“Don’t push your luck, Mr. Fleming.”
He chuckled. “Wouldn’t dream of it, Miss Wellington. I love you.”
Chapter Nineteen
I didn’t have anything to wear to a fancy dinner. I had left most of my clothing at Brock’s house along with Drew’s baggage. Leaving them there was probably sending the wrong message but it wasn’t something I could fix right now.
Note to self, don’t leave clothing at Brock’s house due to anger and wanting to choke the life out of him.
Drew seemed happy with what he had although I did notice that he was wearing some items that I hadn’t bought him at any point. Liv confessed that she had gotten him a few things on Aiden’s request which surprised me. He didn’t seem like the type of person that would take notice of a kid temporarily staying at his house.
Liv dismissed the idea and said that Aiden adored any kid and that my brother was following him around like he had hung the moon. He was especially enjoying the training course that Aiden’s security team were using on Aiden’s land. I wasn’t sure what that meant entirely until Drew walked in the house later in the afternoon, covered in dirt and asking Owen a million questions.
Owen was acting like he was having as much fun as Drew was. When both of them sat around Liv’s kitchen talking about their obstacle course times he seemed to be encouraging and treating Drew like he was their brother as much as he was mine. Noah had left after Brock to go do some things for his work. Babysitting me on and off for a week had probably cut into his work schedule enough at this point and Aiden’s house was well guarded.
I needed a shower before my date with Brock, which became even more necessary when Drew tackled me for a giant hug. One that he nearly knocked me over in giving. I missed him just as much as he had missed me and it was comforting to know that he was always, without fail, my brother. I was surprised at how he seemed so incredibly happy for once given the bizarre circumstances we now found ourselves in.
I tried to drag him away from his buddy time, which for once, seemed far more difficult than his normal reluctance when he was with friends. One look from Owen however had him shuffling out of the kitchen with me to Aiden and Liv’s library room.
I smiled at him as his eyes danced across the bookshelves. “Try not to get dirt anywhere kiddo, I don’t want anyone to have to clean up behind us too much. In fact, take a shower after we’re done.”
“Sure sis, what’s up?”
I wasn’t sure where to start. “Uhm.”
He turned to me. “Does this have anything to do with our grandmother or Brock?”
I frowned. “Who told you about that?”
He shrugged. “Brock called Owen and he told me over the phone. He said that she might come over to introduce herself and that I needed to feel it out with you. Not sure what he meant.”
“You talked to Brock?”
“Yeah, he seems really nice and his brothers are really cool. Glad you found a boyfriend, this is perfect.”
I ran my hand over my face. “Okay, so our supposed grandmother, I don’t know who she is to be honest. I’ve never met her and I don’t know if she’ll be coming or not. I left a message on some answering service. For all I know, it’s some quack lady.”
Drew seemed to think for a minute. “Hmm.”
“So, like Brock said, we’ll see what she’s about and talk.”
“She might be really nice. I mean, we could give her a shot, right?”
He seemed to be struggling to give me answer that I wanted to hear versus what he might honestly be thinking. From his point of view, I had to admit it sounded like it might be an opportunity to get to know someone that was family. Given that I was the only family he had known for a while it might be a way to see what our family was like.
“We’ll see what she’s like Drew. About Brock, he’s not my boyfriend.”
His face looked surprised. “But he said you were going on a date.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not really a date. What else did he tell you?”
“He said that he had lied to you about something and he was going to apologize. He asked if I wanted to go.”
My mouth fell open. “He what?!”
Drew shrugged and looked around like it was no big deal. “Yeah he asked if I want to go eat with you guys. I told him no, but I can go if you want me to make sure he doesn’t try making some moves on you or something.”
We were beyond that now but I wasn’t going to tell Drew that.
“How do you know what moves are?”
He shrugged again but didn’t answer.
Gawd, was I going to have to have an uncomfortable talk with him about that soon? I was hoping I would at least have a couple of years before we had to have that discussion.
“Uhm, no, I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”
“Cool,” he said sheepishly. “He said he loved you. He seems really nice.”
“Well,” I said, while struggling on what to say. “Sometimes people do things like lying and even though you love them, it doesn’t make it right.”
He walked over to me and gave me a hug again which surprised me, then he headed to the door.
Turning back, he said, “You always say that a mistake is forgivable as long as you apologize and don’t do it again. Especially if you love someone. We’ve been kind of lying too. So, I guess if he forgives you then you can forgive him, right?”
I frowned and pursed my lips. Of all the things that Drew remembered and brought up that wasn’t what I was expecting. I couldn’t get the kid to remember that red socks didn’t go in with the whites in the washing machine but he remembered a speech on forgiveness. Battle won on that topic and I would continue to talk about the red socks.
“Maybe. We’ll see.”
“I’m going to see what Owen is doing. He promised me paintball training!” he grinned and left.
My shoulders slumped. He was such a good kid.
Brock. I wasn’t sure why he had reached out to Drew. I was split in thinking that it was nice but at the same time, part of the “chasing Andi” campaign. Now Drew even seemed to like him.
