AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But there was no brushing off Zach. “That’s Adam. He’s a real sweetie.” A flash of white teeth gleamed through his dark, trimmed beard.
Adam reciprocated with a forceful display of his middle finger above Milly’s head.
“What’s in the basket, gorgeous?” Heath asked, leaning a hip against the counter.
“Today you guys get Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing.” She went silent as five huge men stared at her like they were about to rip the basket out of her hands. “Plus candy apple cupcakes with toffee frosting for Milly.”
“Jesus.” Seth lifted a hand to pull back the checkered tea towel, revealing the treats stacked in a clear top container. “You didn’t tell me what you made.”
“I said I’d made cupcakes.”
“I was thinking something pink with sprinkles.”
She rolled her eyes and hefted the basket onto the counter before sending a warning glance to all the men. “Can I trust you guys not to eat them before the main meal?”
“As an officer of the law, I’ll take custody of the cupcakes and ensure their safety.” Heath grabbed the basket and placed it at the far end of the counter. Something about the gleam in his eyes indicated the safety of said cupcakes was far from guaranteed.
Milly, for one, was not reassured. “Don’t forget some of them are mine, Uncle Heath.”
“Gotcha, kiddo.” He chuckled as he saluted his niece.
Dillon passed Harper a glass of wine. She thanked him and glanced at the tray on the counter. “That’s a lot of steak. I thought you Aussies cooked shrimp on the barbie.”
Seth’s expression turned grave with mock disappointment. “It’s prawns, sweetness, not shrimp.” He nodded his thanks to Dillon as he accepted a can of beer. “And most Aussies wouldn’t be caught dead grilling prawns. They dry out too quick.”
She pressed her lips together at the seriousness of Seth’s tone.
And he wasn’t finished. “And besides, we’re men. Men eat steak at a barbie.”
Heath gestured toward a bowl where chicken breasts marinated in a brown sauce. “We weren’t sure what you’d prefer to eat. I grabbed some chicken. It’s Milly’s favorite.”
“Thanks, Heath. I’m happy with either.”
“So are you going to go grill this meat or what?” Zach challenged Heath.
“Grilling’s an art form, it can’t be rushed.” Heath lifted up the tray and bottle of oil and moved out onto the deck, followed by Dillon who held the chicken, a roll of foil, and some tongs.
“You place meat on a hot surface and, after a while, turn it again. Some art form.” Zach muttered.
Harper missed Heath’s reply as her body started to lose some of the tension that had held her muscles stiff.
This is what had been missing during her first encounter with all the brothers. The banter, the usual back and forth stuff between siblings, like she’d seen in other families. Last time the air had crackled with tension. Understandable under the circumstances.
And while now they weren’t falling into each other’s arms or posing for a Norman Rockwell painting, they were at least talking to each other as a family would.
But how open were those lines of communication? Did Seth’s brothers know how he viewed the sale of Shazad as a testament to his self-worth? Had they unconsciously fed into the mindset in some way? He’d mentioned his pride in that, after the sale, he’d be able to pay each brother back their initial investment in his company, plus more. Maybe the guys had mentioned their outlay in such a way that Seth thought he was beholden? Was it fair she’d even posed that question?
A heavy feeling in her belly told her his brothers either had no clue or, at best, didn’t fully appreciate Seth’s view of his value to his family. What would these men say if they knew the truth?
For sure it wasn’t her place to say anything. This was family business.
And with Lincoln’s arrival, hadn’t that family just expanded, whether Seth liked it or not?
Over the next two hours, Harper got to chat and laugh with the Justice boys, discovering Zach’s sense of humor was even dryer than Seth’s, and that Heath was a neat freak—a fact she discovered when Adam accidently knocked over a stack of Heath’s muscle car magazines and the detective straightened up Adam’s haphazardly restacked pile. Needless to say, his brothers ribbed him about his need for order with the kind of merciless zeal expected of kin. Dillon was as easy-going as she’d encountered at the café and, along with Seth, drew her into conversation when the topic strayed from something she was familiar with. All the men looked out for Milly but didn’t fuss over her. The munchkin sat between Harper and her Uncle Dillon, with whom she entered into a detailed discussion on the solar system and planets, one of Dillon’s hobbies that currently fascinated Milly.
For his part, Seth acted as the perfect conduit between Harper and the other guys, although she noted, as time went on, he gave her more room to stretch herself as she gained confidence. Yet, all the time she was making inroads, one brother stayed quieter than the others, his gaze watchful as he scrutinized her every action and word. As the first hour ticked over into the second, Harper wondered what it would take for Adam to lower his guard enough to see her as a person who was developing deep feelings for Seth and not as a threat.
* * *
