Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 104151 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104151 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 347(@300wpm)
Kyle was my cousin with a cute little boy. We were all family. Incest was not only forbidden, it was gross.
After we picked up Grandma Bonnie and arrived home, I changed out of my white dress into a denim skirt and red blouse with tiny gold buttons. I still had to look nice for Sunday dinner, but white wasn’t a good choice since we were having barbecue ribs, green beans, fingerling potatoes, and, of course, apple pie with homemade ice cream.
Gabby answered the knock at the door for our cousin and his son while Mom and I finished setting the food on the table.
“Daddy got the booster,” Josh said to my mom.
Kyle smiled, holding up a booster seat. No Bibles would be sacrificed during dinner that day.
“Good thinking.” Mom took the booster seat and set it on the chair for Josh.
I headed to the kitchen to grab the basket of dinner rolls, but Kyle was in my way, so I gazed up at him with a platonic grin. “Excuse me.”
He didn’t move. “Are we okay?” he asked in a hushed tone, quickly scanning the room before returning his gaze to me.
“Of course we’re good. Why wouldn’t we be?” I did my best to pretend that nothing happened.
If he wanted to act like I had a crush on him, I wouldn’t do anything to confirm it because it wasn’t true.
Mind over matter.
It. Wasn’t. True.
Liking one’s cousin was gross.
I pushed past him since he wouldn’t move.
“Good. Because I feel bad about yesterday,” he said, following me into the kitchen.
I handed him the butter, and I grabbed the basket of rolls. “You’re family.” All I could muster was a cheesy smile. “Kind of like my cousin. Yesterday didn’t happen because you’re family. My adopted cousin.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Cousins,” he echoed.
I returned a firm nod. “And you teach math which makes you a nerdy cousin at that.” I batted my eyelashes before carrying the rolls to the table while he followed me.
After saying grace, my dad repeated the previous week's behavior by talking Kyle’s head off about football. But Kyle didn’t seem to mind. His passion was palpable.
I wanted to feel a little passion from him too.
Cousin! He’s my cousin.
“Denise wasn’t at church today, but I talked with her yesterday.” Mom squeezed into the conversation, changing it to another topic I didn’t care about. “She wanted me to thank you again for helping her out. She said she had a great evening painting with Josh and chatting with you.”
Kyle finished chewing and blotted his mouth with a napkin. “I was happy to help. And Josh had a good time.”
“She’s great with kids,” Mom added. “And she loves football. You’ll see her at all the games. She even volunteers at the concession stand.”
“Eve loves football too,” Gabby said. “Last year, she went to all of the games.” She smirked.
Mom nodded. “That’s right. You did.”
I shot my sister a stiff smile. She had kept my secret for a whole year, and I thought she would forget about it since it no longer mattered. Instead, she brought it up in front of Kyle, who probably thought I had told her that I liked him.
“Erin went to all of the games too,” I said with a shrug, even though she went to all the games to be with me while I supported my boyfriend, whom my parents never knew about.
“Maybe you can bring Josh to some of the games. He likes football, but I can’t coach and keep an eye on him,” Kyle said.
“She would love that,” Grandma Bonnie answered on my behalf.
I adjusted in my chair and opened my mouth to speak, but my mom interrupted.
“Oh, Denise would love to watch him,” she said before I could speak.
I bit my tongue and shrugged as if I didn’t care who took Josh to the games. When I looked at Grandma, she gave me a look. I wasn’t ready to build the fence.
“It’s good to know I have options,” Kyle said, wiping Josh’s messy face.
“I’ll get the pie and ice cream.” I smiled, scooting back in my chair.
“Gabby, help your sister,” Mom said.
“Let me,” Kyle interrupted, pushing back in his chair. “It’s the least I can do after getting an invitation to dinner two weekends in a row.”
I didn’t wait for him because I didn’t need anyone’s help.
“You must have been dating a player last year,” Kyle said as I retrieved the ice cream from the freezer.
I stiffened a second before turning and kicking the door closed behind me. “Why do say that?” I asked with a slight scoff.
“Because your family implied your interest in football was just last year, and you and Gabby exchanged a look.” He took the ice cream from me, and I pulled the scoop from the drawer by the sink.
I shook my head, opting for no comment.