“He is cool, which is why I was extra humiliated when I spilled my soda in my lap, and then, he tried to pull a prank on Austin by dumping a bunch of pepper flakes on his pizza, but I ate it instead and spit it out all over the table.”
I try not to laugh, but I can’t help it, and I end up cackling, holding a hand over my mouth trying to keep from being obnoxious. Kerri laughs too, though, so I don’t feel so bad. That was definitely not how I imagined her date went.
“I thought he’d never want to see me again, but he actually apologized the next day and said he’d like to go out again some time, so it just goes to show you that even when you make a fool of yourself, it’s not the end of the world.”
Maybe Jake isn’t a jerk like I first assumed, so why does it bother me that she might go out with him again? It’s Mallory I’m interested in, not Kerri, right?
We talk a little more about random things, arguing about our favorite musicians and Marvel characters and professional athletes. We have a lot of similarities, and only a few differences.
I eat slower than normal, even asking for a refill of fries, just so I can sit there a little longer enjoying Kerri’s company. It’s been way too long since I had a close friend I could hang out with. My dad is military, so we move about every two years, right about the time I get close to someone. I never made friends with a girl, though. I never thought it would be so easy to talk to one. Kerri is definitely a girl, she’s just not what I expected them to be like. Maybe because she grew up in a house full of boys. She seems like the perfect person to help me get over my fear of the opposite sex.
I’m bummed when Kerri says she needs to get going, but at least I have plans with her tomorrow.
Chapter Twelve
Kerri
I got it!” I dash out of my bedroom and down the hall when the doorbell rings, narrowly avoiding tripping over Lucky, then force myself to stop and take a deep breath to calm down before opening the door.
I can’t help it that I’m excited. If all goes as expected, my dad should be coming home today, and the boy who’s going to make that happen is standing on my front porch, holding a grocery bag, looking happy and adorable.
Wait, did I just say that? Sure, Connor is cute, but it is not my place to notice that he looks extra nice today in a leather jacket that emphasizes his dark hair and eyes. We’re just friends, Kerri. You’ve got to remember that.
“Hey Connor, thanks for coming.” Lucky pushes past me to get to Connor, and his tail thumps against the doorframe as Connor bends down to scratch his head and ears.
“Hey Lucky, hey Kerri.” When Connor stands back up, his eyes rove up my body, noticing the extra effort I put into my look today.
I’m wearing a silky, navy blue blouse that looks good against my red hair, which I actually took time to style today, and for the first time in a week I even had time to do my makeup. I’m a little different from most girls in that I love makeup and fashion, but I don’t obsess about it. Sometimes I go all out, but I’m just as comfortable with no makeup and a messy bun.
“You look really nice today.”
“Thanks. I had a little more time than normal this morning.”
He smiles and looks me up and down again, but when his eyes meet mine, he suddenly looks stricken, and he starts babbling. “I mean, not that you don’t normally look nice, you do, even without the makeup and stuff. You just look extra nice today.”
I chuckle and put a hand on his arm, pulling him in. “Relax, Connor. I know what you meant. Girls appreciate it when you notice they put in extra effort. It’s okay to mention it.”
He nods a couple times. “Good to know.”
“So, are you ready to go with me to the hospital? The doctor usually does his rounds at 11, but I’d like to get there early, just in case.”
“Sure. Uh, I brought the ingredients for the pretzel dogs. Can I put this in the fridge?”
“Yeah! Of course. Here, let me take that.” I carry the bag to the kitchen then rummage in the junk drawer for a marker. When I find one, I scrawl, “Do Not Touch,” across the bag before sticking it in the refrigerator.
“On second thought…” I open the door again and tie the bag handles into a knot so my brothers will be less tempted to get into it.
He chuckles. “Is that really necessary?”
“Yes, yes it is. You haven’t met my brothers yet, but you’ll see. They’re animals.” He looks a little nervous about that.
