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Rubbing his temples, Gavin checked his watch. Almost four o’clock and they hadn’t even cut the birthday cake—a huge three-tier work of art he’d spotted in the kitchen—yet.
Seated across from him, Vivian, Leah, and Jeff were talking about something. Lost in his thoughts, he’d stopped paying attention, and no one had tried to pull him into the conversation.
“Are you okay?” Leah asked, momentarily putting a halt to her chat with his sister and Jeff.
He skipped nodding since it would likely cause his head to split down the middle and fall onto the table. “Killer headache. The heat isn’t helping. Do you mind if I go inside for a little while?” Other than when they first arrived and Dad pulled him aside, he hadn’t left Leah alone all day.
“Somehow I’ll survive,” Leah promised.
The likelihood of Erin looking for him with so many girls her age around was slim, but... “If Erin wants me, let her know where I am.”
Vivian laughed. “Yeah, I don’t see that happening, baby brother. But if she needs you, we’ll let her know you’re inside.”
Vivian’s comment made Leah laugh too. At another time he’d offer up a reply, but this afternoon Gavin ignored his sister and left for a cooler, quieter location.
Inside the house, it was not only cool but also silent.
After tracking down three ibuprofens, he grabbed a bottle of iced coffee on his way through the kitchen and entered the game room because he doubted any of Piper’s friends would come in wanting to play pool. The room’s location along the back hallway also made it easier for Erin to find him if she needed him, although he agreed with Vivian’s assessment and didn’t expect she would.
The windows allowed in sufficient sunlight, so he didn’t bother switching on any of the lights in the room. Twisting off the bottle cap, he took a long swig of the cold beverage and hoped the caffeine would assist the medicine sooner rather than later. It was too nice a day to be sitting inside.
Unlike the other rooms, the décor in here made it clear who used this room. There were no bright colors or contemporary works of art on the walls. Leather furniture and dark wood filled the room, along with a full bar, a nine-foot pool table, and a marble chess set. Gavin made himself comfortable in a chair and closed his eyes.
“Needed a break from the noise too?”
Harry’s voice broke through his dream, and Gavin sat up straighter in his chair. Falling asleep hadn’t been his intention, but at least his head no longer had a drum line practicing in it.
His half brother dropped into the chair opposite him and gestured toward the chessboard on the table between them. “Up for a game?”
At a different time, he’d take Harry up on
the offer. When it came to playing chess, they were equally matched in skill, but a game could last anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour.
“Not today. I don’t want to stay in here too much longer.”
With a shrug, Harry picked up his drink and raised it toward his mouth. “I can’t stick around long either. I told Sharon I’d be back soon. I just wanted to get away from the noise.”
Early in the day, he’d noticed Harry had his arm around Sharon, Kerry’s sister, but otherwise nothing during their brief conversation had suggested they were involved with each other.
“What happened to Milan?” Gavin asked.
If Harry was still dating the model, Gavin was going to advise he stay away from Sharon.
“I haven’t seen her in a couple of weeks. Last I knew, she was headed to Los Angeles.”
Well, at least he wasn’t screwing around behind the woman’s back. It still didn’t mean Harry should get involved with Sharon. Considering the age difference, it was easy to forget, but Sharon was their dad’s sister-in-law. She often attended family gatherings. A disastrous relationship between the two could make things uncomfortable in the future.
When they’d been younger, he’d given Harry his opinion on his relationships. He’d stopped a long time ago. Gavin wanted to say something now, but he knew it’d only fall on deaf ears. Harry conducted his life the way he wanted. He didn’t care what anyone thought.
“How long have you and Sharon been together?”
Harry tipped several of the pawns on the chessboard on their side. “On and off for about a year.”
That wasn’t the answer he expected to get.
“Kerry’s got one hell of a body even after having a kid, but compared to Sharon, she’s your average housewife,” Harry continued.
Gavin didn’t want to think about his stepmother’s body or anything else about her.
