***
“Tabby,Iloveyour hair,” Mel gushed, boldly undoing Tabby’s braid and runningher fingers through the auburn strands the way I had just this morning.
“Ugh,I love yourshirt,” Dinah chimed in, bouncing Jen’s new baby on her hip.“I miss when I had a cute body.”
“Yeah,seriously, Iloveyour body. Don’t have babies,” Jen groaned, rollingher eyes toward her husband Greg.
WhatI gathered was, my sisters loved Tabby. They were all immediately infatuatedwith everything about her. I hung back with my brothers-in-law, watching thelovefest from afar, as I slowly nursed a beer. Greg shook his head at his wifeand turned to the rest of us.
“CanI remind you guys thatshe’sthe one who insisted on having kids? Iwould’ve been totally cool with getting a dog,” he grumbled, reaching into thecooler for his second beer. “But no,sheneeded a family. She thought itwould’ve beenso sadto not procreate.”
“Dude,you’re preaching to the choir,” Steve agreed, nodding. “I mean, I love my kids.They’re cool, but I mean, I could’ve done without the orthodontist bills.” Bothof Steve and Mel’s sons had gotten braces at the beginning of the year. It wascollege or straight teeth, but Uncle Sebastian was going to help where hecould. “I’d always thought you got off easy,” he chuckled, jabbing my ribs withhis elbow, “but uh …” He nodded his chin toward Greyson.
“Giveme a break,” I grumbled around a laugh. “I think everybody was kinda waitingfor this to happen eventually. I can’t spread my seed around withoutsomeonegetting fucking pollinated, right?”
Thetrio of brothers-in-law laughed, shaking their heads, and Greg said, “At leastyou can laugh about it.”
Ididn’t mention that I’d known about Samantha’s pregnancy years ago. Therewasn’t a point to getting into that story. It would only make them think poorlyabout Greyson’s mother, for keeping me in the dark for fifteen years, and whatpurpose would that serve?
“So,what’s her story?” Matt asked, tipping the neck of his beer toward Tabby.
Everybone and nerve in my body tightened as I caught the hungry look in his eyes.“What do you mean?”
“She’shot,” he commented.
Matt,like the others, was a loyal son of a bitch, and I knew he’d never stray frommy sister. That’s not why my eye began twitching. It was that part of my brainthat had pulled thatour song, my Thumbelinashit out of nowhere.Apparently, it also didn’t like other men calling her hot.
“Yeah,”I agreed with a quick jerk of my head, my fist clenching and unclenching at myside.
“Oh,look at him, getting all defensive,” Greg teased, shoving against my arm beforedropping down into a plastic lawn chair.
Stevesnorted. “You’re gonna crush that beer, bro.”
Ihadn’t even noticed my white knuckles around the amber glass, and I loosened mygrip. “I’m not getting defensive,” I insisted, keeping my gaze on Tabby.
“Aww,guys, our little boy finally has a crush on a girl.” Matt emphasized a pout,wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me against him. “God, we’vebeen waiting for this day since … well, shit, I actually can’t go that far backin my memory. Fuck, I’m getting old.”
“Yeah,you are.” I shoved him off, tipping the beer to my lips.
“Whoa.He’s not denying it. What do you think it means?” Greg shifted his eyes betweenSteve and Matt. “Should we be scared? Because, guys, I’m scared.”
“Oh,fuck off,” I chuckled, shaking my head. “There’s nothing to confirm or deny.She’s just Greyson’s aunt.”
“Oh,that explains everything,” Steve grunted as Mel approached him. He pressed akiss to her temple, but her eyes were on me.
“Tabbyisuh-mazing,” she gushed, telling me what I already knew.
“She’scool.” I shrugged, dropping my gaze to funnel all thoughts into the open mouthof my beer. Hell, maybe I could just let that little hole suck me right in. Icould disappear and get the hell away from all these eyes on me.
“Cool?”Mel parroted, her tone riddled with disbelief.
Ilifted my eyes back to hers, squinting and shaking my head. “I bring a kid homelike he’s a freakin’ puppy or something, and all you people can talk about is thewoman he comes along with?”
“Ohmy God, he’s getting defensive.” Mel clapped her hands against her heart,turning to stare at her husband. “Honey, my baby brother is getting defensiveovera girl. Do you know how—”
“Weknow,” Steve chuckled. “It’s sweet.”
Withan aggravated huff, and knowing I wasn’t helping my case, I trudged away fromthem to stand with my dad at the barbeque. They could speculate all theywanted—I didn’t care—but Christ, you’d think I was Greyson’s age, with the waythey were behaving. It’s not as though I’d never brought a woman home before—
