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I winced. “Sorry. I’m tired. Sometimes I forget to call you the name I made up for you.”
When I was younger, I’d given each brother a name, and that name had stuck, even after the boys had formed their own motorcycle club.
He rolled his eyes and lifted his arm, letting me know he wanted to give me a hug.
They’d all learned—mostly—that they had to wait for me to initiate the contact for me to feel comfortable, and I was usually more than happy to oblige them.
Though I was tired, I still walked into my brother’s arms and all but fell into his chest.
His arms closed around me gently, as if he was worried if he held on too tight that I would freak—and I might.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern lacing his voice. “Does your sad sack mood have anything to do with your man not being here?”
I snorted and rubbed my face along his t-shirt–clad chest, repositioning it until I found a more comfortable spot.
I probably also rubbed half my makeup off, but I didn’t really care. And Thief was used to it.
He had a teenage daughter that’d been sharing her glitter with him since she was old enough to walk.
“I hate my job,” I finally grumbled. “Today was some kind of awful. And Will caught a murder that apparently has to do with me. At least, that’s what his supervisor said, but I don’t believe her. I think she wanted him to leave me fast, and that was the way to get him to do it. Some guy shot another guy over a hush puppy at the Catfish Village. They’re trying to find the other guy, but nobody can remember what he looks like. And I hate to tell you this, but I didn’t have anything to do with any hush puppies lately.”
Thief grunted out a ‘huh’ before saying, “You should quit your job.”
I grumbled something under my breath. “I was thinking about it.”
His arms squeezed me lightly before he said, “Thinking and doing are two different things. You’re not happy there. You want to start the cabins up anyway. You should just take the plunge and go into it full time. Not to mention you have five brothers more than willing to help you when they have time.”
I thought about it for a long moment before repeating, “I’m considering it.”
He squeezed me once more before letting his arms drop. “I have to go out there and save our dinner from dad before he burns the fajitas. I’ll come resume this position anytime you’re willing to hug me.”
I held on for a little bit longer, and he let me. It was a good five minutes before I finally had the nerve to let him go. He dropped a kiss to my forehead before moving out of the kitchen.
I turned to find my brothers all occupying the furniture that I’d picked out for Shine’s place a couple of years ago. My mom was in the recliner that Shine usually occupied, and she had her feet tucked up underneath of her as she watched Top Gun on the television.
“God, that man is so fine,” my mom cooed.
“Gross!” Trinket called.
“What’s gross is finding your own son doing gross things in his room with the socks that I have to wash by myself,” Mom snapped. “At least I’m only looking at him.”
Trinket winced and was about to toss a volley back at her when he noticed me.
His grin went wide as he held out his arm for me to sit next to him.
I did, all but falling into his side before curling my legs up underneath of me and leaning in even farther.
He dropped his arm, and then a kiss onto the top of my head.
I snuggled in just a little deeper.
I loved my brothers.
They were all big bears of men, and they made my heart happy.
Even after a hugely awful day that I’d rather forget.
Dinner went as planned, as in, my parents made dinner, and it actually tasted good. Instead of Shine making dinner, and it tasting like garbage.
Once dinner was done, we gathered around the table and I waited for someone to tell me why the hell they—my parents—were here.
It seemed like nobody wanted to tell me.
“Where’s your man?” Trinket asked.
I rolled my eyes. “For the fifth time, I…”
There was a hard knock on the door, and Shine got up to answer it, dislodging me from my spot next to him.
I tumbled into Trinket, and he took advantage by throwing his arm around my shoulders and pulling me in close.
My heart warmed at all the love I was getting today.
Will didn’t know it, but he was healing me.
Healing me in ways that allowed me to snuggle my brothers again.
Something I hadn’t really been able to do in two years.
My heart leaped at the sight of Shine coming in with a wild-haired man that took my breath away with just one glance.
