Chapter 5
Joe woke to the smell of pancakes. Chocolate chip, if his nostrils identified the aroma correctly. God, he loved pancakes. Why had he dreaded coming home again?
“Honey, want me to check on the boys?” a muffled voice called in the hallway.
Oh, yeah. That’s why. His new stepfather.
A knock sounded on his door.
Joe rolled over. “Yeah?”
“Your mom’s making pancakes. You guys want some?”
He was starving. “Yeah.” He glanced at Kris and bit back a laugh. The guy’s hair stuck up in every direction as he struggled to open his eyes. “Kris, do you want some pancakes?” He chuckled at the resulting grunt. “Got it. You’re not a morning person.”
He pulled himself up to a sitting position and rubbed his face with the heels of his hands. “We’ll be down soon,” he called to Michael and hit t
