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"That means we’ll abstain from giving our opinions," Declan said. He was surprising me more and more.
We all headed back downstairs and into the kitchen. I stopped midway because my phone beeped with a message. It was from Paisley.
Paisley: Uncle Sam, would you say being a nerd is COOL?
I pondered this. She randomly sent me texts from time to time, and I always made a point to give her a smart answer, not just a brush-off.
Sam: Being yourself is cool. Don’t try to pretend for others.
Paisley: Are you sure? What if people stop liking me?
Sam: Then they aren’t true friends.
Paisley: Thank you, Uncle Sam.
I was slowly realizing that I wouldn’t be her favorite uncle any time soon—my brothers had spoiled her for far too many years, and I couldn’t match that—but I liked being her confidante. I shoved the phone back in my pocket and joined the group in the kitchen.
Avery was gulping down a glass of water. Damn, she was sexy. Her chest was rising and falling in quick beats. Her throat was pulsing with the effort of swallowing the large amount of water quickly.
She smiled sheepishly at all of us. "I'm sorry. I was just so damn thirsty the whole way over here. Do you guys want something to drink?”
"No, we're good," Tate replied.
"We're just curious about you," Travis said.
Avery smiled playfully. "Still straight to the point. I remember that about you."
Since Travis was closest to my age, she'd dealt with him more than the rest of my brothers. "How come you came back to Chicago?" Travis asked, and I practically saw Avery shrink in front of my eyes. She didn't want to talk about it, which meant it was still a raw wound.
I wanted to get to the bottom of it and find out what she'd been through the past sixteen years, but I was definitely not going to let my brother corner her into talking. Not that that was his intention. He probably thought he was just making conversation.
"Travis, weren't you just telling me earlier how much of an asshole I am for taking you away from your wife and daughter? Why don't you all call it a night, and we can catch up another time after Avery and I have time to settle in?" I suggested.
“You have a daughter?” Avery asked, eyes wide and warm.
Travis nodded, smiling widely. “Yeah. Newborn. Barely two weeks old.”
“Oh, that’s lovely. What’s her name?”
“Rose.”
“I love it. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” He was still looking at Avery, but he'd noticed the change in her expression. He didn't push. Instead, he looked around the group. "Okay, gang, let's go and let these two get settled in."
"Call us if you need anything," Declan said.
Luke glanced around. "Yeah. Any issue you have, let me know. I can help. I can find professionals to deal with everything."
"Thanks, man," I said. "I really appreciate that." I had a high tolerance toward broken stuff—I’d lived in all sorts of accommodations while abroad—but I wanted Avery to have all the comforts possible.
As soon as my brothers left, she poured herself another glass of water, drinking it up. It was impossible to ignore how damn sexy she was. Her body was like a dream. She had curves in all the right places, and I remembered exactly how they felt in my hands.