He invited Drew out on our date? Strange, but no stranger than what I was getting used to with Brock.
I pulled out my phone and hesitated over the text button on his name.
Andi: You invited Drew?
Brock: Yes. I thought he might like to be included.
Andi: Why?
Brock: He’s your family and I understand how important he is to you. If we’re going to have a clean slate then he might want to hear it too.
That was— Thoughtful? Surprising?
Brock: He declined. He might not enjoy where we’re going anyway. Maybe the three of us can go out for mini-golf or something sometime. I’ve never played.
Picturing Brock playing mini-golf made me snort. The image of him hitting a ball into a small wooden windmill, with rotating blades and children running, around wasn’t something I could see.
Andi: We’ll see.
Brock: Great, Drew said next week.
I rolled my eyes. The Fleming brothers had officially adopted my brother. Paintball and mini-golf was probably the least of my worries with that friendship.
Maybe they could give him the sex talk though.
No. Forget that. Too weird considering I had already done the horizontal mambo with one of them.
Thinking of that made me bite my lip and shiver slightly. I hadn’t realized how sex, good sex, would make me want to have that same good sex again. It was addictive. I wondered if it would have been as good with anyone else. That was a possibility but I realized I wouldn’t have wanted it with anyone but Brock despite the fact that he was a bit of an ass.
Andi: Let’s just take it one day at a time.
Brock: Fair enough.
Andi: How fancy tonight? I left most of my clothes at your house.
Brock: I noticed
Incoming picture from Brock.
I opened it and saw his h
and clutching one of my bras. He was holding it to his nose like he was smelling it.
Andi: Stop molesting my underwear.
Brock: Haven’t started on that yet. I miss your smell.
I chewed on my lip thinking of what to say about that.
Incoming picture from Brock.
He had my bra on his head, the cups sticking out like ears and was making a face.
I laughed then cleared my throat and downloaded it onto my phone. Only Brock would do that.
Andi: New screen saver for me.
Brock: Good. Just means we have a future. Do you have a nice dress for tonight? Would you like for me to send you something?
I thought about his last present of underwear sets and decided to avoid a repeat.
Andi: No, I got this.
I stepped toward the hallway to go find Liv and heard Logan speaking in the hallway.
“Everything is fine back here, brother. Just concentrate on what you have to do, I know it’s not a cakewalk but you’re the best person to figure it out.”
He paused for a minute.
“When that happens, I’ll send a message. Take care of yourself and don’t worry about it. Everything will work out just like you said to me.”
Not knowing how to announce myself, I coughed a couple of times before opening the door to the hallway.
Logan punched a button on his phone when I stepped out and slid it into his pocket.
“Hey,” he smiled at me. “Just saw Drew headed out the back door with Owen. I heard paintball war was going to happen soon.”
I smirked. “Yeah, he said that was on the agenda before he left. He said Brock called him earlier. Sorry, I overheard you speaking with someone. Was it Brock? He seems to be making the rounds.”
“Uh, yeah,” he said hesitantly. “Just reassuring him.”
I sighed. “Listen, I’m sorry I lied to you and Kate. I really am.”
Logan put a hand on my shoulder and looked intently at me. “There’s no reason to apologize. None at all, Andi. You’ve been good to Kate and I know she thinks of you like a sister. You’re family to us and always will be.”
That was nice to hear right now and something I needed. When I talked with Kate at some point it was going to be tough enough but at least Logan could forgive me.
“Any chance you can remove my chip?” I asked, trying to lighten the conversation.
He laughed and checked his watch. “Yes, just not today. Come see me later in the week. We’ll make sure to tape that chip of his onto a bus so he sees it leaving the state. The joke would be on him.”
I laughed, “Okay, so you agree it’s weird?”
He smiled down at me. “A little, but it doesn’t surprise me. He’s always been like this about the people that matter the most to him. He’s a jokester and loves to irritate people, especially Holden but he’s a good guy on every level. Be firm about your boundaries and he’ll get the drift that you aren’t going to put up with his usual crap.”
I nodded. “Right, boundaries.”
He winked at me. “And lay down the law if he doesn’t respect them. I think you’re doing a good job of not letting him just win. Everything comes very easily to Brock and you’re the one thing that will always mystify him.”
“How so?” I asked.
He smiled at me like he had a secret to tell me and leaned in. “Because none of us understand the female brain. Just when we get used to one thing, you ladies change things. We love all of you and yet we’re never quite sure what any of you will do next.”
I smirked at him. “So basically, just keep doing what I’m doing.”
“Yes, and don’t tell any of the guys I just said that. We pretend that we know what we’re doing but most of the time we’re just trying to protect what we have and contain the fires that you ladies set.”
He looked at his watch again. “I have to run. You take care, Andi and we’ll see you soon at the house.”
Nodding, I watched him walk away down the hall.
I went and found Liv. She was lounging on a small couch in her room reading.
When I knocked she quickly tucked the book she was reading into the cushions.
