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“No, it’s fine,” I said, shaking off my reverie. “Maybe you don’t need to worry about what you’re going to do,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood. “Audrey will be your sugar mama, after all.”
“Shut up.” Kyle rolled his eyes. “For the hundredth time, there’s nothing going on between Audrey and me. I’m going to have to find some nice, normal human in town to hook up with to prove once and for all that I’m not hung up on Audrey Greenthorne, the manicured hellion.”
“Normal human?” I raised an eyebrow. “You mean, like a non-shifter? Why would you want that?”
“Because,” he said, “then there’s no chance of getting involved with someone as infuriating as Audrey.”
I tried to hide my amusement. “So, you’re saying the only way you can avoid falling for her is by avoiding shifters altogether? That’s pretty drastic.”
Kyle crossed his arms over his chest defensively. “I can’t believe we’re even talking about this.”
“Hey, you’re the one who brought it up,” I said with a smirk. “And you really shouldn’t underestimate Audrey. She’s strong and smart, and she cares about those around her. Maybe she’s exactly what you need.”
“Or maybe she’s a spoiled brat who doesn’t know the first thing about living in the real world.”
“Sounds like you two have more in common than you thought,” I teased, watching as my brother’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.
“Whatever.” Kyle shook his head, clearly flustered. “Can we please talk about something else now?”
“Uh-huh, sure.” I stuck my tongue out at him, enjoying his embarrassment. “Are you saying you wouldn’t mind if she mentioned someone she’s interested in during our girls’ night? Don’t you want to know if she has a thing for the bartender?”
“Wha—” he sputtered, then tried to collect himself. “I mean, no, it’s nothing to do with me. Why would you ask?” His attempt at nonchalance was almost endearing.
“Come on, Kyle. It’s pretty obvious you’ve got it bad for her,” I pressed, watching his discomfort grow as I relaxed against the table covered in my paints and brushes.
“Fine.” He ran a hand through his hair. “So, seriously, did she say anything about anyone? That French guy from the bar?”
“Nothing specific, no,” I said. “But she did say she wasn’t interested in anyone at the moment. So, if you want to make a move, now might be your chance.”
“Great. Just what I need—my little sister poking into my dating life.” His face was an odd mix of frustration and hope.
“Come on, Kyle. You two have been dancing around each other for weeks. It’s time to pull up your big boy pants and do something about it.”
“Easy for you to say,” he said. “You’ve got Ridge.”
A warm flush spread through my chest at the mere thought of my mate. “True, but I pulloffhis big boy pants.”
His hands flew to his ears. “La la la, I can’t hear you.”
Laughing, I waited until he was listening again, my tone becoming serious. “Trust me when I say that finding love amid all this chaos is worth fighting for.”
Kyle waved me off, clearly embarrassed by the turn our conversation had taken. “I’ll think about it, okay? Now, go back to your painting or whatever.”
No way was I letting him off the hook so easily. “Promise me you’ll do more than think about it.”
“Fine. I promise,” he relented. “Now, can we please talk about something else?”
I smiled as I picked up my paintbrush and turned back to my canvas. “Just remember, Kyle, life’s too short not to take a chance on happiness.”
“Thanks for the advice, Dr. Phil,” he shot back, but I could tell he was taking my words to heart.
I shook my head at Kyle’s stubbornness. “All right, fine. Hmm, something else to talk about.” Wiping the paint off my hands, I turned to face him more fully. “There was an incident with Dean Aldrin, and it turns out my biological father might be showing up here sooner or later.”
“Your biological father?” Kyle raised an eyebrow, and his face went carefully blank. “What’s that got to do with Dean Aldrin?”
“Long story short,” I began, “Dean Aldrin showed up to drop a bombshell on me. Apparently, my biological father is some bigshot in the supernatural world. And now he knows I’m alive and well.”
“Great,” Kyle said sarcastically. “So, we’ve got another potential enemy to worry about.”
