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“I don’t think you’re necessarily a bad guy. I’m not trying to judge you. Lot’s of people do the friends with benefits thing. I know you’ve been a player—“
“I’m not a player! I guess it’s true I’ve had a lot of female friends, but they’ve only been friends—not friends with benefits. Not even a bit of benefit. No benefit at all. In fact, I had my first benefit of any kind with your sister this morning, and if I have my way, she’ll be the only one, ever.”
“Oh!” Charlie’s eyes grew round as golf balls, and she stared at him.
Embarrassed at his outburst, he turned to the grill and began crossly flipping the burgers, which had managed to get slightly charred on one side. He turned pleading eyes to Charlie. “Don’t tell her. Okay? It’s so awkward. I can’t believe I told you.”
“I think it’s sweet… And it might help if you told her the truth.”
“No way,” he said. “Maybe after we’ve been dating for a while. I can’t tell her now. I’ll tell her before we make a serious commitment.”
“Are you in love with my sister?”
“Yes,” he admitted in a low voice, “but I haven’t told her that either.”
Charlie let out a low whistle. “Well, I can’t promise it’ll be easy. But you’ve got my blessing, anyway. And I’ll fight for you.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks. That’s the second cheek-kiss I’ve gotten tonight.”
She smirked. “You’d better take what you can get.”
He felt distinctly uneasy as she slipped inside chuckling to herself.
*****
Charlie joined the boisterous group inside the Marshall apartment. With this new revelation about Spencer, her opinion about their relationship solidified. She’d thought he’d be a good match for her sister because of how devoted, even self-sacrificing, he’d seemed. But now she’d discovered he wasn’t the type of guy who’d flit from one girl to another without regard for their feelings. In fact, he was exactly the opposite. She found herself more worried for Spencer than she was for her sister. Well, she had considerable influence where her sister was concerned, and she was not above resorting to tricks and schemes if necessary. Resolutely, she searched for Emily. She wouldn’t break Spencer’s confidence, but she’d do everything possible to sway her sister’s emotions and encourage her to take a chance on this relationship.
Spencer came in the backdoor with the burgers, and the crowd quieted when his father announced he would say the blessing. They had circled and bowed their heads, when a knock interrupted the proceedings. Grace ran to answer the door and returned with Brad and Josh in tow.
“Come in. We’re blessing the food. Then I’ll introduce you to my parents.”
Charlie stole a glance at her sister, whose face had turned pasty white. She followed her gaze to Spencer, who looked as if his face might burst open. She added a silent prayer for peace to Mr. Marshall’s blessing.
“Mom, Dad. This is Brad and this is Josh. They’re the guys I told you about—the ones that saved Emily on the hike,” Grace said.
Charlie couldn’t hear the rest of the exchange, but she whispered in Emily’s ear. “Sit next to Spencer, and I’ll try to keep Josh away from you.”
“Thanks, Spencer doesn’t look very happy. I think his reaction is a little extreme, though.”
“Well, Sister. They have some history. You just slept through it. Josh pushes his buttons and enjoys doing it.”
“Sounds entertaining, though. Sorry I missed it.”
“It was amusing, but not so much for Spencer. I think Grace hit it off with Brad, and I can handle Josh—I appreciate the challenge. Watch and learn, Sister. Watch and learn.”
The table in the kitchen would only seat eight, so a second table had been set up next to it. Tight seating and bumping elbows allowed eleven people to sit together. Emily sat next to Spencer, and Charlie claimed the other adjacent chair, effectively prohibiting Josh from sitting next to her.
Grace sat between Brad and Josh on the opposite side of the table, so Josh was directly opposite Charlie. He immediately turned his attention to Emily.
“How are you feeling? Have you been taking your anti-inflammatories?”
Emily opened her mouth to answer, but Charlie interrupted. “Josh, I hope you’re not going to spoil our meal by turning this into a medical exam. Emily’s quite capable of taking her required doses of medication without having someone check up on her. She’s the most organized and competent person I know.”
“It’s true,” said Grace. “You should see her closet. It’s immaculate and everything’s arranged by color and season.”
“I’m sure Spencer can attest to how orderly her kitchen is. You’ve cooked dinner for her, haven’t you, Spencer? Emily told me all about it. She says you’re a really good cook.” Charlie cut her eyes to Josh. He regarded her with narrowed eyes, but the smile never left his face.
“Emily’s a great cook, too,” Spencer added.
