There’s that word again, Logan thought as he felt Tate shift on the couch beside him. What is he thinking?

“Did you just say I was the quiet one?” Josh asked, oblivious to any discomfort in the room. “Who can get a word in edgewise in this group? Between you three women and the little women now in the mix, please tell me when the men are supposed to talk. Hey, Cole? Think you could do us a favor and have a boy?”

“Cole has already done his part in deciding if it’s a boy or a girl, thank you very much.”

“Yes. I participated in the fun part,” Cole called from the kitchen.

Logan heard Tate chuckle beside him, and turned to see he was looking at Mason wince.

Aww, poor guy.

“There’s nothing worse than hearing about your sibling’s sex life, am I right?”

Mason tried to shrug it off. “I should be used to it. Cole isn’t exactly subtle, and neither is Rach.”

Logan shook his head and leaned back on the couch, stretching his arm behind Tate, so that his fingers grazed his back. He felt Tate straighten and spoke in a soft but serious tone.

“Cole and I have never been good at subtle.” Tate gave him a look that screamed, ‘No shit,’ so he continued. “It’s probably the reason we both turned out to be lawyers. We see what we want—and take it.”

Josh smacked a hand on his thigh and laughed loudly. “Oh my God. He is definitely related to Cole.”

“I just said that when I was being overly chatty,” Rachel pointed out with an I-told-you-so roll of the eyes.

Josh winked at her fondly. “As if you are ever anything other than chatty.”

Logan watched the exchange, realizing that it was almost as familiar as his own with Cole. Josh was most definitely a part of this family, and Logan was curious how other than by knowing his brother.

He was also the most casual and relaxed-looking one of the group. He was wearing faded blue jeans, work boots, and a black long-sleeved shirt, with his brown hair pushed behind his ears, and as Logan sat there listening to them talk, it finally dawned on him.

“Creative Construction & Remodeling Company, right?”

“The one and only,” Josh agreed, sitting back on the couch.

“I knew your face was familiar. I was trying to work out from where.”

Tate made a sound beside him, and when Logan turned his way, he covered it with a cough, but not before Logan took note.

Oh no, he didn’t know Josh like that.

“Yeah. Cole’s been my lawyer for years. I recognized your name from my invoices.”

“Ahh. Then I’ll try not to be insulted that you chose to go with him when clearly I’m the best when it comes to the business contracts.”

“And he’s clearly modest too,” Cole interjected as he wandered into the room holding two glasses. He handed one to him and the other to Tate before moving back to his original seat. “So we’re just waiting on the girls?”

“Yeah. Shelly text me around fifteen minutes ago. They should be here soon.”

Logan raised his glass and was about to take a sip of his gin and tonic when Rachel asked again, “So, Tate? You are going to be on my team, yes?”

Logan knew she was asking as a way to include Tate, and he loved her for that, but when he saw Tate nod and agree…he hated her for it too.

“Sure. You might want to tell me what we’re playing first,” he teased.

Logan finally took that sip of his drink and saw Mason and Josh talking before he looked across the room at Cole, who was smirking at him.

The asshole knew he was jealous.

Jealous of fucking Rachel.

“Pictionary.”

Tate’s laughter made his arm rub against his own, and Logan faked a really fantastic smile when he heard, “I’m not a great artist.”

Rachel, unaware of his irrationality replied with, “We will just have to become one mind then,” and Logan lost his cool.

Fuck this, he thought, and stood.

“I’ll be right back.”

He felt Tate’s hand on his leg, and when he glanced down, concerned eyes met his.

“Everything okay?”

Even though it was childish and he felt like a fucking moron, Logan wanted to stomp his foot and tell Tate, “No, everything is not okay.” He was there as his date, damn it, and he was supposed to be his partner in…yes, Pictionary.

“Everything’s fine, but I felt my phone buzz.” Total goddamn lie. “I’m going to step outside for a minute.”

Tate removed his hand, and even though he knew he was being a dick, Logan stepped around him.

He was about to turn away when he noticed Cole still watching him and tapping the side of his cheek, and again, Logan thought, asshole.

This time though, as he left the room, he wasn’t sure if he meant Cole or himself.

10.

Tate remained seated on the couch that had been vacated by Logan. He was confused.

He thought back to what he’d just said and then stared across the room to Cole, who was watching him closely. Mason and Josh were discussing something involving their wives, and when Cole raised a glass to him in mock salute, he said something that would’ve knocked him on his ass had he been standing.

“He’s jealous. Give him a moment and he’ll come around.”

Tate immediately shook his head. There was…“No way.”

Cole took a sip of his drink and nodded. “Trust me. That, my friend, was the green-eyed monster leaving the room.”

“But—”

“I know my brother, and I’ve only seen him act that ridiculous once before.”

Cole placed a hand on Rachel’s leg and stroked it. She looked down at him, and her lips tightened with concern.

“I didn’t mean to upset him.”

Cole thought that was hilarious. His mouth split into a wide grin and his laughter boomed around the room.

“Oh you didn’t upset him, but I’m pretty sure you just opened his eyes.”

Tate didn’t know what that was supposed to mean, but he didn’t want Logan upset either. He stood and smoothed his hands down his pants, about to go and look for him when Rachel spoke.

“By the way, Tate, I love your pants.”

Usually he would’ve winked and thanked her, but the comment made him think of Logan, and now he just wanted to find the guy. He smiled quickly and excused himself with one thing in mind—locating Logan and knocking some sense into him.

* * *

Logan stepped out of Cole and Rachel’s condo and into the main hall, trying to remind himself he was a fucking adult.

Jesus, he felt like an idiot.

As if it weren’t bad enough that he had to sit through playing board games all night, now he had to sit across from Tate playing with Rachel, his sister in-law, who he was apparently jealous of. His own stupidity astounded him.

What the hell is the matter with me?

Rachel was pregnant and madly in love with his brother for fuck’s sake.

Logan brought a hand to his face and rubbed a palm over it before he cupped the back of his neck. Then he heard a door open and close behind him, and turned just in time to see Tate step out into the hall.

Logan watched as he checked his left, and when he saw nothing and turned in his direction, Tate’s eyes narrowed and he began walking his way.

Logan faced him as he approached and decided that the best way to deal with this was to deny everything.

“Get everything taken care of?”

It took a moment for him to work out what Tate was referring to, and then he remembered his fabricated story.

“Yes. I called them back. All taken care of.”

Tate didn’t stop walking and actually had Logan backing up until he hit the wall at the far end of the corridor.

“What was it you told me earlier?” Tate asked as he placed his right hand against the wall.

Never one to ever back down, Logan shrugged. “Don’t know.”