by Marie Harte
Landon covered his mouth, but Gavin saw the grin there. “You need mental help.”
“I’m getting it once a week, dumbass.”
“I mean for your ego.” Landon laughed. “Okay, Guns of Steel. Nicely done. But it cost you.”
Gavin shrugged. A woman and little boy’s safety versus a nightmare? No contest.
“So you were out with Zoe again. Hmm.”
“The water’s boiling.”
Landon took the kettle off the stove and poured two mugs full, then added the powdered mix.
Gavin stirred his, took a sip, and sighed. “Why do you insist on buying the cheap crap?”
“Why don’t you shut your piehole and buy your own?”
“Touché.” Gavin chuckled, blew on his hot chocolate, and sipped as he heard Theo’s pathetic moan.
They ignored him.
“So Zoe. What’s up with her?”
“Um, she’s a woman. About five ten, great ass. Beautiful blue eyes, long, sexy black hair. It’s witchy black, not bland. If I had to guess, and don’t tell her this, I’d say she’s maybe one-forty? One-fifty? But all muscle. Sweet. And—”
“You know what I mean, dipshit. I don’t need her vitals, but what she is to you.” Landon sipped his cocoa and frowned. “This is awful.”
“Told you.”
“Save the rest for Theo.”
They nodded and pushed the cups aside in favor of sucking down whipped cream straight from the can.
“Zoe and I are friends who also have sex. We like each other. I guess we’re kind of dating.”
“Kind of?”
“It’s new, okay? I don’t want to jinx it.”
“Ha! I knew it.” Landon looked like their mother nailing a real estate sale. Victorious and kind of rabid scary. “You like this chick.” He squirted more whipped cream into his mouth.
“Duh. I’ve been asking her out for months.”
“But you’ve had her.”
“Crude, Bro.” Gavin’s turn. He wrestled the can away and gave himself a shot of sugar.
“You know what I mean. She’s not just a challenge to get into bed.”
“The others weren’t challenges.” Or challenging, to be honest.
“The point, idiot, is that Zoe is smart, attractive, way too good for you, and she likes you back.” Landon beamed. “Nice. You have a girlfriend.”
“Well, not really. I mean, I’d be okay with that. But we’re keeping it low-key.” Gavin paused. “Though I did see her office and everything. I know where she lives and met some of her work friends.” He smiled, pleased others she came in contact with on a daily basis knew she had a “friend” named Gavin. “I know her best friend, actually, and I met her aunt.”
“See that? It’s like you’re practically married.”
Gavin blanched, and Landon laughed so hard he cried.
“Dick.”
“I’m dying. Water,” Theo moaned from the bathroom, still conscious, apparently.
“So I was thinking,” Landon said, completely ignoring Theo’s entreaties for help. “How about you bring her over here Sunday night? Ava and I want to entertain.” He smiled. “I was all for grilling some dogs and burgers, but Ava wants to cook you and your lady something special.”
“Wait. I just told you we’re dating. How do you already have a dinner planned?”
“Please.” Landon huffed. The dude looked huge. Despite the fact Gavin had been working out for months like a madman to get rid of his issues, he still didn’t have his brother’s mass. “I keep tabs on all you pathetic slobs needing my help.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. That’s so. I know you and Zoe have been seeing each other, and that you make eyes at each other at the gym.”
“Mac blabbed.”
“I’m not saying who it was. Let’s call him, or her, my gym connection.”
Gavin rolled his eyes. “What else?”
“I know Hope has sworn off men, thinking that she’s dating the wrong type.”
“She is.”
“But she’s been arguing with Mom more, and it’s putting her off ever procreating. Just to spite Linda.”
Gavin had to laugh at that.
“And Theo,” Landon paused as the toilet flushed, “has been partying up a storm. He turns twenty-one next month.”
“I know.”
“Well, do you also know he’s planning to make a life-changing announcement on his birthday?”
Gavin smiled. “Yeah? He’s finally going to join the Corps?”
“Yep. I think. Unless he changes his mind between now and then. So keep it together. Remember, we’re supposed to be good examples of what it is to be a Marine.”
