by Natalie Ann
“Thanks,” she said, walking out of his office. That wasn’t nearly as hard as she thought it’d be.
Then why were her knees wanting to knock together hard enough to be sounding like drums?
So Cute
Drake parked in front of his Uncle Grant and Aunt Diane’s house. He didn’t see Sam or Wyatt’s car here yet. Nor Jade’s. Noah was on his way. Drake had offered to pick his twin up who lived a few blocks away, but he’d said he was finishing up a few things, then would be on his way.
Normally the two of them drove places like this together, but lately it seemed they both had so much going on that they were running late. He was sure he’d get to spend time with his brother next week when he put him to work.
Of course Noah had some projects in his house too so they were swapping their time out in between Noah being in the office. It wasn’t anything that either of them couldn’t do alone, but it was better with company.
He walked around to the back where his parents were with the rest of his family that was there.
“There’s the first of my offspring,” his mother said, rushing forward. She got up on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss. “Think you’re so cute not leaning down for me.”
He laughed at her words that made him think of what Kara had said two days ago. “You tell me I am all the time.” To be nice, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Noah will be here shortly. He was finishing something up.”
“Writing a grant for some funding at the school,” his mother said. His mother taught middle school English. Though he’d told Kara none of them were Mama’s boys, he’d put Noah in that position if he had to guess since the two of them shared the same career paths at one point.
“He told me. I know how much he hates doing that. Does he have you looking it over for grammatical errors when he’s done?”
“Always,” his mother said. “That’s what I’m here for.”
“You’re here for more than proofreading our work.”
“That’s right. I cook for you all too. I had Noah over this week for his dinner.”
“I heard.” Though he and his brother didn’t spend every day together they communicated daily, even if it was via text.
“Why don’t you go get a drink and relax. I’m sure you’ve got lots of projects you plan on doing this week. Anything I can help you with? You know I’m bored half the time with my summers off.”
He laughed. She always said she was bored, but she and his father took at least two trips over the summer. The same with his Uncle Grant and Aunt Diane. Sometimes the four of them went somewhere together, but very rarely were they both gone the same week.
“I’ll let you know if I need a hand. I’m just going to paint a few rooms that I’ve been saying I was going to do since I bought the house. I don’t care for the color of the shutters, but Noah is helping me with them one day. Nothing major. Maybe getting some furniture to fill the other rooms.”
“You’ve been in that house for two years and still don’t have a dining room set,” she said. “What if you wanted to have a dinner party?”
“You know the chances of that happening are the same as Elvis putting on a private concert for you. My small table in the breakfast nook and the seats at the island have been more than enough space for me if I was having someone over for dinner.”
And company for dinner meant a woman, or his brothers or cousins. And if the men were all hanging out, half the time they were in the living room eating while they watched TV. None of them cared about place settings or tablecloths. Nothing fancy. Well, maybe just Ryder.
“If you are shopping for furniture, I’d love to tag along.”
Too late he realized he shouldn’t have made that comment. “I’ll let you know.” Though furniture shopping wouldn’t be nearly as traumatic as clothes shopping. At least he hoped not.
“About time you showed up,” his cousin Bryce said. “You remember Payton, right?”
“Nice to see you again,” he said to Bryce’s girlfriend. She was one fine lady and he was still stunned his cousin managed to land her. Picking her up at the deli she owned and operated. Good on Bryce for making the first move when he normally didn’t. Especially since Bryce normally dated a certain type. Brunette and scholarly. Kind of boring. Kind of like Kara.
Urgh. What the hell was he thinking putting Kara in the same category as the women Bryce used to date when he and Bryce were worlds apart?
The sad truth was, Kara fit there. Which was the total opposite of what Drake was normally drawn to.
Maybe there was something to that? He’d find out next week and he was looking forward to it more than he was the day he got the keys to his first car.
Payton was blonde-haired, blue-eyed and open and friendly, more the type he went for. Someone that was laid back and out for fun. Cheerful more than serious. “I hope you’re hungry today,” Payton said.
“I’m always hungry. Did you bring some food? My aunt Diane dropped off muffins and donuts from your place a few weeks ago and when no one was looking I ate two more donuts in addition to my muffin.”
Bryce started to laugh. “You? You never had that big of a sweet tooth.”
“I couldn’t help myself. I’m not sure what was in them, but they just melted in my mouth. I had to try everything she brought in.”
Payton laughed, a soft sound that made Bryce put his arm around her shoulder and pull her close. “I think I’ve gained five pounds since Payton and I started dating. I can’t stop eating her food.”
“So it’s my food you are coming to get most days. You’re not in the deli to see me?”
“I always want to see you,” Bryce said, leaning down to kiss her on the lips.
Yeah, it was time for Drake to make his way to the other side of the lawn and find another cousin. The lovey dovey stuff with Bryce was getting to him. Not that it was over the top, but it was Bryce. Bryce who never showed affection in public. Guess his cousin had it bad.
