Temptation Trails (The Haven Brothers #3)

“Dad, it’s fine. I know people have sex. This isn’t news.”

My dad took another cookie out of the box. “Who’s having sex and why does Owen know about it?”

I cleared my throat, hoping Dad would get the hint and let this one go.

“No, Grandpa, I just mean in general. I’m fourteen, I’ve had the talk.”

Dad gazed into the distance, a faraway look in his eyes. “I had to give the talk. To six boys.” He shuddered.

Mom put a hand on his shoulder. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“Josiah and Reese took it well. Just nodded so I knew they heard me, left it at that. Garrett and Luke were a bit shocked, but they got over it. But Zachary and Theo?” He shuddered again. “Zachary had questions. Lots and lots of questions.”

“That tracks,” Zachary said.

“What about Theo?” Mom asked.

“I’ll never forget the look on his face. You’d have thought I murdered someone in front of him. He said, ‘Dad, why did you tell me that?’”

Zachary and Luke burst out laughing.

“I did not,” Theo said.

“You did,” Dad said. “I thought you were going to cry.”

Theo took another cookie. “That’s so not true.”

Owen walked over and patted Theo’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Uncle Theo. I had a hard time with it, too.”

“You did?” I asked. “Since when?”

“It was fine, Dad. You were just… sort of robotic about it.”

“I told you the facts.”

“It was a lot of biology. And it’s weird hearing your dad say the word vagina so many times.” Owen shuddered just like his grandpa.

“I have a vagina!” Juliet said happily.

Apparently none of us had noticed her make her way back to the picnic table. She stood there, wearing a purple dress and matching bows in her hair, with an enthusiastic smile on her face. My brothers and I all exchanged similar, I-have-no-idea-what-to-say-to-that looks.

“Yes, you do, sweetheart,” Marigold said, her tone matter-of-fact.

“Juliet!” her twin sister Emma said. “Don’t say that!”

“Don’t say what? Vagina? You have one too. But Thomas and Will have penises.”

Emma gasped. “You can’t say that either.”

Juliet appeared to ignore her sister. “Penises are on the outside. Vaginas are on the inside.”

“We keep penises inside our pants!” Will exclaimed happily from the swing. “Except to go pee pee.”

His dad, Levi, just nodded. “Yes, son, we do.”

“I have a penis and nuts!” Will said.

Levi and Annika both shot Zachary a glare. Apparently he was responsible for teaching Will the term nuts.