by Natalie Rios
“This has nothing to do with Tanner!” Uh, yeah, it totally does. Her flaming red cheeks are a dead giveaway.
“Just say the word and I will call up Elijah,” I jump in. I still haven’t given up on my scheme to make one of them jealous enough to make the first move. Hey, if jealousy works with Brody, why not Tanner? “I’ll call him right now and ask him to fly out to be your date for tomorrow’s party.”
“How come Mina gets a date, but I don’t?” Fallon pouts.
“You can have Elijah. Whoever he is. I don’t need a date for tomorrow.”
“Elijah? The guy your cousin dated?” Brody interjects.
“Mmhmm. Kill two birds with one stone: light a fire under Tanner’s ass and get Eli out of Drew’s hair.” I’m already dialing, phone pressed against my ear. One ring. Two rings. Three –
“Don’t!” Mina screeches, lunging across the room for my phone. “Sorry, wrong number,” she says into the phone before hanging up and passing it back to me.
“Uh, you do realize he’s totally going to know it was me, right? And he’s probably going to call back. Caller ID-” As if on cue, my phone rings. “Should I answer?” As much as I want to help Mina, she looks truly distressed at the moment.
“I don’t want a pity date. And seriously, I just want to stay in tonight. Recharge my batteries.” Something must have happened and I’m willing to bet my non-existent trust fund it’s all Tanner’s fault. But I’m not going to press the issue. I feel like a big sister to these girls and all I want to do is protect Mina.
So I answer my phone and make up some Grade-A bullshit for Elijah. “Sorry Eli, I totally meant to dial Ellie. Aren’t these new touchscreens the absolute worst? My fat fingers are constantly pressing the wrong keys.”
“Uh…Okay? Did you gain weight since the last time I saw you?” a bewildered Elijah asks. “Because your fingers aren’t-”
I cut him off with a laugh. “You know me, always stuffing my face with treats. Anyway, while I have you on the line, let me just inform you I’ll be planning the Sugarplum Dance with you this year. And for the record, the Sugarplum Dance? Jesus Christ, talk about an emasculating name. And that’s coming from someone with a vagina.”
“It’s the Sugarplum Ball – Wait, what? Ellie hasn’t said anything about this.” Of course not. My control freak of a cousin would not so easily handover the reigns to me. Hence why I need to make the first move.
Rule #1 of the Kensington Playbook (Dirty Edition): Always strike first and, preferably, when your opponent isn’t looking.
(Rule #2 is to learn how to duck and cover, in case Rule #1 goes sideways and you end up getting things thrown at you. Like punches and stuff.)
“She’s been real busy. You know, with running a hotel and taking care of a baby. Anyway, let’s think of some new names and then we can brainstorm later. I’ve got to go pack for my camping trip through the forest.”
“Camping trip?” There’s a pause followed by some shuffling, probably him moving to the nearest window to check for flying pigs. “Okay, is it April Fool’s Day? Am I Rip Van Winkle? Did I totally just sleep through six or seven months of time-”
“À la prochaine!” I hang up to find everyone grinning at me. “What?”
“Why do I feel like I just witnessed you bamboozling that poor man?” Mina asks.
“Because I did just bamboozle him. Do keep up, darling. Anyway, I need to go change. Should I just meet you guys back here?” After a brief nod from Brody, I skedaddle.
I’m half afraid the girls will try to follow me home, to grill me some more about my whereabouts last night, but that doesn’t happen. Mina decides to take on the dinner shift at the café tonight, a first for her. I kind of suspect she is only doing it to validate her claim she isn’t skipping out on the trip because of Tanner. Because, really, why else would she pick tonight of all nights to do her first dinner shift?
When I return to the office, it’s just the three brothers hanging around, backpacks slung over their shoulders.
“Fallon had to go pick up some of the other managers so you’re riding with the brothers tonight!” Kyle declares.
Fine by me. While Brody is of course my favorite, the Connors men as a group are totally drool worthy. As discreetly as possible, I snap a pic on my phone to post on Instagram next week, #mcm.