“Don’t worry, you’re into basketball and cars, so they’ll like you, especially if you make them food. Besides, we’re not dating, so they won’t feel the need to play overprotective brother around you.”
“But they would otherwise?”
“Oh yeah, they’d give you the third degree, make you swear on your mother’s grave to respect me, they might even pin you up against the wall and threaten you if you so much as kiss me.”
He gulps and his eyes bug out. “I really hope you’re kidding.”
I pat him on the back and lead him out of the kitchen, grinning. “Sorta.”
I holler down the hall to my brother, “Sean, I’m heading to the hospital.”
“Hold on, I’m coming,” he yells back, but he hasn’t left his room yet this morning, so I know he’s still gonna be a while.
“Nope, not waiting for you. I want to be there when the doctor comes.”
Connor drives us to the hospital since he parked behind me. I’ve been there so much lately that the nurses recognize me and wave.
Like usual, I hear loud cheering coming from my dad’s room. They must be watching another game. I push the door open to find Dad, Niall, and Reid glued to the television.
Like a single unit, all three of them glance towards me then back towards the television, then swing their heads back towards me when they realize I have someone with me.
“This is Connor.” I put a hand on his shoulder. They’ve all heard me talk about him, so there’s no other explanation needed. I’m glad, because I know they’d get on my case about my “silly superstition.”
“Connor, this is my oldest brother, Reid, my second brother, Niall, and my dad, Patrick.”
“Good to meet you.” Connor reaches out to shake their hands, and it must be a firm one, not one of those dead fish handshakes, because they all look impressed by him. They’re still sizing him up, but they don’t look nearly as threatening as usual. I guess because they already know a little bit about him. Connor pretends not to be intimidated by them.
“Thank you for looking out for my daughter, Connor. My sons usually do a good job of it, but they’ve been too busy fussing over me lately.”
“Happy to help, sir.”
“Has the doctor been by yet?” I ask.
Reid looks at his watch. “No, he should be here any time, though. The nurses said Dad looks really good, so hopefully the doctor will agree and we can take him home.”
“Oh he will, I know it.” I grab Connor’s arm and squeeze it, and he gives me a small smile. The others give me a patronizing look, but I don’t care. I know Connor’s lucky.
“So Connor, your father went to Notre Dame, huh?” Dad asks, trying to fill the anxious silence. I hope he and my brothers don’t turn this into an inquisition.
Connor tells Dad a little bit about his family and where all he’s lived, and Dad gets a kick out of that since he grew up in Indiana, too. Everyone seems amazed to learn that Connor doesn’t have any brothers or sisters, especially since he’s doing such a good job handling all of mine. Their conversation drifts to basketball, and before long they sound like old friends. Sean shows up a few minutes later and jumps in. He recognizes Connor from school, and they compliment each other on their respective athletic achievements. Nobody even notices when the doctor walks in.
“Well, it looks like you all are having a going home party in here!” The doctor raises his voice to be heard above the din. Everyone immediately stops talking and looks at him. He’s got a tablet in his hand and a smile on his fac
e, and I just know he’s going to tell us exactly what we want to hear.
“So, Mr. O’Connor, your vitals look good and so does your blood work. You don’t have a fever or any other sign of infection, and your injuries are healing nicely. You obviously have a good support system to help you recover, so I think you’re ready to go home.”
We can’t help it; we start cheering like we’re at a game, even Connor, and I’m pretty sure the whole hospital can hear us. I can’t resist; I throw my arms around Connor and give him a hug. He doesn’t flinch, even though I instantly feel self-conscious, he just hugs me back, and his hold is strong and firm like my brothers, but he feels and smells totally different from them, and just the fact that I know he’s not my brother makes it feel different and appealing in a whole new way.
“Thank you, Connor,” I whisper into his shoulder, and I don’t pull away for several seconds. When I do, my whole family is looking at me.
The doctor shakes his head, but he’s grinning. “If I don’t send you home, the other patients are never going to get any rest.”
