she would be giving me an “I told you so” lecture on why I shouldn’t call her Ziz. The nickname thing was going to cause a confusing weekend but whatever. I had a good reason for calling her Ziz—several, in fact—but sharing them with her would defeat the purpose.
Roman pulled me in for a bro hug. “Damn, dude. You’ve gotten bigger.”
I looked down at my pecs and biceps and flexed. Then I grinned. “You think so?” Though I was playing at being modest, I knew it was true. I hadn’t punished myself in the gym all summer for no gain.
“Yeah, man. Don’t let it go to your head, though. I can still take you.”
I only hesitated a split second before tackling him and dragging his ass to the ground. What he lacked in muscle, he made up for in technique, though, and it didn’t take long for our positions to be reversed as we wrestled on the kitchen floor.
“Are you two ever going to grow up?”
I looked up to see Becca leaning against the doorframe, and that second of distraction was enough for Roman to pin my shoulders down. If I weren’t worn out from my game, I would have been able to prevent the pin. Maybe. But I didn’t care. Roman could have the victory. He’d spent the last nine months out to sea in the Middle East, and it was so damn good to see him.
Roman picked himself up off the floor and offered a hand to pull me up, which I took. He grinned at his sister. “Nope.”
She wrinkled her nose. “You couldn’t pay me to roll around on the kitchen floor.”
I was no Betty Homemaker, but my floor wasn’t disgusting. I sneaked a peek to confirm. Okay… it could use a good mopping.
Roman lunged toward Becca like he was going to take her down, but her fist shot out and caught him in the throat.
Coughing, he clutched his neck. “Damn, Bec. What the hell?”
She shrugged. “You taught me that move, remember?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“I believe your exact words were ‘if a guy is trying to grab you, fight dirty.’”
“You aren’t supposed to fight dirty against me!”
She grinned. “You’re lucky I didn’t punch you in the balls.”
Roman shook his head. “That’s uncalled for.”
I shook my head, chuckling. “While I’m enjoying this sibling love or rivalry or whatever the hell this is, I’m starving. Do you want to eat somewhere? I’ll buy.”
Roman grinned. “In that case, I’d love a steak.”
“Outback?”
“You know it.”
I turned to Becca. “Is that okay?”
She shook her head. “You two can go. You probably want some time to catch up.”
Roman’s expression mirrored mine. What the hell? Sure, maybe Roman and I had a bit of a bromance going on, but Becca was always included. That went without question.
“You’re coming.” I jerked my thumb in Roman’s direction. “Otherwise, I’ll be forced to stare at this ugly mug, which will ruin my appetite.”
“I’ve never had any complaints,” Roman said. “In fact, I’ve had nothing but rave reviews.”
Becca put her hand up. “I still don’t want to hear about your sex life. That still hasn’t changed.”
Half an hour later, we were seated at Outback. There was an hour wait, but the hostess let us skip the line. Maybe it was wrong, but I was going to take advantage of being a local football hero for as long as I could. Unlike Archer, I didn’t anticipate getting picked up in the first round. I was a damn good college tight end, but once I got to the pros, I would be middle of the road.
If I’d learned nothing else from my parents, I’d learned not to overestimate myself.
When the server took our drink orders, Becca ordered water and sighed. “Drink up, boys. I’m the DD by default.”
Roman and I didn’t need to be told twice. I slipped the server a twenty and told him to keep the drinks coming. I normally didn’t throw down during the season, but this was a special occasion. By the fourth beer, Roman let it slip that he’d re-upped his commitment to the navy and was being considered for SEAL training.
Becca’s eyes widened. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
Roman gave her a dismissive look. “It’s the military. It’s all dangerous.”
“I know that, but that’s more dangerous than being a regular seaman, right?”
“Technically,” Roman allowed.
“There’s no ‘technical’ about it,” Becca said. “Does Mom know?”
The badass SEAL-to-be shifted uncomfortably and wouldn’t meet his sister’s gaze. “I’m twenty-one. I don’t have to ask permission.”
I laughed. “So that’s a no.”
Their mother, Lydia,