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“It’s nasty shit.” I unwrapped the burger and took a bite.
Liam leaned back in his rickety camp chair. “Man, you need some real furniture in this place.”
“Stop complaining, old man.”
As Liam drank from his beer, I noticed him shake his head slightly.
“So, what brings you to my door on this balmy summer evening?” I asked.
Liam shrugged. “I wanted to check up on you, see how you’re settling in.” He glanced around the empty house again. “Looks like you might need a hand. You know, I can send Natalie over to help decorate, if you want.”
I licked sauce from the corner of my mouth. “No, thanks. She’s done more than enough for me.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind. She might even get Gretchen and Ashton involved as well.”
Oh, God. As much as I liked all three of those ladies, the last thing I needed was for them to get their hands on my place. I’d never get a say in how things turned out. All three of them were headstrong and while that was cool and all, I preferred to make my own decisions about my house. At the same time, I didn’t want to offend Liam, so I deflected. “I’ll think about it.”
He saw straight through me and laughed. “I don’t blame you if you’d rather keep their meddling hands out of it.”
“I want to take my time, that’s all. I have to make sure this job pans out before I settle in too much.”
“Why wouldn’t it pan out?” Liam narrowed his eyes.
I shrugged. “There’s no reason it won’t exactly. But the first three months of any job are always probationary. I’d like to be sure it’s permanent beforethisbecomes permanent.” I waved my hand around, indicating the house.
“Look, I know everything is unstable for you right now, Logan. But we’re family. It’s kind of nice having you nearby.” Liam nudged my arm. “I’d hate for you to hightail it out of here anytime soon.”
“I hope I don’t have to, either. But it’s all reliant on work.”
He cracked open a beer and handed it to me. “Don’t be giving up on Cole just yet. I think you’re a good fit and that you’ll do amazing work there.”
“I hope so, too.”
We drank and ate in relative silence for a while as we watched the game. This was exactly what I needed to keep my mind off Aria. Liam was a cool guy—the coolest of any of my cousins. Even as kids, we’d always gotten along. We got into so much mischief together, we were always competitive, and at the same time, were one another’s champions throughout our lives. It was a proud time for our families when we both enlisted in the Navy and then got accepted into the SEALs. For us, it meant that we understood one another, our lifestyles, and everything that went along with them all the more.
“So,” Liam started, breaking the silence.
I gave him a side glance. “Hm?”
“Aria.”
“What about her?” I asked.
“You tell me,” Liam replied.
“There’s nothing to tell. We met less than twenty-four hours ago.”
“Yet, in that time you’ve saved her from a creep, taken her to dinner, and out sightseeing. Then I come here tonight to find you in a state I desperately need to scrub out of my brain. So, spill it, cuz.” Liam punched my upper arm.
“Okay, fine. So far, I like her. She’s smart, pretty, and she knows what she wants.”
“And you want to do nasty, nasty things to her,” Liam said with a chuckle.
“She isn’t that kind of woman.” Off his laugh, I added, “She isn’t. When it comes to that stuff, she’s . . . innocent.”
“Innocent?” Liam repeated with a raised brow.
“Unsure of herself, not much experience, a little self-conscious. You know,innocent.I may be interested in her, but she’s not the kind of girl you fall into bed with for a night and then leave. I’d rather get to know her first.” I tossed some fries into my mouth and washed them down with my beer.
“I’m glad she isn’t rebound material. Because getting that involved with someone you don’t intend to follow through with isn’t fair on either of you.”
Liam was right. Aria deserved to experience a connection where she wouldn’t feel discarded. Was I ready to give that to another woman?
“She’s only here on vacation, Liam. She lives and works in Brooklyn. I don’t see it going anywhere, but at the same time, I don’t think I can stay away from her.” It was a revelation to me as much as it was to him.
Liam clapped me on the shoulder. “Well, okay. Tread carefully, man. Remember, I’ve got your back, but if you hurt that sweet girl, you know I’ll kick your ass.”
“I would expect you to,” I replied. “But you don’t need to worry about me.”
Liam arched his eyebrows. “You let me be the judge of that.”
