Page 79 of Always Be Mine
“It’s definitely not a bad idea.” They tapped the necks of the bottles together in a cheers and took a drink before Asher spoke again.
“It looked as if the two of you were having a pretty serious conversation. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Craig shot him a look, and he laughed.
“Okay, I did mean to interrupt. But only because it’s a party. No serious conversations allowed.”
Both Craig and Chase cast their brother a suspicious glance, and he laughed again. “I am capable of being sensitive to a situation, you know?”
“Is that what this is?” Chase shook his head. “You being sensitive?”
“Hey, take what you can get.”
“Don’t worry,” Craig added. “We will.”
There’d been a time when Craig wasn’t sure he’d ever again be standing with both his brothers, sharing a beer without arguing. Begrudgingly, he had to admit that their late father was responsible for all of them coming back together by forcing Chase to stay in town for a period of six months after he’d died.
But just because there’d been a happy outcome from Chase’s particular stipulation didn’t mean that Craig expected the same kind of outcome. He just needed to get through it.
“So, what are we talking about?”
“Well, we’re not talking about anything going on between Craig and Lucy, that’s for sure.”
Craig almost spat out his beer. “Dude.”
“Good. There better not be anything going on.” The smile on Asher’s face had been replaced with a frown. “You can’t risk it, Craig. This isn’t just your life you’re screwing with here.”
“I know.” He shook his head. “And there’s not anything going on.”
Craig didn’t miss the look his brothers exchanged.
“There’s not.” He hated lying to them, but it was clear there was no way he could tell them the truth. They would lose their minds, and they would definitely not believe that what he and Lucy had between them was real and that it would absolutely not blow up.
No. It was easier if he kept that to himself for now.
“Seriously, Craig,” Asher continued. “I see the way you look at her. We all do.”
Craig looked between his brothers. Chase didn’t deny or confirm what Asher was saying. “I look at her like she’s an excellent nanny and a good friend.”
Asher opened his mouth again but opted for a sip of his beer instead of another objection.
A choice Craig was just fine with.
“Lucy’s just a friend,” he said again. To convince them? Or himself? “Don’t worry, Asher. Everything is still on schedule, just the way it’s supposed to be. It’ll be your turn to go through Dad’s bullshit soon enough.”
Only four more months.
He’d already waited his entire life for a woman like Lucy. He could wait a few more months.
Lucy was exhausted. But the party had been a success. All the kids had enjoyed themselves with the activities she’d organized after an extensive online search of party games. And most importantly, the piñata had been a smashing success. Literally.
Most of the kids had been picked up, with only a few of Meri’s best friends from school and Grady having stayed later to have some pool time.
Craig had vetoed an entire pool party at the indoor pool when Meri first came up with the idea, a decision Lucy was thankful for because she could not imagine what it would have been like trying to monitor twelve kids in the water at the same time.
The compromise was that Meri could pick two of her closest friends to stay late and have a swim before they, too, were picked up. Despite the fact that they’d been partying for close to two hours already, the kids didn’t show any signs of slowing down, but fortunately they were all playing well together and for the first time in hours, Lucy had a chance to get off her feet.
She collapsed in a nearby chaise next to Annie and Charli.
