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“Me?” Jamie asked, having the nerve to look slightly offended. “Run roughshod over my alpha? Honestly, he’s much bigger and stronger than I am.”
“We all know how far Rohan would bend to give you what you want,” Wilder said, eyeing his brother-in-law. “Maybe he’s allowed you too much.”
“Now you sound like your father,” Rohan snapped.
Wilder clasped a hand over his heart, feigning being mortally wounded. He turned his gaze to Jamie. “Your mate has insulted me.”
“Poor, poor Wild,” Jamie murmured, arching a brow.
Wilder’s stomach growled. “I don’t know about either of you, but I’m starving. If you guys don’t want to eat, that’s just more for me.”
“Even thepineappleone?” Rohan asked, gesturing to Jamie’s favorite pizza.
“You’ve gone too damned far,” Wilder replied. “That thing’s unnatural.”
Jamie gently punched Wilder in the arm before grabbing his own plate. “I’m sorry that you can’t appreciate the delicacy that is pineapple pizza.”
“Do you realize the looks I got when I ordered that thing?” Wilder asked, before he took a small bite and placed another slice on his plate. “I totally threw you under the bus, too. I made sureeveryonethere knew it wasn’t for me. My crazy brother wanted it.”
“Awww… how sweet you are,” Jamie responded with a wide grin.
“I am, aren’t I? Oh, before I forget, Bobby DeNardo said to tell you both hello.” Wilder took one of the two beer bottles in Rohan’s outstretched hand and claimed a seat at the kitchen table. “He misses seeing you guys.”
“Once my appetite has fully returned, we’ll make sure we stop in for a slice or two and catch up,” Jamie said before sitting down beside Wilder.
Wilder eyed the two slices on Jamie’s plate, suddenly certain it would be too much for his brother. “Should I have checked in before I got these? I should’ve brought you something else.”
Jamie placed a hand on Wilder’s arm. “You’re sweet for asking… but this is fine.”
“Fine?” Wilder cringed. “I should’ve called.”
“This isperfect,”Jamie replied, grabbing a slice. “My appetite’s already improving.” He took a hearty bite, as if to prove his words. “It helps even more to have my favorite brother here,” Jamie said, squeezing Wilder’s hand.
Wilder squeezed back. A moment of quiet settled over them as they dove into their pizza. After a couple of bites, Wilder turned his attention to Rohan. “Before I forget, did you get those new contracts drawn up for the Hoffman deal?”
“Nope!” Jamie said, raising both his hands. “No shop talk at the table.”
Wilder rolled his eyes. “What else am I going to talk about? The weather?”
Jamie tilted his head. “Papa said something about you going to one of the upcoming Omega Balls?”
Wilder sat up a little straighter. “I donot knowwhere he got that impression.”
Jamie chuckled. “And here I thought my little brother was finally ready to settle down and start a family of his own.”
“Come on now. You know me better than that.”
Jamie shrugged. “Do I? You don’t come around as often as you used to, so how am I to knowanything?”
He groaned. “A guilt trip?Really?”
Wilder eyed Rohan before casting a glance at a stunned Jamie. “Don’t play shocked with me, Mr. Guilt Trip. We both know where you learned that one.”
Jamie’s lip curled into a small smile. “Is it wrong of me to want to see my brother more often? All you seem to do is work, work, work. We used to see you here almost every weekend. Before…” Jamie’s smile disappeared.
Before he’d gotten sick.Ithadbeen harder to see Jamie’s struggle. Maybe he had been insulating himself from that by focusing on work.
Wilder leaned closer to Jamie. “You’re right. I’ve focused on work lately, perhaps too much.” He leaned in and kissed his brother’s cheek. “I need to pay more attention to family. Particularly the family I actually like.”
