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He told her about Lilian’s job. How she came here for one job and it ended up being another. “She’s sticking it out when I know they treat her like shit. She never says much, but she gets texts and emails all weekend and at night from her boss for stupid shit when she’s not working.”
“It happens,” West said.
“I know. She could leave but said she knows it won’t look good on her resume so she’ll give it a year. She’s not like a lot of people her age expecting the moon and stars right away. You know, like Nelson. So don’t compare the two.”
West laughed. “We won’t. Abby will be here this weekend if you and Lilian don’t have plans. Maybe come out to the beach house and we’ll round up Foster. I had to go through it, why not you?”
Braylon wanted to argue but then told himself that maybe doing this was the next best move.
He knew that Lilian was holding back because she didn’t believe what they had would last. Introducing her to his family would be a good first step. Then maybe she’d do the same and tell her sister about him.
He’d been letting Lilian set the pace all along, but maybe it was time for him to step on the gas some.
13
BEST BOYFRIEND EVER
“Ican’t believe we are riding a helicopter to your brother’s,” Lilian said on the phone Saturday morning.
If she didn’t feel out of place before, she sure the hell was now.
Not only that, Braylon’s sister was meeting them at the airport and flying over too. Then she’d meet West and his girlfriend, Abby, and their other brother, Foster.
It was as if she was being thrown into the fire with gasoline poured over her.
She wanted to say no in the worst way but then told herself Braylon had been the best boyfriend ever to her. He’d let her control the pace of the relationship and the fact he wanted her to meet some of his family went a long way to her thinking this was more than a quick fling.
For the past month she’d been trying to figure out how this was going to work out when things ended, but maybe they wouldn’t.
No, she wouldn’t allow herself to feel that way. She was just going to take it one day at a time.
“Are you nervous?” he asked. “We are five minutes out.”
“I’m kind of nervous,” she said. “I’ve never flown in a helicopter. I think that will be exciting more than anything, but I’m more nervous about meeting your family. I’ll meet your sister before the rest.”
“They know about you. They will be good. Don’t think of us as the Carlisles. Just think of them like me. I told you about Abby. You’ll get along great with her. Laken and Abby get along too. I told Laken you are a communications major. She’d love to talk to you about that kind of a career.”
“Really?” she asked. “I don’t want anyone in your family to think I’m using them or you.”
“No one will think that,” he said.
“If you say so,” she said quietly.
“I do,” he said. “I’ll see you in a few.”
She hung up after that and grabbed her bag for the weekend. Braylon had told her to pack casual clothes and that was what she did. Because it was a long holiday weekend, they’d just chill and hang out. He’d take her around to some of the shops but nothing that called for anything other than jeans the whole time.
This was going to be the first adult vacation she’d had in her life and she was almost too embarrassed to say that.
Max and Quinn had taken her with them on two vacations while she was on summer break. She hadn’t wanted to go but knew that Quinn could use the help with the kids and did it for that reason more than anything. The other two times they’d asked her, she’d declined and said she had to work at her part time jobs and couldn’t get the time off.
When she grabbed her purse, her fake engagement ring was knocked to the floor and she heard a tinkling sound and realized the diamond fell out.
Crap. Now what was she going to do come Monday? Maybe she could get it fixed or something. Or just order another. It didn’t cost all that much.
She set it aside and locked her apartment.
Just as she was opening the door, the town car pulled up and Braylon got out, the trunk opening for her bag.
