by Marie Harte
“Wow, this is so cute.” She studied him, aware of his frown and stiffness.
“Well, we’re here. Let’s get this over with.”
From the way he spoke, she expected Reid and an ogre of a girlfriend.
She encountered something very different.
Reid was just as handsome, polite, and charming as she remembered. Naomi Starr, his girlfriend…wow. A gorgeous, leggy redhead, she had bright blue eyes and a killer smile. Her house looked as if it had been designed by someone on a home and garden show, and the power couple looked too pretty for words.
Plus, Naomi was genuinely nice.
On behalf of cute, short people everywhere, Erin wanted to hate her on principle.
“Oh, you brought lemon bars. I love lemon,” Naomi gushed. “You didn’t have to do that.” She shot Reid a side glare.
Reid held up his hands in surrender. “Don’t blame me. I told them not to bring anything.”
“See? Told you,” Smith murmured to her.
Erin rolled her eyes. “It’s a girl thing. Or maybe it’s a Midwest thing. You always bring something for the dinner or the hosts. We should have brought wine.”
“No, no.” Naomi nodded for Erin to join her in the kitchen. “This is perfect. I have a sweet tooth.”
Erin smiled. “Me too.” She felt gauche next to Naomi’s tailored gray slacks and peach tank. Erin Briggs—frump deluxe. Erin had dithered for an hour about what to wear. She’d bet Naomi had picked something at random from her closet and still looked like a million bucks. “So, Smith mentioned you do public relations work?”
Naomi nodded and returned to the salad she’d been tossing. “I run my own PR firm. That’s how I met Reid. I stopped by to help his floundering business, and we connected.”
“Hey. I heard that,” Reid called.
Naomi grinned. “It was terrible. He, Cash, and Evan, their cousin, started Vets on the Go! to give veterans jobs. Something we all needed—local moves in the city done by reputable people. They were doing okay, barely, when Cash ended up saving a boy and his grandmother from a mugging. The news got wind of it, and Vets on the Go! got a huge rush of popularity they’re still riding,” she paused and, in a whisper, confided, “thanks to my team. The gang is great, but they needed help to capitalize on it.”
“Nice.” Impressive. Not only was Naomi beautiful, she was super smart and successful too. Great. Now Erin felt even more outclassed.
“So, what do you do?”
Fail at life. “Oh, um, I work from home, mostly. I edit for some agricultural magazines and do some cooking and cleaning on the side.”
“Tell her about the cooking show thing,” Smith barked from the other room.
“Quit listening in on my conversation,” she yelled back. Then she blushed when she saw Naomi watching her with interest. “Sorry.”
“No, no. I love it.” She laughed. “I’ve been dying to meet the woman who can handle Smith. You seem to be doing a good job of it.” She leaned closer and whispered, “Don’t you find him a little intimidating? Smith is so big and, well, he’d kind of snarly.”
“Kind of?” Erin snorted. “He’s a gruff giant who likes to loom over you. He’s a loom-y kind of guy.” She smiled. “But I like that about him. And I have to say, he makes me laugh.”
Naomi blinked. “He does?”
“Yeah. Because any man who would call this a sweatshirt has to have a sense a humor.” She plucked at her fashionable pullover.
Naomi shook her head. “That is too funny. You look great. Sweatshirt? God, that’s something Reid would say. Men can be so stupid.”
The men in question popped their heads in the doorway. “I heard you call for stupid,” Reid said with a smile. “So, I told Smith you needed him.”
Erin shook her head. “Oh yeah. They’re brothers.”
Chapter Ten
Smith didn’t know what he’d expected from a couple’s dinner with Reid, but it wasn’t…this.
“Okay, now I get to ask a question.” Erin laughed at the goofy face Naomi made. “Answer this correctly and you might move ahead two spaces. Answer incorrectly and we can steal. Play or pass?”
The trivia game they were playing had turned out to be much more interesting than Smith might have expected. Especially since he knew a lot of the answers.
Naomi studied Smith and Erin, then glanced at Reid and nodded. “We’ll play.”
