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She let out a sigh. “You don’t think I’m professional?”
“I think at work you are, but who you are at work isn’t who you are around me,” he said. “At least not now.”
There was a throat clearing and she turned to see Quinn standing there. “Welcome home,” Quinn said. “You must be Braylon. Please come in. Lilian has lost her manners.”
She laughed. “You can call me Lily. It’s fine. I get it. Maybe I don’t mind it coming from those I’m closest to.”
It got her thinking that she was trying to be this person she wasn’t. Even in her job that wasn’t always going her way, was it because she wasn’t Lilian and was Lily? But they didn’t know that person. They only knew the one she was trying to portray.
The fake one.
Just like the damn fake engagement ring that she no longer wore but not one person had said one word to her about it.
Even though people saw her and Braylon still together or she talked about him, no one questioned her not wearing her ring.
“I am Braylon,” he said, moving forward and shaking her sister’s hand. “You two look alike.”
“Funny, considering we don’t have the same father,” Lilian said. “But we do look alike more than we did when we were younger.”
“Aunt Lily,” Jocelyn said, running into the room and hugging her. “Mom said I couldn’t attack you at the door, but you are taking too long to come in the back. Davy is back there with Carson and he’s crying because he wants to see you.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, hugging Jocelyn. “Let’s go in the back so I can see you all and give Carson a big hug. Come on, Braylon, let’s meet the rest of the family.”
For as nervous as she was about introducing him, she realized how silly and stupid it was to feel that way.
And, boy, it did feel good to be home, but she realized that it felt even better to just be with Braylon.
19
BEING CONFIDENT
“That was great,” Braylon said, leaning back from the chair he was in. He was so stuffed he didn’t think he could move. “Don’t ever say I said this, but that might have been the best turkey I’ve ever had. My mother’s is normally drier.”
Quinn laughed. “I won’t say a word. I brine it overnight and that keeps the moisture in.”
“I might have to find a way to slip that into a conversation with my mother without her wanting to swat me on the arm.”
“I can’t believe how many siblings you’ve got,” Lara said. “I thought I had it bad with Davy and then Carson. Jocelyn is cool. We get along when she’s not being a brat.”
“Hey,” Jocelyn said. “Mom says you’re just as much of a brat. That you were worse than me.”
He looked around the table and saw the smiles and laughter.
“Your mother is right,” Max said. “Lara, sorry, darling, but you take the cake. The older you get, the more my blood pressure rises.”
“You’re just upset because I’m going to get my license in the spring.”
Max took a deep breath. “Against my better wishes, but you’ll be seventeen. Let’s get through this winter. I want to make sure you can handle yourself with one of us in the car with you in the snow.”
“I’ve got it covered,” Lara said.
“Lara always says she has it covered,” Lilian said. He wanted to call her Lily, but didn’t know how she’d react. In his mind, she was more a Lily anyway.
She said those closest to her could, but did she consider him one of those people?
It’s not like they’d had much time to talk.
Once they unpacked in the old nanny suite, which he had to admit was fairly big and private. There was a sitting area with a TV, a full bathroom and little mini fridge and microwave against the wall surrounded by what could be considered a tiny galley-type kitchen.
