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“You have a gift, Aus. It would be a shame to hide it.” Logan said the words, Mitchell, their father, had always used to get Austin onto a stage.
Back then it had just taken a little chiding and Austin would jump up, ready to take the mic in hand, or if that wasn’t available he’d use his rich, powerful voice to fill up the room.
But the man who’d been a master at that chiding was gone. The reason Austin took joy in singing was gone. He would never grace a stage again. He hadn’t even tried to sing since the funeral, where he’d sung one last time for the man he loved above all.
“Logan.” Austin’s voice was full of warning. He was done with this conversation. There was nowhere for it to go.
“Right. I thought as much but had to ask for Lake’s sake.”
Austin thought about asking if Logan’s bride-to-be was really the one who’d asked for him to sing but then realized he shouldn’t, because it didn’t matter who had asked. Even though he loved Lake like the sister she was about to become, he would never sing again. Not even for her.
“But on the subject of favors,” Austin said, hoping he could lighten the mood. As much as he knew he could never sing again, he hated disappointing his family. Especially his big brother. Logan had been there for Austin in every way he’d needed. To say no felt wrong, but to say yes was impossible.
Logan pushed off of the corral and turned to look at Austin. His shoulders bunched slightly as he tensed, waiting for Austin to ask if . . .
“Do you mind toning it down on the PDA?” Austin teased, knowing Lake would have melted into a puddle of embarrassment on the spot if he’d asked that question in front of her. Thus he’d waited till only his brother was there.
Logan shoved Austin harder than he’d pushed Memphis. The message was clear: Austin had annoyed his brother even more than Memphis had.
“We’re nothing compared to Jackson and Ruby and you know it,” Logan said about their second oldest brother and his girlfriend Ruby.
“They have a lot to make up for. They were enemies for years,” Austin said with a shrug of his shoulder, bracing for Logan to slug him. Honestly, he deserved it. But sometimes that was what being a brother meant: saying things that made you deserve a punch.
“And Lake and I don’t?” Logan asked instead of turning aggressive.
That was true. Logan and Lake had been high school sweethearts, only breaking up because Logan was an idiot. He’d held a torch for her ever since and it was only after several years and some intense pain in Lake’s life that they’d finally found their way back to one another. Cute story. For someone else. Austin was so glad that wasn’t the way his life had gone. If he’d failed to see a woman right under his nose for years? He deserved to be teased about it for the rest of time and maybe eternity as well.
“They’re happy. We’re happy. One day you’ll get it, Aus,” Logan said as he strode away from the corral, leaving Austin alone with his thoughts.
Would he get it? Austin wasn’t sure he ever would. He’d never seen the appeal of one woman forever. Sure, it would mean fewer dramatics—he’d had his fair share over the years, thanks to his decisions when it came to women—but other than that? Where was the bright side? Loving one woman for all of his life seemed stressful, if not boring.
Granted, he’d loved Sofi for nearly all of his life but Sof was different. It was a different kind of love, the kind that could last through the ages. At least in Austin’s book. It wasn’t like he thought his brothers’ relationships were destined to fail, but they were the exception, not the norm. And Austin was as normal as they came. He couldn’t hope for the exception. No, he was happy with his ever-changing girlfriends, his constant best friend, and his family. His life was good. No need to change things.
Leia sat comfortablyon the couch, raising her eyebrows when Sofi slammed the door behind her as she came in after a long day at the mercado. She loved her family and their family business, but today was one of those days that made her wish she had a backup plan for her life. Since childhood she’d dreamed of cooking the food she’d grown up on for the people of Blue Falls. She’d even traveled to Mexico to learn the family secrets from her abuelo. But after nine hours on her feet and endless tormenting from her brothers—not to mention questions from her mom about when she was finally going to go on a date and her dad telling her mom that she shouldn’t be on those stupid dating apps—yeah, she was tired. And ready for a break. And maybe a change in career.
She threw herself down on the couch next to Leia and let out a sigh that reached into the depths of her soul.
“That good of a day, huh?” Leia asked wryly.
“Why did I think it was a good idea to work with my family?” Sofi groaned. She knew Leia wouldn’t judge her or her family for her question. Leia had known Sofi and the crazy Castillo family for long enough to know that her question came from a place of love. Well, kind of love and kind of exasperation. “I should hang up my apron and work with you.”
Leia let out a bark of laughter as they both imagined Sofi sitting at a desk and working with numbers all day. Actually, Sofi didn’t even know exactly what Leia did, just that she was an accountant. Accountants worked with numbers all day, didn’t they?
“You wouldn’t last a day,” Leia predicted and Sofi knew she was right. Sofi had been born to cook. It was not only her passion but her calling. She was good at it while she truly excelled at little else. And while she would hate to work anywhere that didn’t have her nosy family, she sometimes wished they could just give her a break for a day or two. But even as she complained, she knew that wouldn’t ever happen. The Castillos weren’t designed to give anyone space, especially one of their own.
“I know.” Sofi leaned her head back against the soft cushion behind her. “But if I have one more brother try to alter my dating profile . . . ”
“You’ll still go to work tomorrow the same way you always do,” Leia said as she stood and turned to wink at Sofi.
Sofi’s mouth fell open.
“What? You know it’s the truth,” Leia said as she made her way into the kitchen and began to plate up some of the leftovers that Sofi had brought home. Sofi always made a point to bring home food from the mercado on days she worked the evening shift. Although they only stayed open until seven, and Sofi was usually home by eight or nine, the last thing she wanted to do after cooking all day was think about dinner. So she made it easy on herself and Leia by taking care of it while she was still at work.
“I know. But for you to bring it up right now? That’s just rude,” Sofi said as she crossed her arms over her chest and pretended to pout.
Leia laughed as she slid the first plate into the microwave. Sofi was grateful she’d been living with Leia for so long that they’d fallen into a rhythm. Sofi provided the food and Leia would serve it up as well as clean up after dinner. Sofi had insisted on doing dishes every other day but Leia had said if she was getting free meals so often, she’d clean up every night Sofi brought home dinner. Sofi was still pretty sure she was getting the much better end of the deal, but after slicing, dicing, sautéing and then washing dishes all day, she was more than happy to relinquish the job to someone else.
“So . . . ” Leia began as silence descended over the room.
