She glanced at her watch; at this point she wouldn’t have time to find out. She needed to get going if she wanted to meet up with her friend Evan at her favorite wine bar in an hour.
“Set those down Laurel. You’re still our guest,” Kegen said snapping her out of her musings.
Kegen’s no-nonsense tone had her setting the stack of dishes down in front of her and plopping back down in her seat, as she looked at the men around the table. “Are you sure? I don’t mind helping. We go with the 'you cook, we clean' rule in my family.”
“Even if you’re a guest?” Kegen looked at her in question from across the table.
“Well, usually it’s just with family. But…”
She never got her next words out. Rev suddenly hopped out of his chair next to her and knelt on the ground with one knee raised. “My dear, sweet Laurel does that mean you’ll finally accept my marriage proposal?”
She couldn’t help but laugh at his antics. All night long the stories Rev told about his two brothers made them out to be the bad guys while he was the young, innocent baby brother in all of their shenanigans. She chanced a glance at Quin, whose face seemed set in stone. She could feel a frown forming on her own face. She never expected him to be the jealous type and it was starting to tick her off.
Flashing a quick wink at Rev, she jumped up from her chair almost knocking it over. “But of course Revlin Ferris. It took all I had in me to wait this long.” She clasped her hands to her chest and forced out a dreamy sigh. Nothing like the dramatics to irritate the guy you liked. Screw him if he couldn’t take a joke.
Laurel screeched when Rev bolted to his feet, scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the living room, placing her on the couch where she collapsed into a fit of giggles.
He sat down next to her and leaned in. “You know my brother is dying in there?”
She tilted her head slightly and took a second to catch her breath. “Really? Which one?”
A naughty little grin kicked up the side of his mouth. If only she was attracted to him instead of the grouch in the other room. “Oh, Laurel, you are a bad one. You know exactly which brother would like to pummel me into the ground.”
She studied him, the humor of the moment gone. “Why don’t you explain that to me because I’m not quite sure where I stand with Quin. He invited me over but hasn’t spent much time with me. He laughs right along with us yet beneath it you can see he isn’t happy. He had no problem watching us dance or when I spent time with Kegen, so I wouldn’t exactly call this a date.”
“I can guarantee he had a problem with both of those things.”
“Then why didn’t he say something?”
Revlin shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You want to know what I think,” she whispered conspiratorially.
“Sure.”
“I think he didn’t say anything because he wants to like me yet, at the same time, isn’t sure he should. I think he’s stuck in the past where I’m the geeky Camera Girl and he’s the popular jock.”
Rev seemed to be taken aback by that, moving away a couple of inches. “Is that who you see when you look at him now? The high school jock with the ego the size of a blimp?”
“A blimp, really?”
Rev gave her a pointed look.
“No, that isn’t who I see. The kid from school is long gone and I’m glad. He was hot and all, but a bit of a jerk.”
He sat forward, excitement gleaming in his eyes. “Exactly! Well, not about the hot part, he’s my brother and that’s just weird. It’s good to hear someone who agrees with me on him being a jerk. It’s a very solitary stance you know.”
“Have a bit of 'little brother' syndrome?”
“Nah. I like it when a woman agrees with me though.”
It dawned on her then that whoever fell in love with Rev was going to have her hands full. She couldn’t help but wonder if he came as a package deal with his twin. That train of thought was for a different time.
“As for your question about who I see, I just see a man who loves his family, enjoys his job, and is a guy I’d like to know better, even if I only get to be his friend.”
“Uhh…you know guys can’t just be friends with a woman, right? They’ll think about sleeping with her at least once in their life.”
“You’re such a dork, Rev.”
He laughed and slumped against the back of the couch pulling her with him. “You really are a special woman Laurel. Makes me wonder if I would have had a chance with you in high school and why I never noticed you back then.”
She patted him in a brotherly fashion on the chest. “Sorry Rev. Back then I was invisible. At least that’s how I felt. As for my affections, well they have always belonged to Quin. Then and I’m afraid to say…now.”
Quin took that exact moment to walk into the room. What he saw didn’t take the scowl off his face; it only made it deeper. His lips thinned, jaw clenched and nostrils flared in irritation. If the situation had been reversed, she probably wouldn’t have liked it either.
Instead of saying anything to them, though, he walked out the front door, slamming it closed behind him. She could see him through the bay window pacing back and forth before he disappeared down the driveway.
Kegen raced into the room and saw what Quin had just walked in on. “Fuck.”
Laurel bolted upright. “Oh dear.”
Rev kissed her on the cheek. “Stay here sweetheart. I’ll go calm him down. I think we might have pushed him too much tonight, me especially. We both knew he was into you. Hell, he even told us to stay away from you.”
She got up from the couch and searched for her purse, finding it on the table next to the front door. “I should probably head out anyway. I’m supposed to meet a friend tonight. He made an unexpected trip to town today and wanted to meet up.”
That pulled Rev and Kegen up short. Rev spoke first. “You have a date with another man? Why would you make another date when you knew you were going out with Quin? Maybe you aren’t the one for our brother after all.”