By the time Drake got a drink and grabbed a few snacks from the table, Noah showed up with Wyatt not far behind.
“Did you get everything done?” he asked Noah.
“For the most part. Mom will look it over this weekend,” Noah said.
“I can’t believe you still have Mom looking your work over,” Wyatt said.
“Ass,” Noah said back. The two of them could go at it the most. Of course Noah always had to be the boss and whenever Wyatt had an opportunity to give a little back to Noah he did it.
“So, what day are we doing the shutters? I figured I’d do mine this week too. Might as well get the same color so we don’t waste any.”
“You two are a riot. You can’t do anything apart. Need to paint your shutters the same time, the same color. Are you going to hold hands while you admire and bond over them too?”
“Ass,” Drake said this time, but he did it with a grin. He didn’t let Wyatt get under his skin.
“So, who are you guys bringing to Cade’s wedding in two weeks?” Ryder asked, coming over. He always seemed to show up out of the blue in the middle of conversations and change it on them.
“I’m bringing a nurse at work I’ve been out with a few times,” Wyatt said.
“Marie,” Noah said. “We seem to have fun. I figured why not? She was talking about how much she loves weddings.”
And because Noah said he was bringing a date, Drake felt like he had to do it too. If not, he was going to get his butt handed to him on a silver platter for being the only single guy there.
“I’m just bringing someone I know,” he said. Someone that he’d dated a few times and not much came out of it. Sue had asked him to go to a family wedding with her a few months ago and he figured she owed him one.
He wondered if he should mention it to Kara that he had a date for the wedding? Yeah, might be the safe thing to do. She’d find out, he was sure, and the last thing he wanted was her to get annoyed that she’d think he was juggling women when he left all of the tossing of
the balls in the air when it came to dating to Wyatt.
“I’ve been dating this chick I met online for a week,” Ryder said. “Tits out to here.” His hands moved in front of his body. “Not much between the ears, but she’s a treat to look at.”
His brothers laughed, and Drake rolled his eyes. They were all used to the women that Ryder hooked up with. When he did end up in a relationship it was normally with someone that no one in the family could stand. Sort of like these fast and loose women he was spending his time with between relationships.
“That’s all that matters to you,” Drake said to Ryder.
“I’m just having fun. Maybe you should think about that more often. I don’t get it. You’re probably the happiest one of us on average and yet the past few weeks you’ve been miserable. What’s going on with you?”
“Me, miserable?” Drake asked. “I’d hardly say that.” Just because he was quiet at work lately or whenever he saw Kara and she rubbed him the wrong way didn’t make him miserable.
“Fine,” Ryder said. “Not your normal self. Well, you seemed it more this week, so I’ll take that back.”
That was because he’d finally figured out why Kara and he were always butting heads and he’d gotten her to see too. Just because she’d kept her distance from him for most of the week didn’t mean he didn’t believe they were still going out on that date.
“I’m just busy,” Drake said. “You’re reading too much into it.”
“I think it has to do with Kara,” Ryder said.
Noah groaned. “Is she getting to you again? I know you weren’t happy working on that project with her, but I thought it was getting better.”
Ryder started to laugh. “So that’s it? I had no idea you were working with her on something. That totally explains it now.”
“Explains what?” Wyatt asked.
“Kara seems to get on every one of Drake’s nerves that none of us seem to be able to reach. I’ll have to find out her secret.”
“No secret,” Drake said, not willing to let any of them know what was going on with him and Kara now. They’d said they’d keep it private and he had every intention of that. Not even telling his twin who was giving him a look that said he knew more was going on than he was letting everyone believe.
***
“Tell me I did good,” Diane said to her sister-in-law, Carolyn. Grant and Garrett were sitting at the table with them.
“You just want us to pat you on the back,” Carolyn said, knowing her sister-in-law was bragging about how she’d set Bryce and Payton up and how well it was working out. Everyone could see it here today.
“Of course she does,” Grant said, reaching his hand over and doing just that to his wife.
Diane laughed. “See, my husband knows what to do.”
Garrett sighed. “I feel like we are behind. You’ve got two down and we are barely scratching the surface with our kids. Carolyn and I are trying to figure Drake out.”
“I told you,” Grant said. “Kara is perfect. Have you seen those two going at it lately? Every time they are near each other the sparks are flying.”
“Sparks of fury on Drake’s part,” Garrett said, “and annoyance on Kara’s.”
“Just think,” Carolyn said, “when those two get together how interesting it will be.” She’d only heard bits and pieces of things and was trying to find out more, but her son wasn’t telling her anything and her husband hadn’t had much to report either.
“I suppose you’re right,” Garrett said.
“Of course she is,” Diane said. “You two men figure out how to get them working closer together and then Carolyn can come in when she is needed.”
What Carolyn didn’t say was that she wanted to be needed now and was going to have to figure out a way to intervene the way only a mother knew how.
Flirtatious Texts
When Kara heard the ding of her phone, she picked it up and read Drake’s text. I’ve got a few things lined up but nothing is finalized yet.
