Head Over Boots

6. Through The Years

Looking at my alarm the next morning as I wake up I realize how late it is, I'm normally an early riser. I climb out of bed, stretching, and decide I will use the day to go to the stores to get some items to make my room more me.

After showering and changing into shorts, sneakers, and a t-shirt I head downstairs to find Luke sat at the island, drinking coffee. It's the first day since I've been home that he hasn't already been at work.

"Morning," I greet him, grabbing myself a cup of black coffee, sitting down opposite him.

"Morning, did you have a good time last night?" He asks as I sit down.

"Yeah, Rachelle introduced me to some of her friends so I spent most of the night with them, Nate says there's a bonfire every week so I'll probably end up going again, you should come. I'm starting to think you've forgotten how to party, old man," I smile teasingly at him.  Luke had never been one to shy away from a party, many times I had caught him sneaking in past curfew when we were still in high school.

"Yeah, I might pop out for the next one, a few of the guys in the shop mentioned it yesterday, say the guy isn't the best character though," he looks at me slightly disapprovingly.

"Yeah, Nate said the same thing," I agree, "I didn't even see him last night, though I did spend the whole time with Rachelle and the others. How's it going at the shop?" With Mum being a school teacher, although she did sell some of her paintings on the side for a fair profit, Luke had picked up a summer job, it meant that there was less stress on Mom and I reminded myself to do the same.

"It's good, the owner is nice, and the other guys are cool, the work isn't too hard and the pay is good, so I really can't complain," He shrugs "We are mega busy thought, he wants to hire another summer hand, reckons he knows a guy who might be interested. Are you looking for one yet?"

"I was going to go and find a notice board and see if anyone wanted a baby sitter or something, if not I'll find a cafe or something, I've got waitressing and babysitting experience so it shouldn't be hard to find something."

"True, just don't work yourself into the ground, I'll be home more once Greg takes on more help," He reminds me, clearly referring to the previous summer where I worked myself into the ground to be able to afford things for college, I was lucky that I attended on a scholarship.

"I won't," I promise him, finishing my coffee and putting the empty mug in the sink. "I'm gonna go read for a bit." I head back up to my room, picking up my current book, Pride and Prejudice, from the pile waiting to be put on the shelves.

-

I had spent most of the day reading and planning things for my room and my sophomore year at college when Luke appeared in my room about half five. 

"Hey, I just picked Charlie up, since we're all home I thought we'd all cook together, like old times?" When we were younger and mom would lock herself away painting, the three of us would work together to cook for all of us, when we first started they were often a mash-up of things that we knew how to cook; frozen pizza, carrots, and mashed potatoes was a common one, but as we got older our cooking had got decidedly better.

"Sure, what are we cooking?" I ask, standing up from where I had been organizing the books on my shelf and following him down the stairs.

"I was thinking Fajitas, I picked the stuff up at the store on my way home," he tells me.

"You took Charlie into a store after football practice?" I ask, screwing up my nose in disgust, I know from experience he does not smell good after.

"Yeah, we definitely got a few looks like that," my little brother laughed, pinching my nose as he followed us into the kitchen.

"How was practice?" I ask as we start pulling food out of bags, dividing it up between us to prepare.

"Good, coach is announcing first string and captain next week, so I gotta keep working at it, I want that QB1 spot," As he talks I notice Charlie has picked up a very slight southern drawl. He has always been determined, he knows what he wants and he will work himself into the ground to get it, it's made him a great player.

"I'm sure you'll get it, especially with your attitude," I bump him out of the way of the chopping board with my hip and start cutting the peppers.

We spend the time chatting and catching up with each other. I've always been close with my brothers, closer than most siblings, so I miss them when we're separated, face time just isn't the same, so it's nice spending time together.

"I'm gonna take this to mom quickly," Luke disappears with a plate of food for her to the room she's been painting in, we're unlikely to see much of her unless we drag her out or she's finished, like Charlie she's determined if she starts something she will work until she finishes.

"I've missed this," Charlie says as we take the food and drinks for the three of us to the island to eat. "Us all being together."

"Me too," I sigh, "Now you're closer I will make the effort to come home more. It's been hard this year not seeing you guys all the time."

"Good news," Luke interrupts taking his seat opposite Charlie and me, "The guy Greg asked to help out said yes so I will be working a lot fewer shifts."

"That's great, know who it is?" Charlie asks.

"He didn't say, just that he worked there through high school so he knows how everything runs," Luke shrugs, starting to eat like a caveman, that is one thing I did not miss about my brothers when it was just us all manners went out the window.

"We will likely be working a lot of the same shifts so hopefully we get on, it's hell working with people you don't like," After 3 years in Georgia Luke had also picked up a slight southern twang to his tone.

"You get on with everyone," I roll my eyes, it's true, I don't think we've ever met anyone Luke didn't get on with, apart from maybe my high school boyfriend, we weren't together long anyway.

"Shop's closed tomorrow, so guess we'll find out Monday, Greg says that's when he starts," Luke shrugs as we carry on eating.

A/N:

How did you like getting to know the siblings a little more in this chapter? Please comment and vote and let me know what you're thinking!