TEAM PLAYERS: A REVERSE HAREM ROMANCE by Stephanie Brother

Author:Stephanie Brother [Brother, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2021-02-20T16:00:00+00:00

20

It’s the day before Hunter and Harley’s big birthday bash. They’re going to be twenty-two. Reggie and Gordon approach me in the morning, asking if I’ll help them organize the party. It’s the first time they’ll be following the family tradition since Dad died, and I think they’re finding the prospect daunting. Not the organization, as such, but more the idea of celebrating without the man who brought them all together and taught them how to be the family that they are.

We head to Main Street to pick up the large foil number balloons they always get and some shiny silver banners. In the food store, they find the ingredients to make a big chocolate fudge cake, and pancakes too. Apparently, birthday buttermilk pancakes are a big tradition, served with maple syrup, bacon, and blueberries. Even in my slightly nauseated state, they sound delicious. Dinner will be pizza, ordered in from their favorite pizzeria, but we need chips and dip and other small party food and a keg of beer.

Gordon hefts that keg like it weighs nothing, and I get a flash of an image of Atlas from my old mythology book. He’s the Titan who was strong enough to hold up the sky. Gordon seems to have the strength and determination to hold this family together, that’s for sure.

“Have you ever baked chocolate fudge cake?” Gordon asks.

“Sure. Who used to bake it, you know… before?”

“Dad. He loved baking. Sunday would always be muffin day, and the last few years, he even started baking his own bread using ancient grains. It was seriously rustic but much better for you than the store-bought stuff.”

“He did?” The image of my dad with his shirt sleeves rolled up, kneading dough, seems like a strange fantasy.

“With our training, he got heavily into health. All our meals were designed to give us the maximum energy and nutrition.”

“But he made you muffins and chocolate fudge cake.”

“Yeah, but the muffins have zucchini in them, and the chocolate fudge cake contains beets.”

“Beets? Like the purple things from underground?”

“Yep, and natural sugars too. None of that processed stuff.”

“Wow… that’s… awesome. But I’ve never made a beet cake before. I’m not sure it’ll be any good.”

Gordon smiles, his eyes crinkling in the reflection of the review mirror. “We can follow the recipe, and I guess we’ll have to hope for the best.”

Back at the house, Hunter and Harley are busy with classes, so we have time to dig out the folder of recipes my father put together and start on the chocolate cake. It’s fun doing something as domestic as baking with my foster brother. The counter gets covered with flour, and Reggie drops an egg, much to Gordon’s disgust and my amusement. The batter is dark and delicious looking, and Reggie scoops some from the edge of the bowl with his finger and plants it on my nose. I squeal, searching for a cloth to wipe myself, but I’m not quick enough. He grabs hold of both sides of my face and licks it off.

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