The array of vehicles that were parked in front of the Flannigan’s home was dizzying. It had the neighbors gossiping about why on Earth there would be a Lamborghini, a chauffeur driven Rolls Royce, and a horse-drawn carriage all at the same time parked by the curb of the modest home.

Kel and Ethan had taken their date to the backyard as they waited for dinner to be served. Sipping on some Chardonnay, the two were talking about how pretty Ireland is in the summer and how Kel should take the time to visit Scotland that coming summer.

When the back door opened with a loud squeak, the two saw four more people, coming to join them. “Hey, you two,” Jess called out. “Mind if we join you?”

Kel shook her head as Ethan frowned at his friends who he considered to be interfering with his progression with Kel. The others took lawn chairs, pulling them close to their dates. “Wine me, Kel,” Cait said as she held out two wine glasses she’d picked up as she went through the kitchen. “Mom told me you brought a bottle out here.”

“I did,” Kel said and passed the bottle of wine to her sister. “You can wine your own self, Cait.”

With a shrug, Cait filled their glasses. Jess and Griffin brought a couple of beers with them and sat back in their chairs, looking at the night sky. Griff put his arm around Jess and whispered, “You cold, baby?”

She wiggled into his chest. “A little.”

Kel and Cait exchanged glances at their younger sister’s interactions with the man who was all about the bet and not all about their baby sister. When Kel noticed Griff was moving in to kiss Jess, she said, “So, how’d your date go, Jess?”

Jess’s eyes had been glued on Griffin’s, and she had to drag them away from his to look at her oldest sister. “Fine. Well, not just fine. Great. Awesome. Beyond anything I ever could’ve imagined.”

Kel looked at Ethan with a smile. “Not better than ours went, I guarantee.”

Ethan took her hand and held it against his cheek as he said, “Ours was pretty spectacular, wasn’t it, love?”

Kel nodded then looked at Cait. “And yours, how was it, Cait?”

“Kind of dreamy. Kind of out of this world,” she said then leaned over and kissed Phoenix on the cheek. “We’re going out for drinks after dinner tonight.”

Ethan’s frown was noticed by Cait and Jess as he looked at Phoenix. “Is that so? Kel, would you like to go out for drinks too, my love?”

“No, thank you,” Kel answered, making Ethan’s frown grow.

“What? Why not?” he asked her.

“An early morning is why.” She cupped his face in her hands. “Why, are you going to miss me, Ethan?”

“Yes,” he said then leaned in close. “Maybe you and I could go to bed early. In our own hotel room.”

She patted his leg as she shook her head. “I don’t think so, Ethan.” Then she took the big sisterly approach with her errant middle sister. “Cait, you too have classes early in the morning. Perhaps you should think about canceling the drinks tonight. Dinner will be over around nine or so, and that’s plenty late enough. You’ve spent the entire day together as it is.”

Cait wanted to spend more time with Phoenix, but she saw how Jess was with Griffin, and it made her feel that big sister responsibility that coursed through her too. “I think you’re right. Sorry, Phoenix, maybe another time.”

Phoenix was crushed. In more ways than one. Sure, he thought he was about to win the bet but he also really wanted to spend more time with Cait. “Aww, Caity-cat, come on. Just one drink, please.”

With a sigh, Cait said, “No, sorry.”

Jess got up and led Griffin into the house without saying a word to anyone. Kel and Cait were more than a bit worried about her and followed quickly. “Dinner’s most likely ready, come on,” Kel said as she got up and pulled Ethan to go with her.

Ethan and Phoenix exchanged worried glances as they went inside the house. It was their third night there, and it looked as if none of them would be scoring that night, either.

They found Jess and Griffin in the kitchen getting themselves two more beers and going to the dining room. Kel and Cait grew more worried about Jess and grabbed another bottle of wine, taking it to the dining room. There they found their parents and younger brother, Alex, sitting at the table.

“Finally,” their father said. “We’ve been waitin’ on you all.”

“You could’ve called us,” Kel said, “We were all in the backyard.”

“You were told when dinner would be served,” their father said. “Are ya thinkin’ me and your mother are your servants? Just because these men spoiled your arses today doesn’t mean we’ll be continuing to do that tonight. And I do hope all of you girls remember that you have school early in the morning and we expect you to get to your classes. We don’t spend almost all the money we make on your education for you to skip classes.”

“You pay for them to go to college, Mr. Flannigan?” Griffin asked as he eyed the nasty blob of gray that was sitting on top of a mountain of mashed potatoes.