Reid grimaced. “But the category is animals.”
“I like animals.”
Reid laughed. “You like fake leopard print skirts and faux fur rugs.”
“I have a cat.” She glanced at the lazy feline licking itself while it watched them from its spot on a chair in the living room. “Rex counts.”
“I don’t think he’s really a cat,” Reid mused. “More like a demon in fur and whiskers.” He turned to Smith and confided, “Sometimes he finds my toes under the bedspread in the morning. And he’s got claws. It’s like he takes great pleasure in scarring my feet.”
They all looked at the cat who didn’t miss a beat, now cleaning his paw.
Smith had thought about getting a pet. He’d tried as a kid, but Meg had claimed allergies. Allergic to love, more like. Now, living in a place that didn’t allow pets and being so busy all the time, he didn’t think having something small and furry, depending on him, would work for his lifestyle.
He glanced at Erin, saw her eyeballing the cat with caution, and thought she looked a little wary to be a cat lover. “A demon, huh?” she asked.
“Can we just answer the question?” Naomi said with a huff.
“Fine by me.” Reid shrugged. “But don’t blame me if Smith or Erin take us back to yellow.”
“Oh, the loser color?” Erin asked with a wide smile. She winked at Smith.
He let the warmth flow through him and smiled back at her, happy and no longer hiding it. At first, he’d guarded every word and expression around Reid. But over the course of a pretty damn good steak dinner, some decent enough beer, and conversation, he’d eased, allowing himself to share in the fun, as well as bask in Erin’s laughter.
He could tell she was enjoying herself. She’d held his hand under the table a few times, and it had been all he could do not to show off how much his girl liked him.
His girl.
He kept thinking about her in those terms, naturally pairing himself off since Reid had Naomi. Except Reid and Naomi planned on getting married. Smith just planned on getting Erin in bed. Or at least, that had been the plan. He wanted her, no question. But lately, just being around her eased him. Seeing her smile made everything around him feel right. And that emotional response unnerved him, because he hadn’t felt that kind of need for a woman in a very long time. Sex he understood. Love and affection were foreign entities best experienced by normal people with normal families.
And normal had never been in his make-up.
Erin tapped him on the shoulder. “Pay attention.”
“Hey, no cheating,” Reid said.
“Telling Smith to wake up isn’t cheating.”
Reid scratched his head. “It has to be. He knows all the answers, or you do. This is not a fun game.”
Naomi sighed and stroked his arm. “Hey, at least you’re pretty. That’s gotta be worth something, honey.”
“Thanks.” Then he blinked. “Wait a minute.”
Smith saw Erin bite back a grin. He out and out laughed. “Yeah, at least he’ll marry well.”
“Shut up.” Reid crossed his arms over his chest, scowling at everyone.
Erin shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re telling us not to cheat. We should be saying that to you guys. Who keeps looking at their phone for ‘the time?’ Please, Naomi. I can see Google open from here.”
Naomi flushed.
Smith shrugged, biting back a grin. “Let her. We have a ten second time limit.”
“Since when?” Naomi tried to pretend she hadn’t been on her phone.
Even Reid groaned. “I tho
ught you were good at this game. Naomi, they’re crushing us. This is embarrassing.” Then he gave Erin a wide, super insincere smile. “Or you could read between the lines and see that we wanted this evening for us all to get along, so we’re letting you win.”
“Um, yeah.” Naomi’s bright smile hurt to look at. “Way to spin it our way, Reid. I think good PR and marketing is wearing off on you.”
Erin and Smith sneered at the same time. A united front in mockery. He was so proud.
Naomi groaned. “You two are unnatural. Your tiny brains are in sync or something.”
“Tiny brain? I’m from Kansas, Naomi. We’re all about big there.”
“That’s why she loves me,” Smith teased, saw the startled expression come and go on Erin’s face, and prayed he hadn’t ruined things by trying to be funny. Then he realized he wouldn’t mind if Erin loved him for his size, his brain, or just because.
