He handed the kitten to Maggie and reached for the other one. Kevin belly-crawled out of the dirt after his furry charges. This one mewed at full volume to express his displeasure. The dog whimpered. “Everybody is just fine,” Silas promised them both.
Both kittens started to meow, and Kevin was beside himself. “They must be hungry,” Maggie guessed. “What can we feed them?”
“Got any canned tuna?” Cody suggested. “We can try to get them to drink the juice until we can get some real kitten food.”
“Good idea,” she said.
They carried their new charges under Kevin’s watchful eye into the house.
“You’re not going to use orphaned kittens as a reason to back out on our shopping today, are you?” Dean demanded as Cody and Maggie tried to coax the kittens toward a dish of tuna.
She looked surprised. “Of course not. Our new roommate here volunteered to keep an eye on them while we ponder boots,” she said.
So much for stealing her away for lunch, Silas realized. Maybe he could talk her into dinner or—
“Besides,” she continued, “Niri and Kayla invited me out tonight. Apparently Niri’s mom is headlining at someplace called Cowboy Jake’s.”
Dammit, Niri.
“Look who’s changing from caterpillar to social butterfly,” Dean mused, helping himself to some coffee.
Maggie stuck her tongue out at him, and Cody smirked at their byplay.
“I’ll run into town and get some fur ball supplies. Then I’ll pick you up, and we can head to lunch,” Dean offered.
“Perfect. Cody started a list,” Maggie said.
“You’re going to Jake’s tonight?” Silas asked, trying for casual. He’d been hoping for a late lunch date, maybe talking her into swinging by his house and seeing where things went. He had fresh sheets on the bed, a sparkling-clean bathroom vanity, and all of the laundry was where it belonged, where it would stay, since Kevin was with him.
“It was a hard invitation to pass up,” she said with a sunny smile. She seemed excited to have friends, and as much as he wanted her attention focused on him, he wasn’t willing to be a dick about it. At least, not to her.
While Dean and Maggie completed the feline shopping list and Cody succeeded in coaxing one of the kittens to lick tuna juice off his finger, Silas pulled up his text messages.
Silas: How’s a guy supposed to get the girl when his baby sister keeps stealing her away?
Michael: Poor deprived baby.
Taylor: Cockblocked by Niri!
Niri: Are you or are you not going to be at Cowboy Jake’s for Mama B’s band tonight?
Silas: Now I am. Instead of tempting her back to my clean sheets and Febreze-scented house.
Michael: You really know how to do atmosphere. eye roll
Silas: bite me GIF
Niri: Silas, will you or will you not be dragged up onstage by Mama B for at least one song?
Silas: Probably.
Niri: Imagine how much more irresistible you’ll be when you just casually run into her while she’s out having fun with friends and then get up onstage and you’re all swoony and croony.
Michael: Aren’t you too pregnant to have fun?
Niri: You do NOT want my attention on you, Mikey! Not until you have a certain conversation with a certain foursome of parents.
Taylor: What’s happening? What’s the vague threat about? Do I know? I just had to pull a purple jelly bean out of Sullivan’s nose.
Silas: Niri is threatening to set Mikey up with a boy before he tells the moms and dads he’s into dudes.
Taylor: Whew! I thought this was something new. Mikey you have GOT to tell the parents!
Michael: Let’s turn this back around on Silas for being a whiner who didn’t get the girl.
Niri: Listen, my nights out are limited before this baby sitting on my bladder makes it impossible for me to leave my bathroom. You ALL will show up tonight!
Silas: This better not be a diabolical plan to get revenge for that time Mikey and I flattened Jeremiah’s tire when we found out you were sneaking out to meet him.
Michael: I would like the record to show that I only distracted Jeremiah while Silas let the air out of his tire.
Taylor: I miss you assholes. I need to move home. And not just so I can dump my children on their aunt and uncles.
A flurry of real estate listings in and around the Kinship area exploded into the chat.
Silas grinned. He loved his siblings. Even if they were assholes.
Elton poked his head into the kitchen. “Maggie, there’s a grumpy old guy here to see you. Says it’s important.”