I laughed.
“Equal pay for all of us,” Cruz said. “Or else I’ll sing.”
“No one wants that,” Lane said.
“You don’t sound bad,” Mama said, rocking slowly. Tate had gotten her a special camp chair just so she could rock grandbabies while we hung around outside. “I look forward to hearing your shower performances when I’m working in the kitchen.”
A genuine flush crept up Cruz’s face, and Lane snickered. Mama shot him a censuring look.
Myles barked out a laugh that earned him a hard stare from Mama and his brothers.
Rhys’s phone buzzed. He took a look at the screen and hopped out of his chair. “Excuse me.”
I peeked over my shoulder, shamelessly stealing a glimpse of his firm ass as he stalked away. When I turned back to the fire, everyone was smirking at me.
“What?” I hissed.
“Missing your boyfriend already?” Teller asked.
I sat on my hands or I’d flip him off in front of our mother and there wasn’t an age I felt safe doing that. “You’re not very subtle.”
“I don’t need to be.” His grin sent a whisper of warning over my skin.
Did he know?
The question must’ve been in my eyes because he nodded.
Brothers sucked.
“What am I missing?” Cruz poked a thumb over his shoulder. “You and him a thing?”
“No.”
Summer sat forward. “Haven’t you heard the stories?”
Cruz and Lane exchanged a look and shook their head.
“Even I’ve heard the stories,” Myles said. He glanced at Gideon. “You’re from here, so you probably saw them in real time.”
Gideon’s eyes sparkled. Autumn’s back was to him, but he must sense how her eyes were twinkling. “I moved away probably about when Rhys came to live in Bourbon Canyon.”
“Right.” Tenor nodded. “I forget he didn’t live here until he was like, what?”
“Twelve,” I answered for Rhys.
Tenor narrowed his eyes at my tone but nodded. “Twelve, yeah. Because one day, you came home telling me about this new kid in school.”
Wynter straightened on Myles’s lap. “Little did we know that she’d never quit talking about him.”
This time, I scratched the side of my face opposite Mama with my middle finger.
Wynter sweetened her smile. Her gaze lifted over my shoulder. “We’re talking about you. More like we’re talking about how much she used to talk about you.”
Rhys stopped behind me. “Wren would probably make the same claim.” He slid into his seat.
“We were reminiscing with Rhys today,” Teller said.
Cold irritation washed through my veins. I loved my brother, but he could be a dick. “I certainly hope you showed Rhys the proper Bailey hospitality and didn’t pester him.”
