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"Oh my God"

"She’s okay Grounded for life, but okay"

She just stared at him "Wow That makes my day seeestured to the tray "We had to make two batches We don’t want to talk about batch nuled and shook his head

"You made them?" Josh asked, impressed

"Yeah At the expense of your kitchen"

The kitchen was a coh in the sink, chocolate everywhere "Hey, at least everyone’s still alive," he said

"Well, if that’s your only requirement"

He smiled "You smell like a chocolate cupcake"

Anna wheeled into the kitchen, her attention riveted to the open book in her lap "Found it, Josh’s freshlasses, braces, and black eye The black eye happened when he let hiet stuffed into his own locker He was a lot smaller back then He was a total loser"

Josh eyed the book "Is that my yearbook?"

"Relax," Anna said "It’s not like I showed her a pic of your tattoo"

Josh rubbed his forehead "Has she been dishing out my dirty little secrets all day?" he asked Grace

"Like candy"

Perfect

"And tattoo?" Grace asked, her gaze running over his body "Where?"

"His ass," Anna said helpfully

Josh covered Toby’s ears "Hey"

"Sorry," Anna said "His butt"

Grace raised a brow at Josh, clearly trying not to laugh, though whether it was in horror or genuine amusement, he had no idea

"What is it?" Grace asked

"I lost a bet," Josh said in his own defense "And I’ht you were a late-bloomer nerd, not a reformed bad boy"

Anna snorted "Yes to the nerd No to the bad boy"

"I lost a bet," he repeated in his defense Jesus "It’s all Matt’s fault"

"You could get it removed," Grace said, "if you’re embarrassed"

"I’m not embarrassed" Much "And besides, nobody ever sees it because nobody’s ever behind rip on Toby’s ears "Bare-assed"

At this, Grace burst out laughing, and the sound made hian washing dishes Anna, apparently allergic to cleaning up anything, ever, suddenly re Toby climbed onto a chair to help Grace Josh shook his head "You know the rule about standing on chairs, Tobes" Which had been put into place sixthree stitches above Toby’s eyebrow

"Oh, he’s okay," Grace said "The back of the chair’s turned out to keep hi off"

Which is exactly how it’d happened the first ti sharp knives is a bad idea"

Grace turned to Toby, as drying a wooden spoon She arched a brow at Josh Overprotective much?

Josh shook his head, rolled up his sleeves, and joined them When they were finished, Grace helped Toby down and squatted in front hi hiht"

Josh’s jaw dropped A word, not a bark

Grace srabbed Josh by the throat so that he couldn’t breathe for a second

Grace rose and grabbed her purse, and Josh walked her out At her car, she tried to open the driver’s door but it stuck

"Dammit," she muttered

"Here, let ot it" She yanked hard, and it opened so fast she nearly fell to her ass but he caught her

He turned her to face hiot him to use words"

"I told hiot a great kid, Josh"

"I know And thanks," he said "For today For everything Have you thought about the guesthouse?"

The ht slanted over her features "Some"

He didn’t push, not in all thatso close "Tellmoment "He needs more of you"

He drew in a slow, deep breath "I know"

"And you’re right on Tank being the Antichrist, by the way Although he’s possibly the cutest Antichrist I’ve ever seen"

"And?" Because he was pretty sure there was one

"And your sister She…" Grace shook her head, at a loss for words

"Yeah," he said on a low laugh "She has that effect on people"

"I think it’d help if you loosened the reins on her a little"

He shook his head "That’s the opposite of what she needs"

"What she needs is to be challenged," she said "She’s bored And any bored twenty-one-year-old is trouble Plus, I don’t kno to tell you this, but she’s not nearly as handicapped as she likes people to believe"

Josh was iet her number"

"Hmm" She tilted her face up to his "Would you still be areat doctor, you’re also a control freak, only a so-so dad, a totally crappy brother, and an even nificant other?"