Hunt and Prey (Kelsey's Burden Series Book 8) by Kaylie Hunter (novels to read for beginners txt) 📕

“Ah,” I said, sliding the paper plate across the counter toward me and flipping the top layer of bread off. “Fresh tuna.”

“I forgot,” Aunt Suzanne said, shrugging her shoulders. “My mistake.”

Circling the island counter to the other side, I uncovered the platters and bowls of food. “Nick, do you want turkey, ham, or peanut butter and jelly?”

“Nothing,” Nicholas said, tucking his head into Whiskey’s shoulder.

“Hey, buddy,” Wild Card said, moving away from Grady and taking Nicholas from Whiskey. “This is not your fault. This is my fault. And Grady’s fault. We shouldn’t have yelled like that in front of you.”

Nicholas’ lower lip trembled as his eyes filled with unshed tears. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

“It wasn’t you who caused the trouble,” Aunt Suzanne said. “I did. I’m the one who forgot you only like tuna sandwiches if it’s that canned stuff. I should’ve remembered.”

Jackson, Reggie, Bridget, and Wayne entered the kitchen, dumping their stuff on various counters. Jackson handed Ryan two large bakery boxes.

“She didn’t,” Ryan said, sighing.

“Oh, yes, she did.” Jackson took another three steps to reach me, leaning down to kiss my cheek, before walking over to the table. As he sat, he glanced around the room. “Why’s everyone hanging out in the kitchen? It’s gorgeous outside.”

“Oh, just witnessing yet another round of Nicholas being spoiled,” Grady growled.

I swear my arm was not connected to my brain when the tuna fillet launched across the room and slapped Grady in the face.

Everyone inhaled in unison as the fillet slid down his cheek and fell to the floor.

Grady raised his head slowly to look at me. His eyes were narrowed, his face flushed. He continued glaring as he stretched his t-shirt sleeve up to reach and wipe his face.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Wild Card pass Nicholas back to Whiskey. Everyone else stood or sat frozen, waiting for Grady’s reaction.

“Classy, Kelsey,” Grady said as he turned from the room. “Real mature.”

Everyone released their breath.

I sighed as I picked up the tuna and carried it, along with the rest of the sandwich, over to the trash. Returning to the counter, I made three sandwiches piled with turkey, lettuce, tomato, and way too much mayo. I added a side of barbeque chips.

"You going to leave some food for the rest of us?" Reggie asked, grinning beside me.

"One’s for me, one’s for Sara, and one’s for Nicholas." I slid two of the paper plates across the island and hands grabbed them from the other side. “Carl? Did you like your sandwich?”

“I made my own. I’m all done now. May I go swim?”

“As long as another adult is with you, then yes.”

“You want a cupcake first?” Ryan asked, opening a bakery box as he held it tipped up to show us three dozen cupcakes.

Everyone groaned. Ryan’s wife’s baking was top notch, but we ate ourselves sick over the tournament weekend, and weeks later, we still hadn’t recovered.

“Can I have two?” Carl asked, being the exception to every rule.

“Sure,” I said before taking a bite of my sandwich.

“Hey, woman,” Wild Card said to me, grinning as he leaned over and stole some chips off Nicholas’ plate, “make me a sandwich. I’m hungry.”

This time, I knew exactly what I was doing when I sent the cupcake sailing across the room. Wild Card saw it coming and put up a hand to block it. The cupcake blew apart when it hit his hand, though, covering him and Nicholas.

Wild Card stuck first one finger, then another, into his mouth and sucked the blue frosting and chocolate cake chunks off. Then he leaned over and whispered something to Nicholas.

Nick’s eyes widened and he shook his head no.

Wild Card whispered again, and Nicholas looked up at me with a spark of mischief.

“I wouldn’t,” I warned before taking another bite of my sandwich.

Nicholas leaned over and whispered to Sara.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she whispered back loud enough for me to hear.

I moved my sandwich to the back counter, next to the refrigerator, before turning back toward the island and shifting the bakery box in front of me.

“That’s cheating,” Wild Card said as he stood, staring at the bakery box.

“When have I ever fought fair?” I asked before launching a cupcake at Nicholas.

I threw three more before I had to start running. On the second pass around the island, I didn’t account for the tile floor being slick with frosting and I went down, accidentally dragging Aunt Suzanne down with me.

Wild Card stood over us and dumped the remaining cupcakes on our heads. The kids pounced, trying to rub the cupcakes into our faces and hair. Somehow, Aunt Suzanne managed to squirm her way from the pile of bodies and stand. She grabbed the large plastic serving bowl of macaroni salad, but as she went to fling the contents our way, Wild Card knocked it the other direction. The bowl went flying toward the other side of the room.

The kids and I watched the bowl disappear from our view. We glanced at each other, before scrambling off the floor to see over the island.

Anne, Whiskey, Bones, Jackson, and Bridget sat at the dining room table, covered in slimy noodles.

Ryan stood off to the side, perfectly clean, and grinning at all of us. I grabbed a dill pickle lying on the counter in front of me and threw it at Ryan. His head snapped my direction as he reached out to catch the pickle, but he was splattered with its juices. Ryan’s eyes narrowed.

Wild Card slid the second box of cupcakes in front of us, knocking the lid off. “Arm yourselves!”

The other team started sending missiles of food our way as Wild Card counted down from three and we launched our