Behind Alexandra, my mom rolled her eyes. "Parker, you're twenty-eight. Control yourself, please."
I held up my hands and stepped back. "Don't blame me if she takes something the wrong way. I was paying her compliment."
"In what state is "I thought you were wearing that for my benefit" a compliment?" Raven slammed the tongs down on the grill. Once again, her hair swung as she spun to face me, and she had to free a few strands from her lips.
"That's clearly me telling you that you look nice."
Her jaw drops. "That's not even close to that. Next time, I'd advise using "You look nice," you moron."
Both our moms rubbed their foreheads.
"I get it." Ryan shrugged, and I nodded to him.
"Whose side are you on?" Raven demanded. "I'm your sister."
"Oh no, Parker, don't be a dick to my sister," he replied flatly.
I coughed to hide my laugh.
"Ryan," Alexandra said sharply. "Sit down."
I dipped my head so I didn't laugh when he did it.
"Gee, Parker." Raven tilted her pretty head to the side, a dirty smirk teasing her full lips. "Do you think your mom would like the fact you're laughing right now?"
My amusement vanished in an instant. I glared at her, and as her smile widened, I knew exactly what was about to happen.
The sharp sting of my mom's hand clipping me around the back of the head radiated across my scalp.
"Sit down, Parker," she said, just as sharply. "Show some restraint. I raised you to be a gentleman, not an uncouth horror."
Raven grinned. She was obviously trying not to laugh because that smile was a little too wide.
"Fuck you," I mouthed to her before I turned and sat down at the table.
She didn't respond. She'd won the first round, and she damn well knew it. My mom would always side with her, mostly because she knew that if I pushed her too far she'd probably lose control of that hot little temper of hers and do some damage.
We all remembered the summer of two-thousand-and-seven. She was seventeen and just caught her boyfriend making out with the head cheerleader.
Long story short, it took her six months to earn enough money to pay her parents back for the windshield they had to replace.
The brick she'd used was still in the front yard, used as part of the decoration. Nobody else would think anything of it, but I chuckled whenever I saw it.
Mostly because as Ryan had reasoned after: "Nobody needs to worry that I'll break their face-now they'll be worried Raven will do it instead."
The only reason she'd never smashed my windows was probably because it'd have been too obvious.
I was still amazed she never had-and waiting for the day she did.
It was probably going to be soon.
"How did your interview go this afternoon?" Alexandra asked her, taking the cooking tongs.
"Don't," she muttered, stepping away from the grill. "His resume said he was twenty-five and competent enough to be an assistant in the kitchen, so I brought him in for a shortlist if I ever happen to find a head chef. He strolls into the freaking bar and I swear, I got an arrest warrant signed just for him walking in. He wasn't even legal. I asked him to prove his age and he's freaking twenty. He's still in college and thought it was a summer job and that nobody would need proof of his age."
"Where are you advertising?"
"Everywhere except my naked body," she replied, sitting down at the table opposite Ryan. "Lani's even taken pity on me and is giving me free full-page ads at this point."
"Who's Lani?" I asked.
"One of my closest friends. She runs the Whiskey Key paper."
"Are you just advertising in Whiskey Key?" I raised my eyebrows. "Why don't you do it here, too?"
"I'm advertising everywhere in South Florida," she shot back. "It's not as easy as you'd think it is."
"That's because you've had a shitty menu," Ryan said with a snort. "Maybe you should call back some of the better guys you interviewed and offer them to submit you a menu."
"What was your menu?" I asked her. "Didn't you ask Ryan to help you?"
"When has my sister ever asked for my help? Except earlier, of course, when she begged me to work for her."
"I did not beg you." Raven bristled. "Well, maybe a little. You know I need the kitchen open before everyone comes for vacation."
"Then sort out your menu," he shot back.
"Kids," Alexandra interrupted, putting the plate of steaks in the middle of the table. "Eat. Ilsa, can you see where Danny is when you get Craig?"
"Of course." Mom set the bottle of wine she was holding down in front of Alexandra and turned back to the house.