Sea Swept by Nora Roberts

whatever.”
    “Makes sense,” Phillip agreed and, feeling better, he grinned at Cam. “You’re Mommy.”
    “Fuck you.”
    “That’s no way for Mommy to talk.”
    “If you think I’m going to be stuck washing your dirty socks and swabbing the toilet, you wasted that fine education you’re so proud of.”
    “Just temporarily,” Ethan said, though he enjoyed the image of his brother wearing an apron and hunting up cobwebs with a feather duster. “We’ll work out shifts. Seth ought to have some regular chores too. We always did. But it’s going to fall to you for the next few days anyway, while Phillip figures out how we handle the legal end and I see how I can juggle my time.”
    “I’ve got business of my own to deal with.” The coffee was beginning to burn a hole in his gut, but Cam drank it down anyway. “My stuff’s scattered all over Europe.”
    “Well, Seth’s in school all day, isn’t he?” Absently Ethan reached down to stroke the dog snoring beside his chair.
    “Fine. Great.” Cam gave up. “You,” he said, pointing at Phillip, “bring some groceries back with you. We’re out of damn near everything. And Ethan can throw whatever you bring in together into a meal. Everybody makes their own bed, goddamn it. I’m not a maid.”
    “What about breakfast?” Phillip said dryly. “You’renot going to send your men off in the morning without a hot meal, are you?”
    Cam eyed him balefully. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
    “Might as well.” He sat on the steps beside Cam, leaned back on his elbows. “Somebody ought to talk to Seth about cleaning up his language.”
    “Oh, yeah.” Cam merely snorted. “That’ll work.”
    “He swears that way in front of the neighbors, the social worker, his teachers, it’s going to give a bad impression. How’s his schoolwork anyway?”
    “How the hell should I know?”
    “Now, Mother—” Phillip grunted, then laughed when Cam’s elbow jabbed his ribs.
    “Keep it up and you’re going to end up with another ruined suit, ace.”
    “Let me change and we can go a couple rounds. Or better yet . . .” Phillip arched a brow, slid his gaze over toward Ethan, then back to Cam.
    Approving the plan, Cam scratched his chin, set down his empty cup. They shot off the steps in tandem, so fast that Ethan barely had a chance to blink.
    His fist shot out, was blocked, and he was hauled out of the chair by armpits and ankles, cursing all the way. Simon leaped up to bark delightedly and raced circles around the men who hauled his struggling master off the porch.
    Inside the kitchen, the pup wiggled madly and yipped in answer. To keep him close, Seth pulled off a chunk of the chicken he’d come down to forage and dropped it on the floor. While Foolish gobbled, Seth watched in puzzled amazement as the silhouettes headed for the dock.
    He’d come down to fill his empty belly. He was used to moving quietly. He’d stuffed his mouth with chicken and listened to the men talk.
    They acted like they were going to let him stay. Even when they didn’t know he was there to hear, they talked as if it was a simple fact. At least for now, he decided,until they forgot they’d made a promise, or no longer cared.
    He knew promises didn’t mean squat.
    Except Ray’s. He’d believed Ray. But then he’d gone and died and ruined everything. Still, every night he spent in this house, between clean sheets with the puppy curled beside him, was an escape. Whenever they decided to ditch him, he’d be ready to run.
    Because he’d die before he went back to where he’d been before Ray Quinn.
    The pup was nosing at the door, drawn by the sound of laughter and barking and the shouts. Seth fed him more chicken to distract him.
    He wanted to go out too, to run across the lawn and join in that laughter, that fun . . . that family. But he knew he wouldn’t be welcome. They’d stop and they’d stare at him as if they wondered where the hell he’d come from and what