I Have Five Kick-Ass Brothers – Episode 04
Raina was still trying to understand how a family of three had become a family of eight when the first man emerged from the hallway. He was tall enough to fill the doorway, with dust on his work clothes and mud dried along his boots. Despite his imposing build, his smile was almost shy. “I’m Noah,” he said. “Your oldest brother.”
The title struck her harder than his appearance. Raina had spent her childhood wishing for someone older who might stand beside her when the Smith household grew cold. Now such a person stood only a few feet away, studying her with a protectiveness he could barely conceal. She wanted to trust it, but one evening had already taught her how quickly family could disappear.
Noah glanced down at his carefully dirtied clothes. “Sorry about the mess. I just came from the construction site.” In reality, the site belonged to Lincoln Group and he had exchanged a tailored suit for work boots minutes before arriving. His siblings had laughed at the disguise until they saw Raina’s concern.
“Construction work?” she repeated. Her gaze moved to his rough-looking gloves, and her heart sank. The labor was honest, but it could not pay much, especially with seven other people under one roof. Instead of judging him, she immediately wondered how exhausted he must be.
Mrs. Lincoln cleared her throat. “Noah is only the eldest. You still have four more brothers.” Raina nearly dropped the glass she had just lifted. Her mind began calculating rent, groceries, utilities, and every other expense the Smiths’ staff had once handled without her noticing.
“Five brothers,” she murmured. “I may need five jobs.” The Lincolns exchanged startled looks. They had expected disappointment from a young woman accustomed to luxury, perhaps even disgust. No one had expected her first instinct to be taking responsibility for them.
The second brother entered carrying a delivery bag and wearing a dazzling smile. “Henry,” he announced with a theatrical bow. “I drive for Uber Eats, so if my little sister ever wants midnight snacks, she knows who to call.” Without studio lighting and designer clothes, the Oscar-winning actor still looked suspiciously familiar, but Raina was too overwhelmed to place him.
Henry opened his arms, then paused to let her choose. Raina stepped into the hug, and his playful expression softened with real emotion. He had performed reunions in half a dozen films, yet none had prepared him for holding the sister his family had searched for almost twenty years.
Joshua appeared next. His posture was rigid, his eyes alert, and even in plain clothes he carried the controlled power of a soldier. “Third brother,” he said. “If anyone causes you trouble, tell me. I’ll deal with it.” The promise sounded less like comfort than a warning intended for the entire city.
Raina thanked him while privately wondering what sort of work he did. Noah quickly described Joshua as a security guard, and Joshua’s mouth tightened at the demotion from sergeant major. Still, he accepted it. Protecting the family secret mattered less to him than learning whether Raina would stay.
Luke and Mathew remained away for the evening, supposedly working. Raina felt guilty relief that she could meet the family in stages. Three large, attentive brothers already made the tiny dining room feel crowded, and the knowledge that two more existed stretched her new reality past anything she had imagined on the doorstep.
Mrs. Lincoln began setting dinner on the table. The dishes were simple, made from ingredients deliberately chosen to support the family’s poor disguise. One plate of vegetables looked less fresh than anything the Smith chef would have served, and Raina noticed her mother watching anxiously for a reaction.
Across the table, Noah watched too. Coco had complained about meals prepared by private chefs whenever a dish failed to suit her mood. If Raina recoiled from this modest food, he told himself he would understand. Yet the thought that she might leave made his carefully neutral expression difficult to hold.
Raina took her first bite and froze. The flavors were warm, balanced, and unmistakably made with care. She tasted another mouthful, then looked up in honest delight. “Mom, this is incredible.” The new title slipped out naturally, silencing everyone around the table.
Mrs. Lincoln’s eyes filled. She busied herself with the serving spoon while Raina continued eating, unaware that one affectionate word had undone years of grief. Henry lowered his gaze, and Joshua’s stern expression softened. Noah alone kept watching Raina, the last of his doubts beginning to fall away.
As she ate, Raina studied the food with growing purpose. A family with this much cooking talent did not have to remain helpless. On the drive there, she had passed a crowded construction site where workers lined up at an overpriced convenience truck. An idea began taking shape.
“If we sold meals near Noah’s job, people would buy them,” she said, thinking aloud. “The workers need good food, and Mom can cook better than any restaurant I know. I could handle customers, supplies, and accounts.” Her excitement accelerated with every possibility.
The family stared as if she had proposed purchasing the city. In truth, the Lincoln fortune could have funded a thousand restaurants before breakfast, but Raina believed a folding table and home-cooked lunches might rescue them. The innocence of the plan made it impossible to laugh.
She pushed back her chair and placed both palms on the table. The sharp sound made everyone jump. Noah braced for the announcement that she had reconsidered and would leave; Mrs. Lincoln unconsciously reached for her husband’s hand.
“I’ve decided,” Raina declared, eyes bright with determination. “Tomorrow we’re opening a food stand, and I’m going to help support this family.” Relief and astonishment swept around the table—but as Noah looked at the sister ready to work for strangers she had met that night, he knew the Lincoln family’s test had already begun exposing the wrong person.