“Oh, it’s you. Thought I might have been caught,” she said with a laugh.
I walked in and smiled, “Caught?”
She dug the book out of the cushions and waived it around. “Trashy romance. Aiden always gives me shit about it. I was just enjoying some quiet mommy time before the kiddo gets back up from a nap. Did you talk with Aiden?”
“Yeah, and the guys before Brock came in.”
“I heard him. If he yells in the house again I’m going to personally poison him and bury his body myself. What did he do?” she asked while patting the cushion beside her, indicating she wanted me to sit down.
I plopped on the couch beside her and told her.
She whistled when I was done. “That guy. I swear I don’t know how you’ve even gotten this far. I would have shot him already. I still can’t believe you’re chipped.”
I nodded. “Yeah, apparently.”
She giggled, “That’s kind of creepy in the big brother is watching you way. With Brock in the picture, even scarier. He’s such a control freak.”
“You have no idea. We’re going on a date tonight and I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”
“Well, it could be if you honestly love him.”
I blanched and eyed her. “Who said I loved him?”
She stood up and walked over to a door in their room. “It’s written all over your face Andi. You’re mopey and look like someone ran over your fucking dog. If you feel like someone just punched you in the gut but you still wouldn’t mind kissing him it’s probably love. Or just really hot sex but I’m guessing that it’s love. I’m assuming you need a dress?”
“Would you mind?” I asked.
She threw open the door to what looked like her closet so I walked over and took a look inside. There were hundreds of hangers lined up. Some with plastic bags over the contents and some not.
She waved her hands around. “This is all Aiden’s fault. I haven’t even worn half of these and now that I’ve had the baby, I probably can’t fit back in them right now. Take your pick. Oh! Better yet, I’ll pick and you try things on.”
There was a small settee in the middle of the closet in front of a large mirror. I sat on it and watched her tear through her closet like a tornado.
She threw two dresses at me and waved at me to start changing.
“Those may be a little short on you but give them a try anyway. One thing about these guys is they love a little skin. They’ll tell you they don’t but they do.”
“Okay,” I said while taking off my clothes.
“The other thing that you have to know is that you can get just about anything you want out of them by wearing something sexy.”
“Is that something you did with Aiden?” I said and watched her throw another dress on the settee.
She gave me a look. “I still do it. Do you think Jules and I dress up because we like cramming our feet into heels? No one likes cramming their feet into heels. They look good but after walking or standing too long they get annoying, right?”
I pulled the dress on and fiddled with the zipper. “Yeah, sometimes.”
“Well, believe me, if you dress up even a smidge, Brock is going to be apologizing all over the place and probably apologizing for things he hasn’t even done. Trust me, this is my secret in handling Aiden when he fucks up.”
My eyes glanced over at her. “Do you have problems often?”
She paused and put a hand on her hip. “Every relationship has its snags. What’s important at the end of the day is whether you can get past them or come to a mutual compromise. I guess that’s what I’ve learned the most.”
I smiled at her. “You don’t cuss as much anymore. Was that a compromise?”
She rolled her eyes while pulling out another dress. “I’ve told everyone a thousand times it’s him
. He makes me want to cuss. Well, I mean I cuss, but it’s not nearly as bad unless he’s around. Never around the kiddo, I have a cuss jar for that. I just put the money in while I’m thinking of cussing.”
“What about Julia? She and Holden seem to get along most of the time.”
Liv laughed and clutched her chest. “That would be a miracle! I think they just like irritating each other too much. It’s a thing with them and they love it. The day those two see eye to eye on everything I’ll stop cussing and give up true crime novels. With the baby on the way it’s even worse but they’re happy.”
I looked at the dress in the mirror. “I’m not thrilled about this one.”
“I’m not either. Take it off.”
Shrugging off the dress I started putting on the next one she had thrown over to me.
“So, we’re doing makeup and the dress. I’ll see if I have some shoes, if not I’ll have my bodyguard, John go pick some up. He’s fabulous. By the time we’re done, Brock will be confessing to his first wet dream and whether he truthfully installed that poison gas security system in his work dungeon. You are to immediately text me if he says either way.”
I nodded cautiously.
She turned back to me and grinned like a maniac. “Let’s see what we can do!”
Chapter Twenty
Brock picked me up at seven. He was wearing a tux which made me feel slightly underdressed even wearing one of Liv’s dresses that I knew was probably designer. We had gone through her closet for what felt like an hour until she was satisfied with a choice.
I was wearing a dark green halter dress that barely touched my knees, with the black heels I hadn’t worn to Brock’s party.
I was showered, had makeup on, a conservative pair of earrings. Really nothing over the top like I might wear out with the girls. Yet Brock’s face was a perpetual mix of several emotions, one of which looked like irritation.
We pulled up behind several cars in front of one of Lakefield’s most exclusive restaurants. Valets were rushing around trying to move vehicles in and out of the line.
I fidgeted in my seat.
“Brock, I think I may not be dressed for this kind of place.”
Chase (Lakefield Book 4) Page 20