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Chapter Fifteen
Opening the front door, I plastered a smile on my face and forced all thoughts of a missed sexportunity with Colby out of my mind. “Hey, Brian.”
“Hey, sis.” He moved in for the hug and then stepped back, assessing me. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah. Much better than yesterday. You didn’t have to travel all the way out here though as I would’ve called you later.” I closed the door after he came inside.
“I know, but I had to be in town later this week for some meetings in the LA office and thought I’d come early once I found out about Mom. I tried calling you last night and this morning to tell you I was on my way. Where’s Colby?” He took a look around the living room.
I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Shower, I think. And I turned off my phone since I didn’t want to talk last night. Sorry. I was about to make breakfast. You hungry?”
He nodded and pulled up a stool at the kitchen island. “Yeah. Aren’t you supposed to have your boot on?”
I glanced down, realizing my ankle was indeed bootless. “I normally put it on after a shower, but breakfast called first this morning.”
He seemed somewhat satisfied with my answer, and it was better than telling him my boot was probably still somewhere in the sex-tangled sheets in Colby’s room.
Taking a seat at the kitchen island barstool, he prodded, “So tell me what happened with Mom.”
I filled him in while making pancakes.
He was quiet, yet when turned to see his face, I could tell he was angry. “It’s bad enough she can’t be supportive of you, but if she thinks I’d ever come home again if she takes you off of the medical insurance to get her way, then she’s sadly mistaken. That’s taking it too far. Same with threatening your trust fund.”
I smiled at him. “Although I greatly appreciate the solidarity, I’d never ask you to choose sides.”
“It’s not a matter of taking sides; it’s a matter of choosing what’s right. I plan on calling her later.”
“To say what?”
“That she’s being unfair to guilt you into coming home.”
“Thanks for being so supportive.”
“Always. So I have some news…”
He was grinning so clearly it was the good sort. “Do tell.”
“I’m proposing to Sasha in the near future. Already picked out the ring, but I’m waiting until she’s moving down to Charlotte to pop the actual question.”
I squealed, coming around the island to hug him. “Aww, that’s great news. I’m so excited for you guys.”
Colby came out, looking fresh from the shower, and took in the scene with a quirked brow. “Hey, Brian, nice to see you. What’s going on?”
“Brian is asking Sasha to marry him.”
The two men shook hands and gave one another a brotherly hug. “Congrats, man.”
Brian resumed his seat and I was thankful for the distraction while he talked about the timing of the next few weeks with regard to Sasha selling her condo and switching jobs. As I dished up breakfast, my brother chatted on. Funny enough, it was easier than I’d imagined being comfortable around Colby in front of Brian. Maybe it was because he seemed clueless or he had a lot to talk about, but I didn’t feel strange.
Colby, on the other hand, looked completely stressed.
“So, how do you think Mom will react to your engagement news?” I asked.
Brian shrugged. “She won’t be thrilled, but I don’t need to explain my reasons or need her blessing. Hell, all she should care about is if I’m happy and if she’s not, I’ll shut her down. I may not tell her for a while considering we need to have words about you first.”
I was envious of what I could only wish was my attitude toward her. “You don’t have to do that.”
“The hell I don’t. Why were you at your apartment in the first place? You’re still living here, right?” He glanced between the both of us, eating his pancakes.
