Baker Family

Kid Brothers part II

They walked into the living room only to see that the guests had made their way to the dining room. Pete was about to join them when the doorbell rang. He told Jamie to go in and that he would be there in a minute.

Pete walked to the door and saw a twenty year old with shoulder length brown curly and hazel colored eyes waiting for him holding two pizza boxes. Pete blinked in surprise as he said "Hey Jackson."

"Hey bro." Jackson Shaw his half brother through his mother said.

"I didn't realize you were working tonight." Pete said.

"I wasn't originally but someone called out sick and I came in." He said as he walked in. "I am surprised you ordered pizza, I thought you guys were having a stuffy dinner party tonight."

"We are but the pizza is for the boys."

"Makes sense." Jackson said.

"How are you doing little brother?"

"I'm fine." He said. "How are you? Lori's friends not getting on your nerves are they?" He said in a low whisper as he flashed his older brother an amused look. He knew how her friends tended to unnerve him.

"Maybe a little." Pete said as he looked at the dining room. "But I'll survive." He then looked at the pizza boxes. "The boys are in their room why don't you go say hi. I know they will be happy to see you."

"Okay." He said.

Claudia then walked into the living room and a big smile crossed her face at the sight of Jackson. "Hello Jackson."

"Hello Claudia." Jackson said and his cheeks began to turn a shade of red. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." She said. "You."

"I'm good."

Pete gave them both an uncomfortable look and said "The boys are really hungry Jackson."

"Oh yeah sure." He then looked at Claudia giving her a smile and Pete shot his brother a severe look of disapproval. Come on Jackson that's my sister he thought. "I'll see you around."

"See you." She said as she watched him walk off. He then thought please stop checking my little brother out. "You know your brother smells really nice."

"I am sure that it was the pizza." Pete said as his discomfort increased.

"No it wasn't the pizza." Claudia said. A chorus of hi Jacksons then came from the boy's room.

"Why don't you go back to the dining room with the others?" He then said "Please."

"Okay." She then said "Aunt Lori wants to know when you will be in."

"In a few minutes let me pay Jackson and make sure the boys are settled."

Claudia thought you wouldn't have to make sure the boys are settled if you guys had included them in the dinner in the first place. "Okay." She said and then walked back into the dining room.

Jackson then walked back in and said "Well the boys are happy to have their pizza." He shot his brother an accusatory look. "Not too happy about being exiled to their room for the night though." He could not believe that his brother actually let Lori do that to them.

"I know." He said with a twinge of guilt in his voice.

"If I didn't have to work tonight I would have taken them off your hands." Jackson said. He wondered why his brother did not just ask him in the first place. Or Jamie he thought he was sure that Jamie would not have minded watching them. Or Claudia he thought.

Jackson looked at the dining room and smiled as he thought about Claudia. He gave his brother a nervous look as he said "Hey I was wondering is Claudia still seeing that Adric guy?"

"No." Pete said shaking his head. And for that he was grateful. He hated to sound like Red but he was not worthy of his little sister.

"So she is available." He said as a large smile grew across his face.

Pete frowned in response. "Not for you."

He blinked in surprise. "Why not?"

"You do realize that she is my sister right."

"Yeah I know that."

"And you are my brother."

"Yes I am." He said as his confusion deepened.

"And you don't see a problem with that."

"Why would there be a problem?"

He gave him a look of dismay as he said in frustration. "Because you are my brother and she is my sister."

"Yeah but were not related to each other." Jackson said. "It's not like we are going to have babies with seven heads or something."

"Please stop." Pete said as his eyes pleaded with him. "Just stop." Jackson could not help but laugh. "Don't you need to get back to work?" Pete pulled out his wallet and gave him a twenty dollar bill.

"You already gave me a tip bro."

"Well I'm giving you another one." He said forcing the bill into his hand.

Jackson looked like he was about to refuse but then he relented and said "Okay." He slid the twenty into his wallet, a wallet that Pete was glad to see was in better shape than Anson's.

Jackson placed his wallet in his back pocket as he thought my big brother spoils me rotten.

"Now get going and behave yourself." Pete said

"I'll try but I make no promises." He said with a laugh.

He saw Jackson out and then looked at the dining room. He braced himself before going in.