Huh. What to make of that?
Erin cleared her throat. “Naomi, the question is, how many species of bear are there?”
Naomi and Reid conferred, and Naomi asked, “Like, American species?”
“The card says global in parentheses.” Erin sounded apologetic, but the little faker liked winning as much as Smith did. He would never have figured her to be so cutthroat.
“I, er…” Naomi made a comical attempt to hide the fact she consulted google again.
Smith cleared his throat. “That’s ten seconds. Your answer?”
“Twelve species.”
Smith shook his head. “Nope. It’s eight.”
“Correct. Smith, not you, Naomi.” Erin waved the card at her.
“You guys have to be cheating,” Reid accused with a suspicious look at Smith. “Who the hell knows species of bears?”
“I’m a guy with hidden talents,” Smith growled. “And I can name you each of them too.” He ticked off his fingers. “The American Black Bear, the Asiatic Black Bear, the Brown Bear, the Giant Panda, Polar Bear, Sloth Bear, Spectacled Bear, and Sun Bear.”
Reid gaped at him and stole the card from Erin’s hand to verify his answers.
“Hey.”
“Wow. The species aren’t listed on here.” Then Reid used his phone for the answers and asked Smith, “What? Is it national bear week or something?”
Naomi yanked another card out of the box. “Okay. What are a group of bats called?”
“I know this one,” Erin said. “A colony.”
“A group of bats in flight,” Naomi corrected, looking smug. “You didn’t let me finish.”
“A cloud,” Smith answered. “And before you ask, an aglet.”
“Huh?” Reid frowned.
“The question on the back of the card is ‘What’s the plastic end of a shoelace called?’ It’s an aglet.” Smith sighed. “It’s so hard being a know-it-all.”
“At least you don’t have to worry about marrying well,” Erin piped in with a grin. “Not with that big brain on top of your big body.”
“In his big fat head,” Reid muttered.
“Well, bigger is better.” Smith gave him an evil smile. “But again, you’ll marry well, so don’t worry, bro.” Smith grinned.
Reid blinked, then grinned back, his eyes warm. “Whatever. I still get dibs on Erin’s lemon bars.” He vaulted over the couch faster than Smith would have credited him.
Smith shook his head. “So weak. And they’re lemon meltaways.”
“You tell him, Smith.” Erin nodded.
His heart felt too full, the unfamiliar sense of belonging and camaraderie foreign, and so missed. He’d experienced that kind of acceptance in the military for a time. But a need for change had clawed at him during his time in service, and Smith had made the decision to leave.
He missed that brotherhood the most. So odd to find it here, with Reid and his girlfriend. And with Erin, a woman he wanted like his next breath.
Erin stood with Naomi, oblivious to his self-discovery, and the two laughed as they walked to the dining table together, where Erin’s lemon treats and a strawberry rhubarb pie sat waiting. Reid brought coffee and cups on a tray from the kitchen, his mouth full of lemony goodness.
He looked shamefaced at Naomi and said with his mouth full, “I’m sorry, honey. I had to. They’re so good.”
Erin blushed, looking pleased at the compliment.
“She’s pretty awesome,” Smith agreed, and dared to wrap his arm around Erin’s shoulders. She looked up at him, her cheeks pink, and it was all he could do not to lean down and plant a soft kiss on her lips, his feelings overwhelming and confusing at the same time.
Instead, he squeezed her in a half hug then sat in front of the desserts.
“I didn’t bake anything chocolate this time,” Naomi said to him. “So you don’t have to pretend to like it.”
Caught, Smith looked up to see the kindness in her eyes. Something he wouldn’t have credited the woman who regularly chewed out Reid and Cash on a weekly basis.
“Oh, ah, that’s okay. The cake was good, I just—”
“He’s allergic to chocolate,” Erin flat out lied. “He hates to admit any weaknesses, but he gets hives if he eats it. He didn’t want you to feel bad is all.”
Smith just looked at her. What the hell was she talking about?
Reid slapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, no problem, bro. We all have our weaknesses.”