Laurel looked between the twins, completely confused by the one-eighty. “You sound like a woman, you know that right?” When they both just glared at her she shook her head in frustration. “I knew there was a reason I didn’t date. Just can’t figure guys out at all.” She grabbed her purse, heading the same direction Quin just went.
Kegen grabbed her by the arm and spun her around before she reached the doorknob. “Okay, explain that.”
“I don’t have to explain anything, but since I thought we were on our way to being friends, I will. First, I don’t think this little get-together can be considered a date. The man barely talked to me tonight. Kissed me—yes, shot you two dirty looks—yes, talked to me—no. Second, I don’t have a date with another man. I’m meeting a friend I’ve known since college, who happens to be a man, at the wine bar in town. I have no desire to date, sleep with or fuck Evan. We are just old college friends and colleagues.”
Rev looked unconvinced. “Sweetheart, remember when I said all men think of sleeping with a woman at least once?”
She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at his idiotic words. “Yes, but just because he may have thought about it, doesn’t mean I’m going to do it. Or does that not factor into your man-equation?”
Rumbling from a large truck startled her into action. “I’m outta here. Thank you for the help at the jumps. Thank you for dinner. I hope you have a nice life.”
Before Rev or Kegen could stop her, she yanked the front door open. Quin was just sitting in his truck staring at the house. Beyond irritated at all three men, she jogged to her SUV, hopped in and backed-up, barely avoiding ramming into Quin’s truck. Throwing the vehicle into gear she stomped on the gas pedal, peeling out of the quite neighborhood. If she ever heard from those guys again it would be too soon.
Chapter Five
Quin’s heart stopped in his chest as Laurel came within inches of hitting his truck. He didn’t know if it was because she alm
ost hit him, or if it was seeing her leaving without being able to talk to her. He knew he fucked up storming out of the house. He’d been so pissed at his brother, then got even more pissed when he saw her snuggled up to him. It was either bust his brother in the face or leave. He would have been screwed no matter what he decided.
The squeal of tires grabbed his attention and he could only watch as Laurel tore out like a bat out of Hell. He cut the engine of his truck and got out, making his way over to where his brothers stood on the front porch.
“What the fuck did you do to her?” He demanded, grabbing Rev by the shirt. Rev immediately pushed back at him but Quin didn’t let go.
“I didn’t do shit to her asshole. You’re the one who left the house like a two-year-old who’s had his favorite toy taken away.”
“Fuck you!” He shoved Rev back, causing him to stumble. “I saw you two snuggled up on the couch then, next thing I know, she’s tearing out of here like she can’t get away fast enough.”
“If you call that snuggled up, then you haven’t been doing it right. We were sitting next to each other, talking. Which is more than I can say you did. She even commented about it. What the hell did you invite her over for if you weren’t going to make a move or at least talk to her?”
“How was I supposed to when all night long you and Kegen were flirting with her, hogging all of her attention? You knew I wanted her. I even told you to back off. Instead of respecting my request, you spent the evening trying to take her from me.”
“Holy shit! Are you serious? You demanded we stay away from her. Did you honestly think we wouldn’t take that as a challenge? We’ve been screwing with you all night, just having a bit of fun. Laurel never took any of it seriously. It isn’t my fault you can’t handle a harmless bit of fun.”
Kegen stepped between them. “Enough! Both of you need to get your asses inside. The last thing we need is for the neighbors to call the cops because you two are having a yelling match in the front yard. Mom and Dad would skin us all alive if that happened.”
Rev spun away without another word, followed by Kegen.
Quin stood out front lost on his thoughts staring at the spot where Laurel used to be parked. He didn’t think he needed to tell Rev and Kegen how important this night was. The fact that he asked her to come to their usual Saturday Guys Night get-together should have been enough. In truth, he didn’t quite understand how important it was either until it went horribly wrong.
He must have been outside longer than he thought. Rev poked his head out the front door. “You coming in or what? Mom dropped off her famous coconut crème pie earlier. We’re ready to eat it.”
Studying his youngest brother, a wave of guilt enveloped him. He knew better than to take his frustrations out on Rev. He should have been able to handle the teasing and flirting. He would have done the same thing if one of his brothers had told him to keep away from a beautiful woman.
“Hey Rev?” He waited until he had his full attention. “Sorry about earlier. I’m tied up in knots about that woman. There’s just something about her that makes me want more.”
“Yeah. I get it. She’s special and I hate to say this because it will give you a big ego, but she’s not for Kegen or me. She’s only got eyes for your stupid ass. At least that’s what she told me right before you lost your shit.”
Surprise at hearing those words grabbed him by the balls. “Seriously? You’re not fucking with me now are you?”
“Nah. I asked if I’d ever have a chance with her. She told me no. For some idiotic reason all of her affections, past and present, belong to you. Though, I have to tell you, she’s just not sure where she stands with you. You’ve got her pretty confused so I’m thinking you need to work on that. I’d hate to see you ruin something that could be the best thing you’ll ever come across.”
Rev disappeared into the house again. Before he could join his brothers he needed to do one thing. Pulling his phone from his pocket he texted Laurel.