It takes a little while for the discharge paperwork to be done, but Connor doesn’t act like he’s bored or anxious to get out of there, he just hangs out like he has nowhere better to be, chatting with me and my family.
When we get home, Dad insists on sitting on the recliner in the living room instead of laying in bed. He says he can prop his broken leg up just fine that way. We get him set up and turn on the television, and he quickly finds a basketball game.
“Hey what’s all this stuff? I want one of these sausages,” I hear Sean say from the kitchen, and I jump up and race in there.
“Can’t you read, you neanderthal? It says, ‘do not touch.’ That means stay out of it.”
Sean looks between me and the bag and pouts. “Well, what’s it for?”
“Connor was going to make dinner for us — soft pretzel-wrapped sausages.”
“Dude, you know how to make that?” Sean’s eyes bug out at Connor like he told him he could make sausages magically appear out of thin air, or something.
Connor shrugs. “Yeah, I make it all the time. Kerri thought you guys might like it.”
Sean sets down the bag and yanks me in for a bear hug, squeezing out my insides. “Oh my God, Kerri, I take back everything bad I ever said about you being a loser who’d never get a boyfriend.”
I squirm till he lets me go and scowl at him, but he ignores me.
“But I’m hungry now. Do we have to wait for dinner? What about lunch?” Sean pulls the pack of sausages out of the bag and stares longingly at it then looks up at Connor like a dog begging for scraps.
“They take a little time because the dough has to rise, but I can get started on them, and I’ll make some spinach artichoke dip to tide you over till they’re ready.”
Sean’s mouth falls open. “You are never allowed to break up with him, Kerri.”
My eyes pop out, and I glance awkwardly between Sean and Connor. “He’s not my boyfriend, Sean! Now go away so he can cook.” I shove Sean out of the kitchen.
“Sorry about that.” I grit my teeth and rejoin Connor in the kitchen.
He’s smiling, so I guess it didn’t bother him too much. “It’s okay, I like your family.”
“You can have them if you want. I’ll trade ya,” I mutter.
Connor pulls all the ingredients out of the bag and starts sorting them, and I watch with interest. “Can I help? I don’t know how to make this, but I’m decent in the kitchen.”
“It’s really easy. I’ll teach you.”
He cuts open a pack of yeast and pours it into the bowl of the KitchenAid mixer then adds a little sugar and some hot water. “This is called activating the yeast. It wakes it up,” he explains.
“My dad used to have to dump water on my brothers to get them to wake up, but I think he used cold water. And no sugar.” I grin, and Connor cracks up.
When the yeast starts to bubble, he dumps in some more ingredients and turns on the mixer. The mixer starts rocking as the dough flops around inside.
“We can make the dip while the dough is kneading. You want to open the can of artichokes and chop them up while I squeeze the spinach?”
A laugh bursts out of me. “Squeeze the spinach? Is that a euphemism for something? Sounds naughty.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him then feel embarrassed because Niall always says my eyebrows look like caterpillars.
Connor laughs and shakes his head. “No, silly. Haven’t you ever used frozen spinach before? You have to thaw it and then squeeze the water out. Watch.”
He pulls a hunk of spinach out of the bag and drops in into a strainer then squishes it down with his hand.
“What does that feel like? It looks disgusting.” I peek over his shoulder.
“Here, feel it.” Connor scoops it out and plops it in my hand. It’s cold, wet, and slimy. I can’t believe people actually eat this.
“Squeeze it. You have to get all the water out or it’ll make the dip runny.”
I squish the spinach, and green water oozes out through my fingers. “Eww! Disgusting!” I wrinkle my nose at it.
Connor chuckles. “Keep squeezing till you can’t get any more water out.”
While I squeeze, he mixes up the rest of the ingredients.
“I think the spinach is ready.” I hold up the dark green wad.
“Okay, let’s see.” I gasp as he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me, cupping my hands in his. He squeezes our hands together, but no liquid comes out.
“Yep, good job. I think you got it. Let’s mix it in.” When he pulls away, my heart stutters.