“What are you doing?” Brody asks.
“Just checking my messages. So, are we ready?”
“Holy shit!” Tanner circles around me a few times, taking in my outfit. “You’re actually wearing appropriate hiking clothes.”
Smirking, I glance down at my black roll-up hiking pants, lightweight and breathable red shirt, and black hiking boots. I even have on one of those long hiking packs, where I’m storing my sleeping bag, a zip-up fleece, lots of protein bars, and several canteens full of water.
“Believe it or not, this isn’t my first time camping.”
“Fuck, I’m screwed,” Tanner murmurs.
“He bet you wouldn’t last an hour,” Kyle reveals.
“Naturally. And you, Kyle?”
“I gave you two.” Sweet Kyle would have more faith in me. But his isn’t the answer I want to hear most.
“Brody?” Waggling my brows, I try to act as unconcerned as possible. “Do you have any faith in me?”
“He has the most faith in you,” Kyle responds for him. “He said you’d last the whole night.”
“Oh, really?” Delighted, I bite down on my lower lip to prevent a smile.
“You said you camped in Antarctica. Acadia National Park in the middle of summer should be easy in comparison.” One jerky shrug and then he’s done explaining. “Let’s go. We need to make it to the campsite before it gets dark.”
“Yeah, I’m still not sure this one will actually make it to the campgrounds.” Tanner jerks a thumb at me. “Luckily, she’s light. If push comes to shove, we can carry her.”
I stick my tongue out at him. “Oh ye of little faith. Just you wait.”
They don’t have to carry me. In fact, I keep pace with Brody the entire way and we make it to the campsite much sooner than anticipated.
So take that, Tanner!
“Mina totally should have come,” I say to Fallon while we finish setting up our tent. Since I hadn’t brought one of those up to Maine with me (though, in case you’re wondering, I do own one), Fallon graciously offered me a spot in hers. “There are way too many people here for her to ever be forced into conversation with Tanner.”
I hadn’t realized the resort had so many other managers. The bar manager, the marketing director, the director of housekeeping…Our group is easily twenty deep.
“Right? I tried to tell her, but Mina can be so stubborn. Ugh! I swear her and Tanner are way too much alike to ever end up together.”
“I’m working on it. I wish she would let me get Elijah out here.”
“I wish you would try playing matchmaker with me instead of trying to bring together the Titanic and the iceberg.”
I’m curious as to which one is which in her little analogy, but I need her to understand something first. “Fallon. You do realize you have three older brothers, one of who looks like he could be playing for the Patriots any given Sunday, right? Any man who even tries to date you needs to have the cojones of an elephant.”
“Cojones?”
“Balls. Major balls. Like, donkey balls. Elephantitis of the nuts,” I say, just as Kyle pokes his head in the tent.
“Jesus, I don’t even want to know. You ladies about done? We’re going to play Truth or Dare.”
“Truth or Dare?” I ask.
“It’s a Connors family tradition.” Fallon finishes rolling out her sleeping bag. “And with that, we’re done. Let’s go.”
“Wait.” I crawl over to my backpack and retrieve a flask.
“What’s that?”
“A cosmo. Mixed it myself,” I respond with pride, though I know Fallon doesn’t understand the significance of that statement. This is on
e of the drinks that had tripped me up when I first asked Ellie for a job. And now I can mix it all by myself.
Look at me being independent and resourceful.
“Good idea. Alcohol will totally make this game more fun. I wish I had brought some.”
“We can share,” I offer as we crawl out of the tent. There are two campfires going, one surrounded by the Connors men and the other by everyone else in our party. Fallon leads the way to her brothers.
This is clearly intended to be a family thing, but no one bats an eye when I sit down on an empty log.
“So, what are the rules?” I uncap my flask in preparation.
“There are no rules to a Connors family Truth or Dare session,” Kyle replies in the most serious tone I’ve ever heard him use.
“There’s one rule,” Brody disagrees. “We take turns, going from oldest to youngest.”
“Which means I always get screwed,” Fallon complains. “They used to pick on me all the time when we were growing up.”