Smith didn’t know if he liked Reid calling him bro, but since he’d done the same earlier, he couldn’t exactly complain. Reid seemed happy, and Smith, for once, didn’t want to ruin his good mood.
“What’s your weakness?” Smith asked, sincere.
Reid stared at him. “A need to make everything right for my family.” His hand tightened on Smith’s shoulder. “All my family, even my annoying little brother who never asks for help but should.”
* * *
To say the dessert fell into an awkward silence wouldn’t have done Reid’s statement justice. Erin waited, watching the brothers weigh the other, the quiet a heavy oppression on an otherwise fabulous evening.
“Um, Erin, could you help me with the tea?” Naomi rose from the table.
“Gladly.” Erin darted into the kitchen with her. Though the dining area could be seen easily from the kitchen, by backing toward the fridge, the ladies kept out of sight from the brotherly combatants measuring each other over the table.
“Wow. This is one of those times where you feel like you can actually cut the tension with a knife. And Reid was doing so well, too.” Naomi sighed.
“Do they normally get along?” Erin had seen an easy sense of acceptance from both men tonight, and the dinner had been a lot of fun. Her misconceptions about Naomi sat like rocks in her belly. Naomi was as goofy, entertaining, and as sweet as she was beautiful and poised. Erin really liked her.
“Reid gets along with everyone,” Naomi explained in a quiet voice. “But his mother did a number on all her sons. She ignored Reid and Cash and tossed Smith away. Now Smith is back and upset with the world, and if you ask me, he’s envious of the way Reid and Cash grew up together. He had no one.”
Erin nodded. “But I think he wants that.” She hoped she wasn’t being disloyal by speaking up. “He’s kind of like me, alone and wondering why. Well, I know why I’m alone. I moved away from home and got dumped by my ex.”
Naomi frowned. “That’s terrible. Good riddance, Erin.”
“I know.” She truly believed that. Mostly. She still needed closure with Cody, but that could wait until she was ready. “I met Smith at a low point in my life. He didn’t seem like he would be so nice, but he’s been a sweetheart about all of it. Helpful and kind, and he’s never taken advantage.” Even when I wanted him to.
Naomi nodded. “He comes across as rough and a little angry, but there’s more to him.”
“Tonight means something. I can tell.”
“Good. I want Reid happy. And he wants to make Smith happy, part of the family. But I keep telling him not to force things.”
After coffee, dessert, and feeling like a stuffed cow, Erin thanked her hosts, promised a rematch of trivia, and left with a silent Smith.
In the truck, she reached for his hand. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He gripped hers before letting go. “Thanks for coming tonight.”
“Of course.” Then she did what she’d been wanting to do all night. She leaned close to kiss him on the lips. A small, tender touch. But the familiar spark between them flamed bright all the same.
He kept sneaking glances at her on the drive home. The Smith she was used to would have made innuendos or teased her about getting sexy at some point. This quiet, introspective Smith did nothing but peek at her now and again. He parked and walked her to her door. There he paused, asked for her key, and when she gave it to him, opened her door.
He nudged her inside but remained in the doorframe, watching her. Waiting for her to invite him in, maybe? His gaze was tender when he said, “Thanks.”
“Um, sure.” She waited for the kiss that never came. “But you already thanked me.”
“You deserved it. So, ah, can I see you tomorrow? Breakfast on me.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “If you’re not busy, that is.”
Kill me now. He was doing that uncertain, shy thing again. The sincere man breaking through all the antagonistic, arrogant barriers he normally flipped at the world. Killing her resistance smile by smile, Smith waited with patience.
“I’d like that,” she said against her better judgement. So much for not getting involved with a man so soon after Cody. She was in so deep she could barely see past the need to make Smith happy.
His smile, when it came, made the butterflies in her belly flit all over the place. “Come on over when you get up.”
“But what if you’re asleep?”
“Knock and I’ll wake up. I’d rather be with you than dreaming.”
He left her staring after him, hopelessly ensnared and no longer unsure about it.