“Two assholes shot in the line of duty and sent home with medical retirements?”
“Exactly.”
They bumped knuckles, finished off the whipped cream, then watched Theo dramatically low-crawl, dragging himself into the living room.
“That’ll come in handy in boot camp,” Gavin said.
Landon frowned. “Shut it.” In a louder voice, he said, “So, Theo. How’s the gut? Want some leftover chicken? It’s just a little greasy. Let’s see… We also have some baked beans, some thick, mayonnaise-y potato salad. Oh wait. Look, Gavin, in the fridge. Don’t we have liverwurst in there too? And onions?”
Theo glared at him, then turned green and shot off the floor and out of the living room. After a pause, they heard him retch again.
Gavin stared at the hallway. “Sure hope he made it to the bathroom for that.”
“He can clean it up if he didn’t. Oh, and by the way, he puked in your shoes earlier.”
“Damn it.” Gavin hadn’t even had the pair a month. “Hey, do we really have liverwurst? I hate that stuff.”
“No way. It stinks. And with onions? Gross. The thought of it is enough to make a guy sick though.” Landon smirked.
Gavin chuckled. “So Sunday. I’ll invite Zoe. What should I do for the meal? Want me to bring something?”
“Yourself. Maybe dessert. How’s that?”
“I can do dessert.” To irritate his brother, and just because, he added, “No wine or beer? I picked up a six-pack earlier today.” He nodded to the fridge.
Landon darted to look, then glared at Gavin upon seeing nothing alcohol-related in the refrigerator.
“What? I drank it all. Right before I shot up, took some pills, then slept with all of Seattle’s desperate singles. But I still had time for a museum trip with Zoe. Am I the shit or what?”
Landon advanced, took Gavin in a headlock, and then proceeded to show him that spending more time at the gym did not make him stronger than his older, obnoxious brother.
“I’m not saying uncle,” Gavin said, strangled and not giving in.
“Uncle, uncle,” Theo said, moaning loudly from the bathroom to be heard. “I think I need a mop,” he shouted, still sounding weak.
Landon chuckled, then removed his Hulk-like forearm from Gavin’s throat. “Good fight, little guy.”
“Fuck you.”
“Landon!” Theo yelled.
“I’m coming. Keep your shorts on.” He added in a lower voice, “Unless you puked on them too. I’m not doing laundry at two in the morning.”
“Yeah right.” Gavin snorted. Landon had been known to do laundry at all hours if he felt the need. The guy hated dirt, which was ironic considering all the field training he’d done in the Marine Corps.
Rubbing his neck, Gavin wondered why his brother’s mauling didn’t stress him out more. Maybe because the wrestling made him think of happier times with the family growing up. Landon was family, love, safety.
“You puked on your shorts and missed the toilet?” Landon shouted.
Neurotic, bossy, loud.
Fortunatel
y, the addiction to cleanliness was one condition Gavin hadn’t inherited from his older brother. Still, the smell of vomit was off-putting. He grabbed a blanket and his pillow and settled on the couch with an old movie on for company.
He didn’t realize he’d fallen asleep until he was rudely awakened the following morning by Major Dickhead.
“Rise and shine, ladies. It’s time to clean.”
Theo shrieked from the front door, “Hey! Who put all my clothes outside on the lawn?”
“Why, I don’t know, Theo.” Landon sounded way too pleasant. “Probably the same person who dyed all of my white underwear and white undershirts pink.”
Colin one. Landon, and now Theo, zero.
A shadow appeared over Gavin on the couch. “You too, Good Samaritan. Your heroics made the news, by the way.” Landon yanked the blanket off him and shoved him to the floor.
“Shit.”
“Get your ass up, hero. We have a house to clean.”
Gavin groaned, his nose to the carpet, right near crumbs that smelled like Doritos. And there, a few of Theo’s favorite cheese puffs. Maybe Landon had a point about cleaning house. Without Landon home, they’d been ignoring his directives to vacuum and pick up. And the toilet? Gross. No question.
