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When Jacob doesn’t respond, I smack his arm.
“Yes, okay,” he agrees, rubbing his arm as if I actually hurt him.
Sensing that hostilities have ceased, Andrew saunters over. I pass him the bag.
“Happy birthday, kid.”
“Thanks, Rory.”
He pulls the bottle of whisky out of the bag first.
Aidan whistles appreciatively. “Nice.”
“We’ll open it after dinner,” Andrew says. “I’ll need a stiff drink. Libby’s dragging me to the club again.”
“Funny, she said you were the one who wants to spend all his time there.”
“Hah. The perils of having a twenty-one-year-old wife. Just wait until Eleanor starts dragging you out every night.”
Shit. Realizing Eleanor is the same age as my younger brother’s wife is startling. I don’t want to think about it.
“Open your other present,” I tell him.
He reaches into the bag again and takes out the box, which contains the Hublot Classic Titanium watch I bought him. He opens it and shakes his head before throwing his arms around me in a manly hug.
“It’s great. Thanks, man.”
“Anything for my third favorite brother.”
He snorts derisively and quickly puts on the watch, before hurrying over to show Libby.
“How’s it going with your new bride?” Aidan asks me. “Not giving you any problems, I trust.”
“Nope.” She’s giving me plenty, but it’s none of his business. I can’t resist getting a dig in at him. “Where’s the lovely Madeline tonight?”
His jaw clenches.
“She has a migraine.”
“Really?” Jacob sends him a filthy look. “You sure it’s not a two hundred pound pain in her ass?”
“What the fuck did you say?” Aidan snarls.
“Exactly what I’d have said if he didn’t get there first.” I put my arm around Aidan’s shoulder and pull him away from our younger brother before they come to blows. I lead him out into the corridor. “Calm the fuck down, Aidan.”
His nostrils flare in irritation.
“The little shit winds me up sometimes.”
“Yeah, well, you’re pretty easy to wind up. Let him take a shot at you. He’s obviously pissed at you right now.”
Aidan scrubs a hand over his face. “Yeah, ‘cause I’ve done the dirty on him by handing him a beautiful woman who’s about to take over a billion pound organization. What a bastard I am.”
“Nobody likes interference, Aidan.”
He gives me a speculative look. “You talking about him, or you?”
“Both. I think this thing with Eleanor might work out okay, but I don’t like how it came about.”