“I do,” their father said. “I’m in debt up to my eyeballs with all three of the girls in college. Alex is going next year, and that debt will only mount.”

Griffin looked at Jess as she watched her plate and her cheeks were a shade of pink that told him she was embarrassed. He nudged her with his knee under the table as he smiled and said, “What a noble father you have there, Jess. You must be proud to call him your dad.”

Jess was feeling anything but proud at that moment. Why did her father have to air their financial burdens to everyone?

“Of course, I’m proud of him. If it weren’t for his hard work then we’d have nothing,” Jess said.

Kel, Cait, and Alex all mumbled agreements, but all felt embarrassed by what he’d said in front of the men too. Mrs. Flannigan gestured to the haggis that sat on the platter in the middle of the large table. “Don’t be shy. Get to making your plates.”

Phoenix stared at the unappetizing ball of yuck that sat on an orange platter which did absolutely nothing to make it appear any tastier. The mashed potatoes were about all he’d eat, so he took the spoon that was standing up in them and put some on his plate. Cait gave him a nod. “Can you put some on mine too?”

Ethan took the knife that was stuck in the haggis and cut it open. The smell that was released had Phoenix holding back a gag. Griffin was trying to psych himself up to eat the food. He’d had mountain oysters on many occasions.

Ethan cut a wedge out and nudged Kel as he said, “Can you grab your father’s plate so I can serve this to him, love?”

Kel smiled as she reached over to get her father’s plate. Her dad was sitting back, without a smile on his face. Once Ethan had filled the plate with the haggis and mashed potatoes, Kel placed it in front of her father who said, “Thank you.” He then took his wife’s plate and handed it to Kel. “Now for your mom’s.”

Kel wasn’t surprised that Ethan had such good manners. If he wasn’t a damn liar, she’d be proud to call him hers. But he was a liar. A gambling liar who only wanted her for one thing.

Griff took the hint that Ethan was giving and made Jess’s plate then his. Phoenix was next to place some of the haggis on Cait’s plate and then a sliver of it on his own. “Is there any ketchup?” he asked as he searched the table.

“Why?” Mrs. Flannigan asked.

Phoenix couldn’t say what he wanted it for, as it was to drown the horrible smelling and looking haggis in it. But Cait took pity on him and got up to go get some from the kitchen. “I’ll get some, Phoenix.”

He grabbed her hand and gave her a grateful expression. “I think I love you.”

She laughed and went to go get the ketchup and shook her head as she went. Phoenix was incredible. If he just wasn’t using her, things would be so different. A great different.

Griff and Jess ate in silence as he kept one hand on her knee, giving it a squeeze now and then. Jess had wanted to see the movie he’d taken her too pretty damn badly. But she had no idea how it turned out as she and Griff had made out the entire time, instead of watching it.

Jess was falling for him. His hand on her knee had her insides going wild. All she could think about was getting physically closer to the man. Even the smell of haggis on his breath when he leaned in close and whispered, “I’ll take you to see the movie when it comes out since I ruined it this time.” Didn’t bother her one bit.

She sighed as she looked at him. Sinking into his hazel eyes, she was feeling like a drowning victim as she whispered, “You didn’t ruin a thing, Griff.”

It was beginning not to matter to her at all that he had a bet with his friends about who would get laid first. She knew he couldn’t be faking everything with her. There was just no way he could!

He looked at her with more feeling than anyone ever had. Jess knew she was young and inexperienced. But she wasn’t without any experience at all. She could tell when someone was being genuine. And Griffin Houser was being genuine and sincere.

When Cait came back with the ketchup, her mother gave her the stink eye. “That’ll take away for the unique flavor,” she said as she looked at Phoenix. “But go ahead and ruin it. If you must.”

Phoenix looked pitiful, and it had Cait’s ire bubbling. “Mother, people use ketchup all the time. Don’t give Phoenix a hard time about it.”

When Phoenix smiled at Cait, it took her breath away. And he found himself feeling more for Cait then he had before. She’d stand up for him! It wasn’t a thing anyone had done for him before.

Phoenix hadn’t had it easy growing up. Tall from the start, he was made fun of plenty in his school days. Being poor was also a thing that had made him stand out as a loser. When his mother was sent to prison for selling drugs, he was labeled a bad person by the only people he’d known his entire life.

Cait took the chair next to him again, handing the ketchup to him. “Thank you,” he said as he took the bottle from her.

“Not a problem,” she said with a smile. “As a matter of fact, put some on mine too, please.”

As he poured the ketchup on her plate, he began to feel the slightest twinge of something. Was that guilt he felt?