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I snorted because one of Hank’s onstage lines was how handsome he was.
“We’re going to start off easy,” Dean went on, adjusting the stand that held an iPad, which I assumed displayed the music or lyrics to the songs. “If you know the words, it would help me out a lot if you sang along.”
And then the Anchormen were off, playing the Police’s “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” a band and fan favorite. Like Laney had said, they had songs on rotation, and I was sure because Dean was taking the lead tonight, they were playing the ones they knew the best. But he did great. Sometimes off-key, but no one cared, and I had a really fun time watching my…not-quite boyfriend but definitely not enemy singing and playing guitar.
When they finished, he hopped off the stage and beelined right to me. I stood to wrap my arms around his neck, kissing his cheek. “You did great.”
“I need another drink,” he said with a relieved-sounding laugh before he strutted to the bar for a beer. He returned with one for me and Kennedy as well. While I wasn’t a huge fan of beer and barely drank mine, he and Kennedy got along like gangbusters, and they both drank another, even though everyone else in the band had left hours ago.
It was after midnight by the time I slid my hand along Dean’s shoulders. He smiled at me, but I could tell he was tired. “I know what you’re doing,” I told him, and when he pretended he didn’t know what I was talking about, I cupped his bristly jaw. “Thank you for taking care of me. Of my sister.”
He slipped his arm around my waist and lifted me to his lap. “And I know what you’re doing. Trying to seduce me with those bedroom eyes, but it won’t work.” His hand ventured down to the waistband of my jeans, where his fingers worked their way underneath. “I am not going home with you tonight. I have mediation tomorrow morning.”
I stayed quiet but kissed his neck, and his fingers pressed into my skin.
“Devil woman.” He pushed me off him and slapped my ass. “Come on. Let’s go.”
He paid the bill and held my hand, walking me to my car, where he kissed me soundly. “Talk to you tomorrow.”
Kennedy, a bit tipsy, blew him a kiss. “Love you, Deanie.”
“Love you too, Kenny.”
She giggled and dropped into the passenger side. “I really like him,” she said when I pulled out onto the road. “He’s not at all the type of guy I thought you’d go for, but it’s so clear that he’s good for you.” She folded her fingers together like she was praying. “Like, you just fit.”
True. We just fit.
“So, I was thinking,” she said after a while, her eyes closed, head back against the rest, “about going to Philly for a little. I was talking to Grace about staying with her for a bit.”
“Yeah?” That piqued my interest because not only did I think it was a good idea to stay with our family, but because my sister wanted to do this of her own accord. She needed to get out of her own way. “I think that’s a really good idea.”
She opened her eyes and turned to me. “They said I could come whenever. I was hoping I could go tomorrow.”
Our cousin Grace was Kennedy’s age and lived with Uncle Kevin and Aunt Bea in Philadelphia, not too far from Nan’s apartment. It was perfect.
“Sure. I’ll take you whenever you want.” Kennedy was fine driving on the highway, straight shots to her destination, but she didn’t like to drive through cities like Philadelphia, where the streets were a maze and traffic was a mess.
At home, Kennedy packed up a few bags to last her at least two weeks, and then we slept in my bed again, with the plan to head out midmorning after rush hour.
We arrived at Uncle Kevin and Aunt Bea’s brownstone in the Spring Garden district around noon. I loved their house, with original woodwork and details, which Aunt Bea maintained careful preservation of. She worked in high-end antiques, and their home was filled with them.
That was where my love of original architecture came from, growing up in Philadelphia, where you could literally walk through history. After my dad had died, and our mother had moved us across the state to a cookie-cutter suburb, where every house looked the same, I’d missed the cobblestones and brick, the arched windows and fireplaces older than me. So, I had always loved coming to visit not only my family, but the living history in the walls.
I’d bet Dean would love it too.
That thought had me both excited and terrified. I wanted to bring him here to meet my family. Officially. He’d already met them as an employee of Novak & Novak, but as my…not-quite boyfriend but definitely not enemy.
I supposed we’d have to have that conversation soon.
Kennedy and I spent a few hours catching up with Aunt Bea and Grace until our other cousin, Connor, showed up with his girlfriend, Shelby. Connor worked in finance now but had spent his undergrad working as a bartender, so he mixed me up a perfect martini. I was only two sips in when Uncle Kevin showed up with Nan, and she stole it right from my hands.
“Thief,” I said with a laugh and a kiss to her cheek.
Uncle Kevin held his arms wide. “I love this, when we’re all together.”
“Oh, Dad,” Grace whined, pinned in the middle when he gathered us all in for a big group hug.
We sat down for dinner, laughing and talking for a long time, and I was thankful to see Kennedy so happy, smiling and giggling with Grace.
