hot-to-trot today?” Drea asked.
“Maybe,” Dalton replied, making a clicking noise and winking.
“I take it back, Uncle Gray. I’ll work the next six weekends, no days off, if it means I don’t have to get on a boat with her for the third time this week,” Drea said, pleading with her uncle.
“She’s not that bad,” Dalton shrugged.
“Based on your reaction she must not have been that good, either,” Leona snarked under her breath.
Dalton just shrugged in response, refusing to confirm or deny Leona’s assessment. Leona simply shook her head—Kyle just wasn’t sure if it was in amazement or disbelief.
“It’ll be fine,” Kyle said, putting his arm around her, trying to make it look casual. “We got this, you and me versus the airheads and the meatheads.”
“My money's on you kids,” Miller interjected.
“Oh, are we taking bets, because I’m totally in if we are,” Leona piped up.
“We only bet on Tuesdays,” Vaughn said sternly.