“Now,” Landon barked.
Theo whined about a headache and the clothes he had to gather.
Gavin was awake now, needing coffee. “So much for sleeping in on my one weekend off.”
“That’s the spirit!” Landon grinned at him. “Now who wants to dust?”
* * *
Zoe felt nervous. Hanging out with Gavin was one thing. Spending time at a dinner with his brother and his brother’s fiancée was something else. She knew Landon from the gym. He seemed nice enough, if a little overwhelming. Geez, the Donnigans sure did make them good looking. She wondered what Gavin’s parents looked like.
She parked in the driveway of a nice enough house, even if it did look like it had been stamped with the same bland, suburban print the others on the street possessed. This house was blue and had a colorful pot of flowers outside it, pretty much the only thing differentiating it from the neighbors.
“Hi, Leon.” She smiled at the perky bit of lavender amidst a chaotic assortment of clumsily placed flowers. The effect was charming and sweet, a lot like the man who’d planted it, though he’d likely be horrified to be told so.
She knocked. Gavin answered, wearing a half apron over his jeans. Another T-shirt, this one olive green. She was dying to see his wardrobe, to know if he owned anything other than colored cotton. This shirt sported a bold USMC across his broad chest.
Then again, Gavin didn’t need to wear much—if anything at all—to dress up his perfect frame.
“Hey, baby. I mean, Zoe, my good friend,” he said in a louder voice.
She sighed.
“Come on in.”
She knew tonight would be a challenge, especially because she kept vacillating between just getting it over with and accepting they were really dating, and keeping a bit of distance between them to protect herself. But Aubrey would have gone whole hog, so Zoe spontaneously bit the bullet.
She waited until they stood before Landon and a gorgeous brunette, the same woman she’d seen a time or two in class at the gym. She tapped Gavin on the shoulder.
He turned, and she yanked him to her for a kiss that left them both breathless. “There. We’re dating. You have boyfriend status. Now go make my dinner.”
His shock soon turned to a heartwarming smile. “Sure, Lady Hot Pants. My studly muffinette. Dream of my loins. Ye who turns my mind aflutter, my body—”
“For God’s sake, Gavin. Go get her something to drink,” the brunette cut in with a laugh. “Hi, I’m Ava.”
“My fiancée,” Landon added. “Hi, Zoe.”
Ava had a sincere smile and kind eyes. Zoe liked her immediately. “Hi, Landon. Ava, nice to meet you. I’m Zoe.”
They shook hands. “Another woman sucked into the Donnigans because of that self-defense class.” Ava shook her head. “I wonder if Mac knows he’s running an athletic dating service.”
“Yeah, right.” Landon laughed. “Mac is about as tactful as I am. I can just see him trying to play Cupid.”
Zoe agreed. “Nope. Never happen.” Standing in the dining area, she could still see Gavin, who’d gone into the kitchen via the large, spacious pass-through. “So what’s he making?”
“A mess.” Landon frowned. “Don’t let him fool you. He is not, in any way, shape, or form, able to prepare food. He can barely slap together a PB&J. Ava’s cooking us noodles out of squash with some Asian stir-fry. But don’t let the squash throw you. It’s good.” Landon moved to nudge Gavin from the kitchen, where she could see he’d been chopping vegetables for a dip.
They argued about how to cut the carrots and how long to make them, big brother trying to boss the younger one.
“For the record, I like squash,” Zoe felt the need to say. “Thanks for having me over.”
The argument grew a little heated until Landon shoved Gavin out of the kitchen.
Gavin threw the apron at his brother’s back, smacking him in the head. Then he put on a big smile. “Ladies? Can I get you guys something to drink?”
“I’ll have some of that wine on the counter.” Ava turned to Zoe. “It’s a nice pinot grigio. Would you like some?”
She didn’t know if she should, since Gavin didn’t seem to drink alcohol.
“Go ahead,” Gavin said. “It’s probably more sophisticated and a nicer pairing with dinner. Or you could have iced tea, water, milk, or some gross seltzer-pomegranate combination. I wouldn’t recommend that.”
