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over to check on him.
    “There is such a thing as a phone. I talked to her yesterday. She said she and Dad love Arizona. They’re making friends and keeping busy. Nowhere in our conversation did she mention sending you two over to babysit me.”
    River came back out on the porch with two cold beers in his hand. He threw one to Reed then settled himself on the rail in front of his oldest brother.
    “Yes, but she called again late last night and you didn’t answer. She got worried about her baby boy. Woke us up first thing this morning and demanded we come over after work to make sure you were okay and had food. If we even had an inkling anything was wrong we were to call her and she’d catch the first flight out to stay with you.”
    Sky closed his eyes with a groan. Thirty-seven years old and his mother still wanted to baby him. “That woman is nuts. I didn’t answer my phone because I wasn’t home. Why didn’t she just leave a message to have me call her back?”
    Reed and River looked over at each other and shrugged. Reed answered with a grin. “Maybe because she’s just looking for an excuse to come check up on you?”
    Sky flipped his brother the finger. “I don’t need a checkup from Mom. I’m doing fine. The shoulder is almost all healed up.” To prove it Sky moved his arm in a complete circle. “The bullet went clean through. The only reason I’m on disability is because the idiot hit me in my shooting arm.”
    Reed held his hands up in defense. “Hey, you don’t have to tell me. I know you’re fine, but she’s your mother.”
    “And she’s not yours?”
    “Nope. Dad said my conception involved aliens, a light beam and gummy bears.” The middle tech-savvy brother smarted off, his light brown eyes gleaming with amusement.
    “Yeah, I can see that. You are kind of freaky looking,” River commented from his perch on the railing. “Big ears, small dick, it’s really kind of sad.”
    “Small dick?” Reed swiftly jumped to his feet. “You little shit. Wait until I get my hands on you.”
    River set his beer down safely and jumped off the porch, running to keep out of his brother’s reach.
    With a loud sigh Sky watched his idiot brothers race around his yard as the sun finally set. Reed had one arm wrapped around River’s throat while River did his best to give his middle brother a wedgie from hell.
    Wrapped up in his siblings’ antics Sky didn’t notice the quiet car driving down the street until the flash of headlights illuminated the faces of the two men still trying to beat the crap out of each other.
    “Shit,” he cursed knowing it would be too late to get rid of his family, currently rolling over his grass laughing and cursing each other loudly. “Get the hell up, you idiots.”
    Neither man paid him any attention as they continued to struggle with each other. Sky debated for a moment. The water hose would stop them, but he’d have to go get the thing, uncoil it, turn it on then walk back to hose the fighting freaks in the yard. No, he needed something a little bit quicker, but just as efficient.
    “Hey, Reed, watch out for the pile on your left. My neighbor’s got a huge pit-bull and he got loose earlier today. Left a nice warm land mine just about where your elbow is.”
    The words barely left his mouth when both men jumped to their feet, their hands quickly running over their clothing and skin. Sky laughed, grabbed both their ears and dragged them over to Reed’s truck.
    “Get inside before you shame the whole family. I swear it’s a wonder the city lets either one of you carry a gun.” He shoved them both at the truck just as he heard his name being called.
    “Skyler?”
    Kasey’s voice sounded a little hesitant and Sky’s immediate reaction was to run over and soothe her, but he couldn’t do it with his brothers there. More important his brothers’ big mouths. He didn’t want her to find out about his job, not yet, not before he got a chance to really know her and