Page 21 of Blue Jeans in Low Beams

“Oh, it’s you,” Anton replies, smirking as he laughs.

Brenna gives him a curious look, taking the plates and turning to the large table on the other half of the patio.

“Were you expecting someone else?” Jace comments.

“I just walked in the door and was handed plates and instructed to set the table. Then was automatically scolded and told to be on my best behavior because we had a guest. I assumed that meant one of y’all brought a date.”

I freeze, tongs in midair. A date? Anton thought I brought a date?

I glance over at Brenna setting the table, trying to be as nonchalant as possible. Which is easier said than done, since she’s currently bent over said table, her shorts riding up her thighs, making my dick twitch all over again.

“Nope, just me!” she replies over her shoulder.

“You’re a guest,” Jace suggests.

“Is she though?” Anton questions. “Or are we just graced with another little sister for the day?”

“Sister,” I reply without thinking.

Brenna’s face falls slightly at my answer. Not enough for anyone else to notice, but I can see it in her eyes. One second they’re a bright, happy shade of brown, and the next they dim a tad. My gut clenches, immediately regretting my answer and the speed at which I blurted it out. It was more a reminder for me than anything else.

“Not that we’re not happy to have you, Brenna,” Anton backpedals. “But for a second I thought Sunday dinner was going to see its first date.”

“First date?” Jace questions.

“None of y’all have ever brought a date to Sunday dinner?” Brenna asks. “What’s Nash?”

“Nash,” I retort, laughing. My brothers join in, but Brenna quirks up one eyebrow, clearly missing the joke. Guess I should loop her in. “Nash didn’t start attending until after everything went down between them. Our dads are also best friends. So there wasn’t quite the same ‘meet the family’ vibe.”

“And Milo never brought Kimberly,” Anton continues.

“Kelly,” I correct him.

“You sure it wasn’t Kimberly?”

“Yes.” I think I’d know my own ex-girlfriend's name.

“Never?” Brenna says, the word coming out half question, half confirmation. I keep my focus on the grill, the meat and veggies just about done.

“Nope,” Anton continues to poke because that’s what he does best. Instigating little shit. “Never even introduced us.”

“You met her,” I defend.

I shift uncomfortably, wishing that we weren’t having this conversation, desperate to change the subject. Or at least the focus. Can we shift it to Jace and his love of romance novels? Or maybe Anton, and how he’s not exactly Mr. Long-term Commitment either.

“Barely. It was once, in passing, and only because she brought her friends to a Rhythm and Brews,” Jace tacks on.

Anton snickers. “Tell me, were you embarrassed by her, or us?”

I sigh, flipping him the bird and seriously considering chucking one of these skewers at him. Suddenly I’m jealous of Ewan’s fishing expedition and Hux having to play wedding planner with his best friend, Dolly McLain. Right about now I’d do anything not to be here.

“Neither,” I bite out.

The real answer is pretty basic and not at all exciting—Kelly and I just never got to that point. Sure, we were together for what seems like a long time on paper, but we were also more than a hundred miles apart for most of that time. We started out casual and then stayed that way. By the time we broke up, we were more like friends with benefits than an actual couple. No part of me was surprised when she told me that she thought it would be best if we went our separate ways, because she was looking for more than I could give her. She deserved that.

Deserved more than I was willing to give her.

“I dunno. What do you think, Brenna? If the guy you were dating for almost two years didn’t ever take you to meet his family, would you think it’s because he’s embarrassed by you?”