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“Engaged, remember?” she said teasingly.
“And I’ll show you just how happily engaged when you come home tonight.” Gray kissed Kiera as if Curt wasn’t sitting right across from them.
“Hey, I’m still sitting here, remember? Save it for when you’re alone, please.”
Neither Gray nor Kiera looked the least embarrassed when they pulled apart.
“I’m going. Brooklyn and Addie are waiting for me upstairs. Behave yourselves tonight.” While Gray lived in one of the building’s three-bedroom apartments, his older brother, Trent, resided in the building’s penthouse, which encompassed the top two floors.
“Have fun. Say hi to Addie and Brooklyn.” Gray kissed Kiera again before she exited the room.
Left alone, Gray picked up the business card. “You’re sure you don’t want this?”
Curt nodded before going in search of whatever delicious dish Kiera had cooked up.
“Grab some plates and I’ll get the food.” Gray followed Curt into the kitchen and went straight for one of the two ovens. “You’re not interested in Linda, so are you and Miranda back on?”
He’d started seeing Miranda Bergman sometime the previous summer. He’d even taken her to his cousin’s wedding in September. He’d ended their relationship in December, though. “Nope. Derek told me she’s with his buddy, Colton Horne. Hope it works out for them. They seem well suited.”
Although sweet as well as beautiful, Miranda loved the spotlight, which was one of the main reasons he’d stopped seeing her. While Miranda wanted everyone to notice her, he preferred to fly low and not draw any extra attention to himself. Colton, on the other hand, shared Miranda’s need for attention. Anyone who’d ever met the guy would agree.
“There’d better be some of whatever Kiera cooked left.” Trent’s voice announced his arrival.
“Did you forget how to knock?” Gray called out.
“I ran into Kiera. She told me to let myself in.”
Trent entered the kitchen, his eleven-month-old son in his arms and a large diaper bag hanging from his shoulder. Curt couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of his once-carefree playboy cousin so domesticated. Of all his cousins, Trent had been the last one he expected to ever marry and have a family.
“What the—” Trent caught himself before he said something he shouldn’t in front of his son. “What happened to you?”
“He’s going for the Left in the Wild look,” Gray answered, referring to a popular reality show where they dumped four couples somewhere remote and they had to survive for a month on their own.
He’d brushed off Gray’s teasing before, but now it was starting to get to him. “Both of you can stuff it.” He’d prefer much more colorful language, but he had to watch it with Kendrick in room. Trent’s wife would kill him if the baby started repeating any four-letter words he might overhear.
“He moved to New Hampshire and decided to become one with nature,” Gray said while he filled three plates with whatever dish he’d pulled from the oven.
“You moved way up there?” Trent asked. “Why?”
Curt nodded. “The town isn’t far up. I can be in Massachusetts in about ten or fifteen minutes.”
Trent put Kendrick down, and immediately the baby toddled over to his uncle.
“He’s walking already?” Curt asked. When he’d last seen Kendrick, he’d only been crawling.
“Started last month. It’s a whole new level of craziness at home now,” Trent answered, dropping the diaper bag onto the floor.
“I think he’s having an identity crisis,” Gray said, going back to busting Curt’s ass again. “He even turned down the phone number of a beautiful woman. Linda Hurley gave him her card, and he told me to toss it.”
Curt took the dish his cousin offered and wondered why he’d thought spending an evening with Gray was a good idea. Instead, he could be home writing or, even better, having dinner with his single next-door neighbor. “No kind of crisis. Just trying to go unnoticed while I’m living in Pelham. I don’t need the distractions while I finish the book and work on the house.”
“Another renovation project. What’s this, your fourth?” Trent asked. “Is this one similar to the house in Marlborough?”
“Bigger, older, and it needs more work. Since I’ve left Nichols Investment, I decided to live in the house while I renovate it. Makes it easier. After it’s done I’ll move back to Boston. I kept my condo there.”
“I’d offer to help, but you wouldn’t want it.” Trent picked up Kendrick and sat him on his lap. “I see the long hair and the beard’s a disguise. Wish I’d considered that in the past. I certainly could’ve used it.”
Prior to his marriage, Trent had graced more tabloid magazine covers and Internet sites than anyone Curt knew. No easy feat when you’re part of the Sherbrooke family. There had been a point where the guy couldn’t even enjoy a coffee without someone snapping a picture of him and selling it to the highest bidder.
