“So, we’re not going to have to share, are we?”
Casi MacKensey closed her eyes. He’d been quiet for all of forty-five minutes, a rarity. One would have thought with them older, it wouldn’t be such a problem. “Why? You share at home.”
“That’s bad enough. I thought the carbon copies were moving out at some point.”
Casi sighed, shared a look with her husband. “Catherine says we should have added rooms.”
Joe shook his head. “I’m no carpenter and house additions are costly. They can handle it until the girls move to their apartment.”
“So how come you left Rielle?”
Casi turned around to see Jason playing a game on his iPad, earphones secure in his ears. He’d been quiet the entire four hours to Agawam. This was the one part she didn’t like and was the main reason she wasn’t going to let Ethan and Joe take all four boys alone. “Because this is a working trip.”
Jason’s head jerked up and she wondered how much he’d heard. “Working?”
Casi looked first past the boys’ seats to the brown minivan following them. “We ought to just leave you and Ethan here and go home.”
Chris yelped, sounding more kidlike than his age warranted. “That’s four more hours.”
Jason pulled out his earphones. “Working?”
“I’ll explain at the hotel.”
They pulled off the highway and stopped at a five-story hotel. The sign read Comfort Inn & Suites Springfield. It was another thirty minutes before Joe said anything, since they had to check in and head to their rooms. Chris saw immediately it was a double, with two queen-sized bed. “Oh, lovely. Not only are we sharing, we’re sharing.” He turned to his parents. “You two still don’t snore, do you?”
“I was thinking the same thing, but the only other option would be…” Ethan shook his head. “Well, if we got another room, it would be expensive.”
“We’re not getting another room. You’ve been on how many whatevers with Joe. You never shared?”
“That might be considered a loaded question.”
Catherine slapped his arm. “Well, I shared a bed with Casi often. We can always make you two share a bed.”
“That would be intolerable cruelty,” said Ethan.
Chris opened his mouth but one look from his mother stopped him. She cleared her throat. “We were thinking that all four boys would share the other room.”
Chris’ cousins, the same age as the carbon copies and twins as well, shared a grin.
“Jake,” warned their mother. “We will rethink it if it’s a bad idea. And no influencing your younger cousins.”
“Mom,” said Josh, rolling his hazel eyes. “Really?”
Ethan started to say something, stepped completely out of Catherine’s reach. “Well, it’s been said I influenced your uncle…”
Joe promptly slapped his partner’s shoulder. “Shut up.”
“You said working trip,” said Jason.
Joe took a breath. “Two Rivers Amusement Park is just up the road. There’ve been some issues there.”
Chris shook his head. “Oh, no, I saw this in…” He had to think a minute. “CSI. I know what happens, the biggest roller coaster will malfunction and boom.”