“Pick a brother and we’ll gang up on him,” I offer. We exchange a look before simultaneously saying, “Tanner”.
Tanner, of course, immediately protests. “What the fuck! Why me?”
“We’re starting. And since I’m the oldest…” Brody looks around our circle, eyes landing on me. Fuck. I didn’t think he would pick me. “Charlotte, truth or dare?”
“Oh, so you two are on a first-name basis now?” Fallon cheekily asks from beside me.
“We’re off the clock. Charlotte?” He wouldn’t ask anything about us, right? The employee fraternization policy has to go both ways.
And no way in hell am I about to risk a dare. Not with Kyle’s cryptic no rules comment.
“Truth.”
“What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen on a trip?” Phew, is that all?
Kyle shakes his head in disgust. “That’s a lame one.”
“You once made me confess I’m afraid of clowns,” Tanner grouses, earning a sidelong glance from me. “What? They’re creepy as hell!”
“Easy peasy.” Retrieving my phone, I browse through my camera roll. “Last year, I took a tour of Iceland’s Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Great place for viewing the Northern Lights and going whale watching. I got a chance to join a boat full of researchers studying orcas. And a few of the pod members swam right up to the boat.”
I pass around my phone so they can see the picture of me standing on the boat with an orca jumping in the background.
“Whoa. Free Willy moment. Who’s that?” Kyle points to the woman standing beside me in the picture.
“Dr. Melody Parker. She led the research team. She’s kind of a badass. She swims with them and stuff as a part of her research. They were shooting this documentary about it while I was there. I might even be an extra in it. Is it my turn? I’m second oldest, right?”
“Yup. I’m bracing myself already,” Tanner grimaces.
“Tanner, truth or dare? And if you pick dare, I’m going to make you roast one of my protein bars and eat it.”
Kyle and Fallon both sputter on a laugh, while Brody smiles on.
Tanner shakes his head. “That’s not how the game’s played.”
“Kyle said no rules,” I remind him. “So either you pick truth or you’re eating a burnt protein bar. Did I mention it’s women’s protein bar? One of those sugar-free, gluten-free, no preservatives healthy things that tastes like cardboard even on a good day?”
“Truth,” Tanner groans. “Even though it sounds like that bar might taste better burnt.”
I ignore his jab at my awesome protein bars. They might not be the best tasting things, but they’re healthy and filling.
“Have you ever been attracted to one of your sister’s friends?”
Fallon sucks in a breath while Kyle keeps right on laughing. Brody pinches the bridge of his nose and I think he’s holding back a laugh, too.
“No.” Tanner’s response is immediate. Automatic, even. I reach over and swat his arm. “Hey! Was I supposed to say you?” Another swat. “I don’t get it. What answer was I supposed to give?”
Mina, you ass. Maybe Brody and Fallon are right. Maybe I need to stop trying to get the Titanic and the iceberg together.
The game continues and I only get picked one more time. By Tanner, who asks me what my last boyfriend was like.
“Boyfriend?” I let out a nervous laugh, avoiding Brody’s piercing eyes. “There is no last boyfriend because I don’t date.”
“At all?”
“Nope. Haven’t you heard? I’m a maneater. Wham, bam, thank you Sam!”
“I thought you said the tabloids had your love life all wrong.”
“No, I said they had the men all wrong. I’m far more discreet than the tabloids me credit for.” Ducking and weaving right there, but they must have bought it.
The game moves on, with the boys definitely picking on poor Fallon. Nothing out of the ordinary, just typical embarrassing-your-younger-sibling type of stuff. Kyle makes her say the word salmon, which for some strange reason Fallon has trouble pronouncing. Tanner has her try to start a fire from scratch, which is damn hard in the first place. What is this, Survivor? I’m impressed she got it done in less than twenty minutes. Brody gives her the easiest dare, making her run in place until her next turn.
The brothers’ give each other a lot of physical dares (arm-wrestling, actual wrestling, hefting logs…you get the picture), but there are a few hilarious ones sprinkled in for good measure. Brody dares Tanner to pretend he’s Tony Montana for five minutes. Tanner’s Cuban accent is pure comedy gold. Tanner dares Kyle to twerk against a nearby tree. I try to record it on my phone, but my hands are too shaky from laughing.
