“I don’t snore.”
“Yeah, bro, you do. Why do you think I used to stay in my girlfriend’s dorm when we were at college?”
Tanner shook his head, his eyes meeting Gray’s. “Your house is beautiful. You guys did a great job.”
“Thanks.” Gray took a sip of beer. “I’ll show you around when Maddie comes down.”
“Where is she?” Cam asked, looking around as though she was crouching in the corner.
“Taking a shower.”
Logan laughed. “Did we interrupt something?”
“The oldest Heartbreak brother strikes again.” Cam lifted his bottle up.
“Guys, pipe down. She’s been working all day and wanted to clean up before you arrived.” Gray shook his head. “You had to be early for once.”
“Don’t tell me we interrupted you before the end,” Tanner said, laughing. “Cam, I told you we should have waited for somebody to open the door.”
“No way.” Cam grinned. “Remember the time Gray caught me with Ellie Maynard in the summer house? This is payback time.”
“You were twelve,” Gray told him. “And Ellie was Logan’s girl. And the summer house wasn’t yours either.”
“I’m a twin.” Cam shrugged. “I was born to share.”
Gray opened his mouth to reply when a loud knock came from the back door. “Hold that thought.” He walked over to open it, a grin spreading across his face when he saw his little sister standing there.
“Becca. You’re the only one in this family who has manners, do you know that?” he asked, ushering her in. “See, guys, this is how to be polite. You knock, wait for somebody to answer, then walk in when invited.”
Becca grinned at him. “Now that you’ve invited me in once I’ll probably let myself in from now on, like a vampire.” She hugged him then ran over to where her other brothers were sitting, letting them hug her and rag on her and everything else the Hartson family always did. “Thanks,” she said to Tanner when he opened her a beer. “And by the way, guess who’s back in town?”
“Shady?” Cam suggested.
“Shut up. I’m talking to Tanner.”
Cam pretended to be shot in the chest, grasping his pecs as he keeled to the side.
“I’ll bite,” Tanner said, smiling at his little sister. “Who’s back?”
“Savannah Reid.”
For an almost imperceptible moment, Tanner’s eyes widened. Then he took a mouthful of beer and carefully rearranged his expression. “She is?” he asked, his voice nonchalant.
“Who’s Savannah Reid?” Gray asked.
“She was called Van at school,” Becca told him.
Gray blinked. “Van as in Tanner’s best friend, Van?”
Becca grinned. “Yep. I saw her at the diner yesterday. She didn’t say much but I get the impression she’s back for good.”
Tanner emptied his bottle and put it on the table, saying nothing.
“Little Van is back,” Cam said, grinning. “Damn, she was a fireball. Anything we could do, she could do better. Skim stones, play football, she even won a few fights.” They all joined in with stories of their childhood. All except Tanner. Gray noticed his brother staring into the distance, his expression thoughtful.
“You okay?” he asked Tanner.
“Yeah, I’m good. I think I’ll get another beer. You want one?”