I glare at him. “You better not have paid someone to open early.”
He lifts his hands in the air. “I wouldn’t dare. You’ve made it perfectly obvious how you feel about my money. My buddy, Rich, works here. He said we could come in an hour early since he’s here setting up anyway.”
“Nice save.”
He lifts my hand to kiss my knuckles before ordering me to, “Stay there.”
A man who opens the door for me? You won’t hear me arguing.
He opens my door and offers me his hand. “Ready to get your ass kicked?”
“It’s cute you think you can beat me.”
We make our way to the employee entrance, where a young kid is waiting for us. “Harper, this is my friend, Rich.”
I wave in greeting and we follow him to the track.
“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong.”
“What do you mean?” I ask Kai.
“You’re back to thinking I’m a child because Rich is my friend and he’s only seventeen.” I kind of was actually. “What you don’t know is I’m Rich’s big brother.”
I rock to a halt. “Big brother?” He nods. “You’re involved with Big Brother?”
His cheeks darken. “I know what it’s like to grow up without a father. I was lucky and had five big brothers. Not everyone is as lucky.”
Freaking smugglers lost at sea. Kai is not playing fair. This is supposed to be a fun date to let loose for a few hours before returning to my mundane life. This isn’t supposed to be an excuse for Kai to show me there’s more to him than being a goofball.
Chapter 18
“Some jokes never get old.” ~ Kai
Kai
Iwhistle as I make my way to Eli’s house carrying Mr. Crisp. Mr. Crisp is a pickle in a jar but don’t let the outer appearance fool you, he’s a wizard at poker. He’s also my good luck charm.
Everyone is required to bring a good luck charm to the Raider monthly poker games. It all started when Miles refused to play without Hopper – his rabbit’s foot that definitely isn’t a rabbit. Zane complained it wasn’t fair if one person had a lucky charm and the rest didn’t. Miles claimed it wasn’t his fault if no one else was lucky.
Somehow, it escalated into all of us being required to have lucky charms. Zane has Nugget – a taxidermized squirrel in a cowboy hat. Jaxon has a Chia Pet – the Green King – who he claims resembles Elvis but really reminds me of a green blob. Rhett has a bowling shoe because he’s boring. And Eli has a set of teeth he used to scare us into brushing our teeth when we were young.
I ring the bell and grin at Paisley when she opens the door.
“How is the incubator of my future niece doing?”
“Eli!” She hollers over her shoulder. “Raider number six has arrived.”
Eli comes running before I have time to enter the house. “What are you doing answering the door? You should be laying down.”
Paisley fists her hands at her hips. “I should be laying down?”
“Yes.” He tries to grasp her arm but she slaps at his hand.
“I am not on bed rest. I don’t need to lie down.”
“What’s going on?” Miles asks as he and Zane join me on the porch.
“I’ll tell you what’s going on,” Paisley sneers. “Your older brother is a control freak.”
