The Harper Brothers: All Bets Are Off (Wattpad Version)

Sweet and tangy

Rafe

Once the pies cooled, we took a slice and dug in. The first bite hit my mouth with a favorable mass explosion. You had a mixture of sweet and tangy tastes. The apples were the right balance to the crust.

"Damn, this is excellent pie," Romeo said, shoving pie into his mouth.

"I wasn't sure how the pies would turn out," Reese said.

"No worries there," I said, taking another bite.

"You should help Uncle Nik with the apple festival," Liam suggested.

"Braydon won't give me a job," Reese said.

"Why not?"

"He said it's a conflict of interest because you work in the bakery."

"Not if you volunteer to help. Plus, you can add volunteer work to a job application. Employers love that shit," Sage said.

Reese stopped mid-bite. "Really?"

Sage nodded.

Reese turned to me. "What do you think?"

I chewed my bite and swallowed. "It's not my decision, but I'll support whatever you want to do."

Reese's lips curled into a smile. "Okay, I'll talk to Braydon and Nik."

I polished off my slice of pie, grabbed another piece, and returned to the table. My brothers got up to grab another slice as the girls finished their slice of pie.

Romeo returned with two plates and placed one in front of Sage. "We finished off the remaining pie."

Reese's brows lifted as my brothers worked on their second slice.

"What other pies can you make?" I asked Reese.

"Any kind. Cory and Brian would tease Devin about baking and call him Betty Crocker," Reese said.

My brothers, cousins, and I stopped and stared at Reese.

Reese's face shifted between us. "What?"

"We had a grandfather who called our grammy Betty Crocker," I said.

"Really? Because my granddad called my grammy Betty Crocker," Sage said.

We glanced at each other and burst out laughing. Everyone sat around the table, talked, and laughed as we talked about our families. After the hell we encountered, we welcomed the levity—even Val talks without adding his usual grunts to the conversations.

Reese leaned into me. "This is the first time I've heard Val and Pat talk a lot."

"Because most people lack intelligence," Pat said.

Reese's face snapped in Pat's direction.

Pat tapped his hearing aids. "I have special hearing aids that allow me to hear a minute sound like whispering."

Reese's brows raised, and jaw slacked. I chuckled as I leaned back in my chair. Reese leaned on the table with her elbows. "So, why did you both say much?"

"You need to like a person to talk to them. I know I do." Val glanced at Pat. "What about you?"

"Yep, since most people are assholes." Pat shrugged.

We laughed.

"So, why are people so afraid of you?" Reese asked Val.

Val rubbed his chin. "I cut through the bullshit, which people don't expect. Plus, I have my dad's temperament. Pat has Grandpa's."