Sorry I was an ass. Call me. Want to make it up to you. ~ Quin
Shoving the phone back in his pocket he went inside and tried to patiently wait for a reply. It became apparent after a couple of minutes he wasn’t very good at that.
Kegen stood in front of him shaking his head in disgust while holding out a plate of pie. “Bro, stop looking at your phone. She just left and she’s driving. I doubt she’s going to text you back right this minute. She seems like the responsible sort. Probably stops at railroad crossing even if there’s no sign of a train.”
Rev with a mouthful of food mumbled, “She was pretty ticked when she left. I have a feeling she thinks all men are idiots.”
Quin looked over at his brother. “What happened to piss her off anyway? It can’t just be my fault.”
“Nope. I blame most of it on dipshit over there.” Kegen pointed to Rev as he took a seat in the recliner, “He got all butt hurt when she said she was meeting someone at the wine bar.”
“Why would that make you upset? So she was meeting a friend. Hell, maybe it’s someone you two could date.” Unless there was more to the story Rev wasn’t telling him. The bite of pie he just swallowed curdled in his stomach. He had a sinking feeling he wasn’t going to like what came next.
Rev cleared his throat. “A guy friend. One she has known since college and I’m guessing likes enough to maintain a friendship with.”
“She made a date with another guy? Fuck that!” Quin bolted up off the couch, mindlessly looking for his truck keys.
“Dude, chill.”
Quin couldn’t believe how laid-back Kegen was being. Of course, this wasn’t a woman he was trying to date.
“Is she not going to meet with another guy at a predetermined spot at a predetermined time? Is that not the definition of a date?”
Kegen looked up at him with amusement in his eyes. His lips twitched in the makings of a smile. “Now that you put it that way, then yep, she’s on a date.”
Snorting sounds behind him had him spinning around. Revlin was doubled over in laughter. “What in the fuck are you laughing about?”
“Kegen’s right. She’s on a date and there isn’t a thing you can do about it.”
“The hell I can’t.”
“The hell you won’t. You show up at the bar and she’s likely to throw something at your head. She’s already pissed at all of us. I don’t think you want to give her more ammunition to be mad. You need to give her a minute to cool down. I’m thinking texting her isn’t going to help either.” Rev got up from his seat and ambled into the kitchen. Quin would never admit it out loud, but Rev was right. If he pushed her too hard, he really believed she would slam the door in his face.
“Fuck me. I can’t sit around here and wait for her to get back to me.” He flopped back on the couch.
“What other choice do you have?” Kegen asked.
“I’ll think of something.” And he better do it quick.
***
Laurel pulled up at the wine bar with thirty minutes to spare. She pulled her phone out to text Evan and let him know she was early, only to get distracted by a message from Quin.
Sorry I was an ass. Call me. Want to make it up to you. ~ Quin
“Make it up to me. Ha! I don’t know if you’re worth the trouble Quinton Ferris.” Her irritation at him burned just as much as it did for his brothers, actually more. They knew what they were doing when they taunted him. Quin, on the other hand, if he was so interested should have stepped up to the plate and put a stop to their games.
“MEN!”
A loud rap on her window jerked her out of her musings, scaring her. Standing on the other side of the window was Evan, his trademark smile lighting up his face.
Cutting the engine she grabbed her purse and phone, glancing down at Quin’s text glaring back at her. She nibbled her lip, unable to decide if she should text him back and tell him to get lost or just wait and see how she felt in the morning.
“Laurel? Something wrong?”
She shook her head and got out. Quin was just going to have to wait until morning. That is if she was in a better mood. “No, nothing wrong. I was just about to text you and let you know I was here early.”
Evan pulled her into hug, wrapping his beefy arms around her. You would never know by looking at him that he was the photographer and not the model.
He pulled back and seemed to search her face. She had no idea what he was looking for. Maybe he was trying to gauge her mood, which at the moment was pretty shitty but starting to look up.
He dropped a kiss on her head then tucked her beneath his arm. “I must be psychic then or just hungry. I’ve missed the hell out of you.”
She laughed and clung to Evan, as his long legs ate up the sidewalk. The only way for her to keep up with this stride was to hold on and let him practically carry her. Thank goodness he was strong enough to bear her weight.
Twenty minutes later they were seated in one of the intimate corner booths. Every time she moved, she bumped into Evan’s leg or arm. He only laughed the more frustrated she got.
“Seriously, these tables are too damn small. How are you supposed to get more than one plate on here?”
Laurel pushed the cheese platter to the side knocking it into the bottle of wine as the waiter put down Evan’s plate. Evan barely caught the bottle before it tipped. He waited for the server to leave.
“Well, I’m thinking they expect you to be romantic and share plates back here.”
She knew she was pouting and getting grumpier by the minute. When they first walked into the wine bar the previous few hours had drifted away and the comfort she always felt with Evan settled in. Then he started looking at her in a different way, like he was studying her, checking her reactions to things he would say or do. He would also, what she suspected was supposed to be casual, brush his fingers over her hand or lean in while resting his hand on her back. He kept touching her the same way Quin had yesterday yet instead of the giddy, feminine feeling, it just felt wrong.
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