“You mean Sunflower Grill? Sure thing. As long as I don’t have to say that name ever again, and they sell something that tastes like meat.”

I roll my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. The caveman never shuts up about his meat.” In more ways than one.

His smirk should be disgusting, but it just draws my attention to his soft lips. “You don’t like my meat?”

“Good night,” I call out, already walking away with every ounce of nonchalance I can muster.

Glancing over my shoulder, I find him still watching me, and a warm tingle rushes down my spine. I go back downstairs to my condo, take a very quick, very cold shower, and fall asleep with a stupid smile on my face.

For the rest of that week, in the moments between pounding out work and taking my short lunch breaks with Trina, I find myself thinking fondly of Hayden. I’m looking forward to our non-date more than I probably should.

Chapter Seven

Hayden

This place is an absolute zoo, which is no surprise. Beth’s finishing up in the kitchen while I set the table. My niece and nephew are in the living room, arguing about which show to watch on the iPad, and my brother-in-law, David, is due home any minute.

Beth carries a platter of baked chicken into the dining room and sets it in the center of the table. “You want a beer or something?”

“Only if you join me.”

She gives me a sarcastic smirk. “Anything for you.”

When she returns, she wrangles both kids into their booster seats and sets their plates in front of them. Then she hands me a bottle of beer and a little plate of those crab roll-up things she usually only makes for special occasions or holidays.

“You’re my favorite sister,” I say, stuffing one into my mouth.

“Love you too.” She smiles.

“This almost makes up for you sending me to an advanced yoga class.” I look at her and frown.

She smiles, and the twinkle in her eye tells me that was quite intentional on her part. Brat.

When she encourages me to sit, I take in the table filled with steaming bowls of veggies, potatoes, and a platter of chicken. She rocks at this mom thing.

“Should we wait for David?” I ask before popping another of the roll-ups into my mouth.

She shakes her head. “He’ll be home any minute. He said to start without him.”

We’re digging into our food, making small talk about what’s new with the kids, when David comes strolling in moments later.

He leans down to give his wife and children each a kiss before greeting me. “How’ve you been, Hayden?”

“Good,” I say. “Come on, food’s getting cold.”

For being a guy who’s fucking my sister, he’s actually pretty cool. They’ve been married seven years and are good together. He joins us, sitting at the head of the table. If it weren’t for their generosity, I’d eat takeout most nights of the week. Instead, I come here.

After dinner, David and the kids play in the driveway while Beth and I tackle the dishes. I used to try to encourage her to go out and play, let me handle the work, until I realized that she’d been playing with them all day and actually just wanted some adult conversation. Now I happily supply that.

We have a system. She passes me plates, and I rinse and stick them in the dishwasher. Only tonight, she uses our sibling time to grill me.

“So . . . Emery. Yoga. You owe me details, little bro.”

“That’s what those crab roll-ups were about. Damn, you’re good.”

She grins an evil smile at me. “Don’t mess with the master.”

I chuckle. “She just moved in last weekend. She’s from Michigan and is working at a law firm downtown.” I fill her in on my experience at yoga, and before I know it, I realize I’ve been prattling on about Emery for ten minutes. I’ve only stopped short of describing the fabulous way she smells and her glorious rack.

I can’t help but remember how cute she looked after her first day of work. Rumpled suit, killer heels, and little makeup smudges underneath her eyes. She’d put in a hard day’s work and was obviously tired, but there was still that undeniable spark of excitement simmering just under the surface that I’d grown to appreciate about her. I still wonder what might have happened if she’d said yes and taken me up on my offer for a drink.

“Wow. I’m impressed,” Beth says, taking a break from wiping down the counter with a dish towel to face me. “Are you finally going to settle down and date a nice girl? She sounds sweet and normal.”

“No, come on. We’ve had this conversation before. I’m not looking for anything serious.”

She tosses the towel into a basket in the pantry. “God, what’s wrong with you? This girl sounds great. Why not just see where it goes?”

“Because, Beth, not everyone wants a house in the suburbs with two kids. It wasn’t the life I was meant for.” Not anymore, anyway. Not after what happened with Roxy. But I do my best to push that from my head.

“Right, because emergency trips to the clinic when your pee-pee burns are so much fun.”

I square off, facing her with an angry scowl. “That was one damn time, and it turned out to be nothing. And you’ve been hanging out with toddlers too much. It’s called a cock.”

“On that note, I have to get them ready for their bedtime routine.”

Beth heads for the back door, and I reach out and stop her. “Hey. I didn’t come here to fight with you. Just let me live my life my way, okay?”

There’s fire in her eyes, and she puts one hand on her hip. “You’ve never dated your emotional and intellectual equal. You always go for these one night is good enough girls who jump into bed with you on the first date. They don’t have goals. They don’t have careers. And surprise . . . they don’t hold your interest longer than one night.”

“First of all, I’m not dating anyone. And second, what’s wrong with one night? I have needs, you know.”

She rolls her eyes. “Oh, I know. I shared a bedroom wall with you in high school, remember?”

“Where is this coming from all of a sudden?” I’m trying to understand, because up until this point, sure, she’s occasionally given me shit for my lifestyle, but it’s always been with a mocking laugh in her voice, a jab to the ribs while she grins at me. Right now she seems legitimately pissed off.

“You were top of your class in high school, graduated early and with honors in college. It makes sense that you should be with a smart, capable woman you can have lively discussions with, someone to hold your interest and challenge you.”

It’s strange that she uses that word—challenge me. Isn’t that exactly what Emery did? Making me go to yoga, asking me to explain my past. Refusing my offer for a late-night drink.

“Who’s going to take care of you when you get old, Hayden? I want you to have a partner in this life. God, I picture you sixty years old with a bad fake tan and dyed hair, still trying to live this playboy lifestyle. It’s sad.”

“I’m only twenty-seven, Beth. Calm down.”

“Yeah, well, you’re going to blink your eyes and tomorrow you’ll be thirty, and all the good, quality girls will be married. I’m only trying to look out for you.”

“I know you are. But just try and relax, okay? Everything will be fine.”

She lets out a heavy exhale. “I just don’t think you can do it, being friends with a woman. Be careful with this one.”

Her lack of faith in me feels like a kick to the balls. Beth’s always been my biggest cheerleader, supported me in every crazy thing I wanted to try.

“I’m going to go. Kiss the kids good night for me.”

She nods, her face solemn.

• • •

On the drive home, I can’t keep my thoughts from replaying Beth’s angry words and her condescending tone. I tighten my grip on the steering wheel and try to focus on the road. The sun is just beginning its descent for the evening, casting a hopeful ambient light on everything. I grab my cell and press the contact I call most often.