A few minutes later, he sprinkles the top of the dip with cheese and pops it in the oven.
The mixer has turned the pretzel dough into a neat ball, so Connor puts it in a bowl to rise and covers it.
“This has to rise for an hour or so, but the dip should be done.” He pulls the crock out of the oven, and the aroma of melted cheese and garlic fills the kitchen, and I think I’m in love with him.
Chapter Thirteen
Connor
Oh my God, Connor, that smells amazing.” Kerri takes a deep whiff and moans, and the sound goes straight to my groin.
“Wait till you taste it.” I wink at her and arrange the dip and some tortilla chips on a tray then pick it up to carry it out to the living room.
“Wait! I want a taste first. If you give that to my brothers, they’re going to devour it.” She dips a chip into the crock and pulls it out, gooey cheese trailing from it. When she puts it in her mouth, her eyes roll back, and she groans and sways a little bit. It’s like she’s having an orgasm, she’s so into it, It’s almost embarrassing to watch her, but I can’t help but feel a touch of pride that I made her feel that way.
“Is the food ready? It smells incredible.” Sean pokes his head into the kitchen.
I hold out the tray to Sean, but Kerri grabs my arm and pulls it back.
“Nope, you can’t have any. This is all for me. Go make yourself a sandwich.” She shields the tray with her body and dips another chip in the bowl, scooping up a huge wad of dip and sticking the whole thing in her mouth. It’s hot, and she can barely close her mouth around it, but it’s obvious she doesn’t mind.
Sean reaches over Kerri’s shoulder and grabs a chip, shoving it into the dip. She slaps at his hands, but he ignores her. Once he tastes it, he has the same reaction Kerri had.
“Oh yeah, this is staying right here with me. I’ll take this off your hands, buddy.” Sean takes the tray from me and turns around and acts like he’s heading for his bedroom.
Reid intercepts him, though, blocking the doorway. “What’s going on in here?”
“Connor made the best dip ever, and Sean’s trying to run off with it,” Kerri says.
Reid looks at the tray with curiosity and takes a taste, raising his eyebrows. “Man, this is really good. I bet Niall would even like this.”
He takes the tray from Sean who whimpers and follo
ws him into the living room. Kerri and I trail behind them.
“Hey Niall, try this dip Connor made. It’s awesome.” Reid holds out the tray to his brother.
Niall looks at it then curls his lip and raises an eyebrow. “What’s the green stuff?”
“You don’t want to know, man. Just try it.”
“I don’t think so.” Niall shakes his head.
“Come on, don’t be a pansy ass.”
Niall reaches tentatively for a chip and takes the tiniest scoop ever. He places it on his tongue like it’s poison and chews it with his mouth open. After a couple seconds, he starts smiling.
“Hey, that is good! What is that?” Niall takes another chip, this one with a healthy scoop of dip on it.
“Spinach artichoke dip,” I say, and Niall looks at me like I said, “dog turd and maggot salad,” but sticks it in his mouth, anyway.
“Yeah, I didn’t need to know that,” Niall says, but he grabs another chipful.
I laugh, enjoying the way her brothers interact with each other. It must be fun to have a big family. We sit in the living room eating dip and watching the game. Being there feels so natural, I could almost forget that I’m not one of them. That is, if Kerri wasn’t squished up next to me on the sectional making me feel things that aren’t exactly family friendly. Kerri’s obviously not into me like that, though. She made it very clear to her family that I wasn’t her boyfriend.
A while later, I get up to check the dough, and Kerri follows me into the kitchen. The dough has swollen up to twice its size and looks like a fleshy water balloon. Kerri can’t resist poking at it to see if it jiggles.
I chuckle at her. “Haven’t you ever made dough before?”
She shakes her head and pokes the dough again. “Nope. All our bread comes baked and sliced and wrapped in plastic.”
“Well, now you know how easy it is.” I turn on the oven and put a pot of water on to boil.
Good Luck Charm Page 11
