Family Ties — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

“So, Paul,” he said, “are you ready for your trial by fire? Meeting all of us at once?”

“Can we change the subject?” I joked.

“Nah, you’ll do fine,” he said. “Mom already likes you. Dad’s a tougher nut to crack, but he’ll come around. Everyone else is pretty laid-back. Just don’t stand too close to Rich. Don’t make eye contact, either. And don’t stick anything through the bars of the cage.”

“Danny!” Christy cried.

Sabrina laughed. “Oh, Danny, be nice. Rich is a big softie. You just have to know how to handle him.

”

“He wasn’t mean,” Christy said. “Laurence said it was ’cause you and your friends made fun of him.”

“Yeah, ’cause he was a little troll.” He grumbled, “Now he’s a big troll, with weapons and hand-to-hand combat training.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Christy said to me. “You’ll get along fine with Rich. He’s just very protective.”

“And me,” Sabrina said.

“And Mom,” Christy added.

“Okay, so he’s protective of women,” Danny said. To me, “Those of us with testicles are on our own.”

“Roger that,” I said.

“Ah, Rich isn’t that bad,” he said. “He’s got a friend with him, so I’m sure he’ll be on his best behavior.”

“Rich is here?” Christy said, surprised.

“Yeah, he decided to spend a couple of days at the ol’ homestead.

Brought a friend with him. Their unit’s on standby to standby ’cause of the whole Beirut thing, so they can’t leave town.”

“Mom didn’t know if he was gonna make it,” Christy said. “He thought he’d be deployed.”

“He still might be. Dad doesn’t think so, but the scuttlebutt is above our pay grade.

” He glanced at me as he slowed to turn into a neighborhood. “Still time to bail.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Christy said. She hugged my arm. “Everyone will love you.”

“Last chance,” Danny said before he turned into a driveway.

I grinned. “Faint heart never won fair lady.”

He laughed, and Christy beamed up at me.

“You girls head inside,” Danny said as he maneuvered the big car into the garage. “Paul and I can handle the luggage.”

We climbed out of the car, and I got my first good look at Sabrina.

For a moment I thought I might have to put my eyes back in my head. She looked like a brunette Christie Brinkley, only close enough to touch. I managed to recover before she noticed, but only just. I distracted myself by helping Christy out of the car.

“I’ll see you inside,” she said. “I can’t wait for you to meet everyone.”

I smiled and watched her and Sabrina walk into the house. Then I glanced at Danny, who was doing the same.