“It’s a healthy alternative to soda.” Ava sounded defensive. “Anyway, it’s your call, Zoe.”
“I’ll have the wine.”
Gavin returned moments later with wine for her and a glass of iced tea for himself. “Man, slaving over the stove all day has made me tired.”
“I thought you didn’t cook.”
“I don’t.” He scowled back at the kitchen. “I was forced to clean the oven.”
“Oh.” Zoe bit back a grin.
“My fiancé has a thing about cleanliness.” Ava leaned closer. “It’s bordering on a slight neurosis, but it doesn’t hurt him, so it’s okay.”
“I heard that,” Landon called out.
“Major OCD, we like to call him,” Gavin added. “And in case you haven’t figured it out yet, Ava’s a psychologist.”
“Really? That’s got to be interesting.”
“Oh, it is.” Ava drank more wine. “So what do you do?”
“I’m a—”
“She works at SMP Medical as their training manager. And she’s really good at her job,” Gavin said for her.
“Oh?” Ava smiled. “So what exactly does that entail, Zoe?”
“I…” She paused, waiting for Gavin to cut her off again.
“No, you field this one. You got it, babe.”
“Thanks so much for your confidence.” She ignored his thumbs-up, trying not to encourage him by smiling. “I basically manage the trainers who teach the medical software to the medical group. It can get pretty involved, especially dealing with tech support, software issues, and clinic managers who don’t like to have to wait. But it’s fun and challenging. I love being a teacher as much as I love being a manager.”
“It’s always a good thing when you love your job.”
“Yeah,” Gavin said. “I mean, if Ava didn’t love dealing with the mentally impaired, she and Landon never would have gotten together.”
Ava frowned. “Gavin.”
“Hey, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?” Zoe teased, but Gavin’s smile left him.
“What are you trying to say? That I’m mentally deficient? That I can’t deal with the pressu
re society puts on me to be a man?”
“Um, no. I was just teasing.”
Gavin’s big grin relieved and annoyed her. “Kidding. I’m probably the biggest mental patient Ava knows.”
Zoe glared. “You’re such an ass.” For a moment she’d feared she’d hurt him, and that hadn’t felt good at all.
“He really is,” Landon said with cheer as he rejoined them, carrying a veggie tray. “Ava, you’re up.”
She handed Landon her glass and kissed him on the cheek, then left them for the kitchen. He set the snacks on the coffee table and drank his fiancée’s wine. “Sit down. Take a load off.”
Zoe sat on the comfortable brown sofa, not surprised when Gavin sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.
Landon sat kitty-corner from them in a side chair big enough to fit his frame. “Zoe, I need to ask you something.”
She drank more wine. She had a feeling she’d need it to deal with the Donnigans en masse. “Shoot.”
“You sure he hasn’t coerced you in any way to be here? Blackmail, threats? What’s he got on you? I can help.”
“Shut up, Landon.” Gavin glared.
Zoe laughed. “See, now that’s funny. Well, to be honest, he wore me down. So many months of constant whining and begging. I took pity on him.”
“Ha. Thought so.” Landon grinned.
Gavin wasn’t bothered in the slightest. “See? Tenacity pays off in the end. And now, look. Hottest woman at the gym is into me. I am so The Man.”
“Well, you’re definitely a man. I can agree with that.” Zoe held up her wineglass and clinked it with Gavin’s glass. He was such a goof.
They ate veggies with dip, argued over who had the better technique in the self-defense class—which Zoe had to admit belonged to Gavin—and discussed the latest knucklehead in Landon’s office, which amused Zoe to no end.
“These people, they’re morons, right?” Landon growled. “People who demand privileges and special favors because they asked for them, not because they worked to earn those favors.” Landon sneered. “Fu—frickin’ Ed Werner. I had to counsel the douche three times before I could fire him. First he came to work smelling like booze. Then he missed an important meeting. Right there, I would have canned his ass, but corporate policy mandated a strike three. When he showed late—no calls, no texts, nothing—two days later, I fired his ass.”
