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“Very funny. But can you blame me?”
“Heard Dolly Simpson’s lookin’ for a new beau,” Brooklyn hollers. “She could watch Trin and you could pay her in other ways.” He falls about laughing as dad slaps him upside the head and calls him an ass.
“I’d be a hard ass too when it came to my kids,” Hudson puts in, bringing the conversation back.
My eyebrows shoot up. He’s never talked about kids before. Maybe as he’s getting older, he’s thinking about the missed opportunity, like me.
“Exactly.” Gabe nods. “And until you all have kids of your own, none of you know shit. Except Brooklyn, wise ass comments aside.”
“Huds doesn’t have any kids he knows about,” Georgia mutters, as Mom hears and gives her a scolding look. “I’m kidding, Mama.” Then mouths towards Hudson that she’s not kidding.
It’s then I hear a knock at the door and hope it’s Hartley. I forgot I put my cell on silent. She was going to text me when she arrived. “I’ll get it.”
I don’t hear Hudson’s reply to Georgia, but they retort back and forth like they always do, and I leave them to it.
I swing the door back and sure enough, there she is.
A smile spreads across my face. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
She’s wearing a sweet, floral button down dress and sandals. It’s a nice balmy evening, so the dress is very fitting and my eyes rake over her.
I lean down to give her a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug before anyone sees.
That scent returns, and my thoughts spring back to yesterday in her office.
Holy shit, that was hot.
“You’re looking very dapper yourself.” She smiles back, glancing down my body at my black polo and cargo shorts. The closest I’ve come to dressing casually in a while. “God, you smell like a dream, Gray.”
“You know we could skip dinner? Nobody would even notice we’re gone.” I grin, tilting my head. “Show you a hay bale ride of your life.”
“Have you been waiting all day to use that line?”
“Maybe.”
She steps in and a surge of pride swells in my chest that I get to introduce her to the other family members. I know I’ve got to keep my brothers away. None of them know about us, of course, and I don’t know how I’m going to pull that off and not sound like an ass.
I shut the door behind her. “You look beautiful,” I murmur, my eyes dropping to her dress. “Glad you listened.”
She glances down at herself. “You think I wore this for you?”
I pique a brow. “Didn’t you?”
She shrugs. “Maybe.”
I grin behind her back. “Touché.”
We wander into the kitchen, and she hands my mom a bottle of wine. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Bassett. I didn’t know what to bring.”
My mom gives her a hug as I introduce her to everyone. My brothers stop playing pool and I nudge Brooklyn in the ribs as he pushes his way through to greet her.
Giving me a look, he says, “Now I know why you kept her a secret.”
I give him a menacing stare as he turns on the charms for Hartley. “I’m Brook, the third born and the most handsome, though that’s obvious.” He lifts his cowboy hat off in greeting and I roll my eyes.
He gives her a hug and irritation runs through me. I feel it in my bones. She goes through the entire family, Hudson then shaking her hand and giving me a smirk. I know he’s thinking exactly what Brooklyn is, and I don’t like it.
“Alright, alright, stop pawing my attorney,” I say, as Beau tries to give me a high-five which I do not reciprocate. “She’ll never come around here again if you don’t let her breathe.”