She knew what he was talking about. Their date in three days.
So far this week, he’d texted her every day. Monday came as a surprise when she got one that said, “Good morning, don’t work too hard.”
She had to read it a few times because she wasn’t sure why he’d say that. Then a few minutes later a smiley face came across and she realized it was a joke.
She’d replied back that she was busy, but not busy enough she couldn’t respond back to him. Another smiley face appeared and that was the end of it. She wasn’t used to flirtatious texts and it felt as foreign to her as if she were asked to step on stage to do some performance in front of people she’d never seen or wouldn’t want to know.
On Tuesday afternoon, she’d gotten a picture of a nice big manly hand with light green paint smears on it up against the corner of two walls. One was the light green, the other a tan. There were question marks after the picture.
You want my opinion? she typed back.
Not really since I’ve got two walls done. Just showing you how busy I’ve been today.
She smiled over that reply. It’s almost noon and all you’ve done is paint two walls. Kind of slow, don’t you think?
A red-faced emoji baring its teeth showed up next. Man, she had this text flirting thing.
Rather than reply back, she sent her own emoji laughing and put her phone down.
So here it was Wednesday morning with the third day in a row she was getting a text.
I’m sure whatever you come up with will be great. She typed back to him. Like she’d said, she wasn’t fussy. She’d have fun doing anything. Or more like she didn’t think she’d have a horrible time. Nothing was that bad.
Well, that wasn’t true. There were a lot of things that were bad in her life. Things she’d suffered through and moved on with. Those things weren’t here in Durham though and they never would be.
I’m trying, she read when her phone dinged again.
What chores are you doing today? she asked, figuring she could initiate a conversation for the moment.
Her phone rang in her hand. It was Drake and she’d have to answer. “Hello.”
“I got sick of typing.”
“Glad to know it’s not just me that doesn’t spend my whole day typing on my phone.” It drove her insane how people more often than not had their phone glued to their fingers and inches from their face.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t do a lot of typing on it. Between work and family, I’m on it a lot.”
“I understand.”
She didn’t have a lot of friends and no family she communicated with that often. Her friends were more like acquaintances. The bulk of the contacts on her phone were work related or doctors, restaurants, or repairman.
“So today I plan on going furniture shopping,” he said, his voice pretty cheerful.
“What are you looking for? I’m not much of a shopper at all.”
“I would have never guessed. So did the green paint on my walls cause you to shake? I bet your place is all white and black.”
“No response,” she said. Unfortunately it was. “The place had freshly painted white walls when I moved in.” And she didn’t touch them and had no plans on it. Even the accessories and furniture in her house were pretty mundane colors.
“Then I’m right. So the plan is to shop without my mother finding out.”
She grinned. “Why is that?”
“Because I made the mistake of saying I planned on it and she wants to tag along.”
“Maybe she misses her oldest child.”
“How did you know I was the oldest?”
“I believe your father has made comments on it before. By seven minutes or something?”
“It’s a joke in the family. Wyatt is five minutes older than Jade. My cousins in Charlotte, the quints, they are all five minutes apart. Almost timed perfectly since they were a C-section. My aunt always says they were pried out of her.”
“Yeah, I couldn
’t imagine. So multiples run in the family, except with Grant’s boys?”
“Yep. My cousin Mason’s wife had twin boys, but Brody’s and Aiden’s wives are pregnant and both only have one in the oven.”
“That’s good to know.” Not that she was thinking kids with Drake...or anyone at this point in her life.
“I’ll let you get back to work. I’ve got a few things I need to do before I suffer through which chair I think will look the best in my empty dining room.”
“Have fun,” she said and hung up her phone. She wouldn’t have minded staying on longer, but since he needed to go she wouldn’t argue.
***
Drake wasn’t really in a hurry to hang up the phone, but he knew he was pushing his luck staying on as long as he was talking with Kara.
She wasn’t the chatty type and because they had a date planned in a few days, he was just going to end the conversation. Saturday night, he could ask her all the questions he wanted to. Or at least attempt to.
He was just getting off the couch to make another cup of coffee when his doorbell rang, then the door opened. Had to be a family member for them to just walk in.
Of course it was his mother. It was almost like she knew what he had planned this morning.
“Why bother to ring the bell if you are going to come in anyway?” he asked her.
“I had no idea if you were dressed or not. Maybe you had company.”
“Did you see a car in the driveway?” he asked her. “I’m about ready to make a cup of coffee. Join me?”
“I’d love a cup of coffee,” she said, keeping up with his long stride as he made his way to the kitchen. He always found it funny when he saw his parents next to each other, as his mother was barely five foot five. Almost a foot shorter than him and his father.
He turned the Keurig on and pointed to the rack of flavors, spun it for her and said, “Pick your caffeine hit.”
“Hmm,” she said, like she was really weighing her options when she always went for coconut. He kept it in the house especially for her. “I think I’ll take this one.”