And then Kyle dares Brody to dance like a ballerina.
Let me tell you, watching a man of his size do arabesques, pirouettes and grand plies is an experience. Definitely ticked off an item I hadn’t realized should have been on my bucket list.
“You better not be taking pictures of me, Your Highness,” he grumbles, mid grand jeté.
“Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.” I snap a few more because opportunities like this may only come once in a lifetime.
“What are you planning to do with them?”
“Sell them on Shutterstock. What?” I blink innocently at his horrified expression. “Haven’t you heard? I’m broke now. Gotta make money somehow and these babies could be worth a fortune. Do you mind taking off your shirt? Romance authors are always looking for a good cover model. You could be the new Fabio, except with shorter hair.”
His siblings snicker while Brody shakes his head.
I feign exhaustion and retire to the tent after that. I figure if I go to bed early and pretend to be asleep when Fallon gets back, she won’t ask me any questions.
And thankfully, I’m right about this one. Fallon whispers my name and shakes my shoulder to try to wake me, but she gives up after several semi-convincing snores.
I do get shaken awake early in the morning by Brody, who suggests we go on an early morning walk together. I quickly (and as quietly as possible) change and off we go, silently walking hand in hand.
Yup. We’ve upgraded to holding hands. And it was something that just happened naturally, too. I can’t even tell you who reached first. It’s like we both moved and then BAM! Our hands came together, fingers intertwined.
I’m buzzing, happy to be here. In Maine. Camping. With Brody.
How is this even my life right now?
“Why do you have panic attacks?”
I’m seriously starting to think I like it better when Brody’s being a silent grump. Because whenever he opens his mouth, he asks questions I don’t want to answer.
“I don’t want to talk about that.” He looks disappointed, but nods in understanding.
“Will you tell me eventually?”
I want to tell him. I really do. But I’m scared. You have to understand, this is a secret I’ve been keeping from my own family. And getting into the why.
..That’s like opening Pandora’s Box.
What if, once he learns the truth, he looks at me differently?
“Maybe.” The word only garners more disappointment.
“Okay. The dating thing then. Why don’t you date?”
“Why do you want to know?” I hedge, because the answer to this is tied to his first question.
“Maybe I want to gauge my chances.” Gauge his chances? Does that mean he wants more from me? It’s impossible for me to know. His poker face is too damn good, giving away nothing.
“I just don’t.” I can sense his frustration and I know I need get his mind off the subject, fast. “Remember that time we fucked in the woods?”
“No. You must have me confused with someone else.” And he sounds annoyed by the prospect.
“Nah, it was you.” Reaching for the waistband of his pants, I undo his zipper and lick my lips. “I’ll make sure you remember it this time.”
I end up going home with him. He drops his brothers off first before driving us to his cabin. I’m exhausted, but I force my eyes to stay open as I watch Brody make us some quick omelets for breakfast (or is it lunch? Let’s just call it brunch. Too tired to check my watch).
“You should go into the bedroom, take a nap.”
The bedroom? Does he mean his bedroom?
“Come on.” And then he tugs me into his bedroom, retrieving a t-shirt for me to change into.
Okay, what am I doing here? Am I really going to sleep in his bed?
Um, hell yes. Don’t be stupid, Charlotte. His bed is right there. Big and comfy and smelling just like him. Sinking into the mattress, I don’t even remember falling asleep.
But I will forever remember waking up wrapped in Brody’s arms. Not a bad place to be and I’m not ashamed to admit I laid there for a good ten (or thirty) minutes, just so I could bask in his nearness. Something about him makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I would happily spend the rest of the day right here. In bed, being spooned by Brody.
But the party is tonight and I am, for all intents and purposes, the hostess. I need to call Jackson and check on the status of the booze he’s delivering tonight. I spot my phone on the nightstand and as gently as possible, I extract myself from Brody so I can reach for it.