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As we climbed further up the trail, Will asked, “How was brunch with your family?”
I clapped my hands. “Fun, as usual. I tried my best to be a brat.”
Will laughed. “Why?”
“Well, I was a brat as a kid, which my brother reminds me of at every turn. He insists on calling me that even now, so... if I can’t shed that image, I’ll embrace it.”
Will laughed even harder. “Why doesn’t it surprise me that you were a brat?”
I feigned offense. “Meaning?”
He came closer, until he was right in my face. “You drive me a little crazy, Paige, you know that?”
“I do?”
He nodded, tracing my jaw with his thumb. I wished he was touching my lip. Stepping back, he motioned for me to keep walking. As we went up, I began to question him.
“So, I take it you weren’t the brat?”
“No. I’d say Jace and Hailey can safely claim that title.”
“And you were...?”
“Ask my siblings. I’m sure they’ll have no problem assigning me a tag. I went through a wild phase after our parents died though.”
“I’m sorry about your loss. How young were you?”
“Sixteen. I was a rebellious teenager, and after that I was a little out of control.”
“That’s understandable,” I said quietly. We were walking side by side, and I slipped my hand in his. It was pure instinct, as it had been at the wedding. And just like then, he squeezed my hand gently.
“Sometimes I think the only reasons I didn’t go off the deep end are my siblings. I had to be here for them. Landon and Val did the heavy lifting. They ran Dad’s pub, but didn’t have time for much else.”
“So you watched the little ones?” I guessed.
He nodded. “Supervised them, yeah. Helped with homework. Cooked. They were a few years younger than me. Hailey was crying in corners when she thought no one was watching. I used to make a fool of myself to make her laugh. It worked. But when Jace started copying the stupid shit I did, I realized I had to stop. If not for my own good, then at least for his.”
I moved closer to him until our arms were touching.
“You’re a great brother.”
“She turned into a pain in my butt when she was thirteen,” he said with a grin. “Sabotaged my dates.”
“I think Hailey might be my soul mate.”
“She’s a great person. All my siblings are great.” I loved the affection in his tone. I hadn’t met many families that were as tight-knit as mine.
“Tell me about your family,” he prompted.
“Well, when we were little, we moved a lot with Dad. But then Mom said it got to be too much, and we settled in LA, where my grandparents were. Mom started working too. She said she needed a career, and she became a real estate agent. So my siblings and I spent most afternoons at the inn. God, it was so much fun.”
We chitchatted about Jace and his soccer career for a good portion of the trail, but then it became steeper, and I started saving my breath.
Will laid a hand on my back, giving me a much-needed push. His hand moved lower as we continued, finally settling just above my ass. I swallowed as I felt one of his fingers on my tailbone. Our kiss from last night replayed in my mind. Each time I imagined it, I found it hotter... and felt hotter.
We reached a plateau before long, and I thanked heaven for that because the muscles in my legs were protesting.
“Want to rest for a bit?” Will asked.
