Pleasantly Popped: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Love & Alliteration Book 3) by Holly Kerr

Author:Holly Kerr [Kerr, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Three Birds Press
Published: 2020-01-27T16:00:00+00:00

Trev

I get all the way into my parents’ house before the dog realizes there’s another dog inside. As I open my mouth to call a greeting, I hear the familiar woof and then Dodger comes at me in a run.

“Hey, buddy,” I say, scratching his ears. Since the yellow lab has always been ‘my’ dog, he gives me a perfunctory sniff before moving on to Drogo all atremble beside me. “Play nice,” I warn, releasing Drogo’s collar.

“Did you bring Drogo?” Mom calls, rolling into the hallway from the kitchen. She’s been in the wheelchair so long that the ranch-style bungalow has every barrier-free, wheelchair-accessible item known to man. Ramps and pulleys and a stair glide down into the basement. Roll-in showers. Instead of my father taking on the kitchen duties, he renovated the entire kitchen to make it easier for Mom to keep cooking.

I give her a hug and kiss and settle the box of pastries from Pain au Chocolat on her lap. “I’ll put these on a plate,” she says and wheels back into her Mom-cave in the kitchen.

“Would you still let Trev bring the dog if he brought a girl, too?” My eldest brother Travis calls from the living room.

“He brings the dog because he doesn’t have a girl to bring.” Middle brother Trace laughs, confidence in being the only married Cain brother evident in his voice.

I wince in sympathy; Trace has never been subtle and usually misses social cues. Travis’ recent divorce might have culled the Trev doesn’t have a woman comments from most people, but not Trace.

After hanging up my coat, I poke my head into the living room. “Merry almost Christmas.”

“You better have a good present for me,” Trace warns, lifting his beer in greeting.

“I have a better one for your wife.”

Tessa stands to hug me, her lifeline during family gatherings. “Good to see you,” she says in a soft voice. Everything about Tessa is soft and sweet, from her cloud of hair that looks like white-gold cotton candy, to her smile with the slick of scented lip balm and the dimple embedded in her cheek.

I have no idea how she manages a brute like Trace.

“Grab yourself a beer,” my father grunts from the depths of his recliner that’s seen better days. “Game’s gonna start.”

I head to the kitchen where my mother already has a cold beer pulled out of the fridge for me. I don’t make mention of the Labatt’s Blue label; for as many craft brews I’ve brought for my father and brothers to try, they still keep going back to their tried and true.

“I’m so sorry about what happened with Freyka,” Mom begins.

“Don’t be.” I tip the bottle to my mouth and wonder if Mom just set a record. How long do I have to be in the house before she starts on my love life?

“What happened with Freyka?” Tessa asks, having followed me into the kitchen.

“Trev!” Travis shouts. “You’re missing the face-off.”

There is always hockey being played someplace in the world over Christmas.

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