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Talking about my half brothers wasn’t my favorite thing to do. I knew I was being stubborn and hardheaded, and my reticence was causing friction in the family. My brothers were all on much better terms with them than I was. But I was determined to make an effort for my grandparents' sake and my brothers’ too.
"Oh, I think a few more arrived."
She was right—there was a lot of commotion at the front door. When I looked out to the entrance, I saw Jake and Natalie were here along with Spencer, Penny, and Ben. My nephew was growing up fast. Some days I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that my brother had become a father so unexpectedly. But he'd grown with the responsibility and adjusted remarkably quickly. He was an excellent father, and I respected him for that.
“Dude, you look like crap,” Spencer said. “Were you holed up in your lab all night?”
"No, I wasn't at work," I replied.
Jake straightened up. He was about to whisper something to Natalie, but now they both had their eyes trained on me.
Spencer cocked a brow. Penny was looking at him questioningly. Even Ben stopped making baby sounds and was staring up at me. I felt like I was under a magnifying glass.
"So, what happened? Did you have an emergency or something?" Jake asked.
"No," Spencer replied. "He spent the night with someone."
I looked at my brother with fascination. "How can you tell?"
"I couldn't place that shit-eating grin before, but now I can. Good for you."
I quickly looked around the room. "But don't tell that to Grandmother."
"Don't tell me what?" Grandmother said, stepping into the living room with two plates full of toast and eggs and bacon.
"Never mind," I replied.
Someone was laughing behind me. Jake or Spencer. My money was on Spencer.
"Come on, let's all bring in the plates," I said.
We passed Grandfather, who brought a few mugs full of coffee. Jake, Spencer, and I took plates from the kitchen cabinet.
"Dude, that's not going to work, so you better fess up to Grandmother," Jake said.
"She'll forget all about it by the time we go back to the living room," I said confidently.
Spencer whistled. "Keep telling yourself that, dude. You'll have peace of mind for like ninety more seconds."
He was right. As soon as we stepped back into the living room, Grandmother asked, "Colton, what exactly are you hiding from me?"
I sometimes forgot that Grandmother liked to know everyone's business. She'd been meddling more than usual the past few years, but I'd ignored it. I'd been thinking about work every waking second, including when I was with my family.
"Grandmother, any chance I can convince you to drop it?" I said as we all sat around the table.
"Hmm, I'm considering it."
"I can't believe it." Spencer's eyes bulged.
"I’ve considered it. If you want to keep it from me, it means it’s something I really want to know."
"Where does that logic come from?" I asked, fully aware that she actually did have a point.
"Experience."
I realized that if I didn't explain, she would think exactly what I didn't want her to—that I'd spent the night in the lab. I knew how much she'd worried about me during that time, and I didn't want her to go through it again.
“My brothers were making fun of me because I didn't sleep last night. I wasentertained." And that was about as much information as I was willing to give. No way in hell would I own up to spending the night with a woman. Yes, I was a grown-ass man, but this was my grandmother. I had boundaries.
