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I laugh, some of the unease in my stomach dissipating. “I think I’d like to see those.”
He grunts like he’ll suffer through it for my amusement, and affection for him makes my cheeks warm.
“Also, don’t believe a damn word they say when they start telling tall tales about me in my youth, I was the picture of obedience and good behavior growing up.” The impish smile he tosses my way loosens more of the stress from my shoulders and I laugh.
“Mmhmm. I’m sure,” I say with a smile of my own.
“Dad said that we’re grilling chicken and doing a backyard barbecue, if you get uncomfortable at any time you can come find me or grab Jem — though I imagine that she’ll stay pretty close.”
Harlan turns down a gravel lane, with trees flanking the sides of it, just outside of town. The ranch-style house at the end of the lane already has six vehicles parked out front, Harlan’s brothers’ and dad’s, I assume.
“What was it like growing up with five brothers?” I ask.
“Crazy. Chaos. Fun. Loving. My mom was the best. She had her hand on just about everything in town, as well as our family. I couldn’t fart three streets over without her knowing about it. But she wasn’t controlling with it, she gave us room to do stupid shit so that we could learn from it growing up.”
“She sounds wonderful.”
He nods. “Yeah. She passed away when Boone was in college, and I had already been a deputy for a few years — stroke. One minute she was there, bugging us about coming home for dinner, and then next she was gone.”
I rub my thumb against his hand. “I’m sorry. I know it doesn’t help, but I’m sorry that you lost her.”
“Thank you.”
Harlan parks the SUV behind Boone’s truck and climbs out. He unbuckles Audra from her seat and tosses the strap of her diaper bag over his shoulder before heading up the porch and opening the front door while I trail behind him.
I’m about a foot into the living room when arms swoop around me and I’m dipped dramatically backward. Rhett’s laughing face is above mine before he gives me a smacking kiss on the cheek. He shoots a smug smirk at his brother, and that’s when I get it.
They’re fucking with Harlan. They grabbed me to make him jealous or mess with him, and I have to bite back my laugh as the initial surge of panic drains out of me.
They’re teasing him, like siblings do, and including me in the fun.
I wink at Rhett, who smiles back before making eye contact with Finch and nods his head toward me.
“Rhett Bentley! If you don’t get your lips off my woman in the next two seconds…” Harlan growls from where he’s trying to set the diaper bag down and hang on to my squirming daughter at the same time.
“Don’t worry bro, I got you.” I’m plucked from Rhett’s arms to Finch’s who twists me around before my feet leave the ground and I’m tugged up into a rib-crushing hug.
“Jesus, you two. Let the poor woman go.” I hear a new voice call from farther in the house and a giggle escapes.
“Finch, Rhett, unhand Maisie,” Jem shouts with a horrified look on her face as they both pass me back and forth playing the human version of keep away from their brother.
“Wait. Did he just say his woman?” Boone asks from somewhere I can’t see him, and I laugh again, but the voices clamoring in the room make the sound disappear.
Harlan gets his hand on Finch’s elbow and digs his fingers in. “Let. Her. Go.”
“Harlan, wait,” I say. Reaching out to lay my hand on his arm.
Harlan’s attention turns to me. “It’s fine. I’m fine. They were teasing you,” I say in a rush to explain that I got the joke and I’m not freaking out.
“They can’t just grab women. That’s not okay.”
I know how that looked. It looked like his brothers were grabbing me and kissing me — even on the cheek — without my consent.
Beyond touched that Harlan’s worried about me and how I’d handle the more-than-warm welcome from his brothers enough to read them the riot act, I go to my tiptoes and press a small kiss to his lips. I’m just thrilled that I didn’t panic and that they were including me in on their fun.
I laugh. I don’t know where it comes from, but it bubbles from my gut until I can’t hold it in any longer and I laugh and laugh at these men.
This is all so normal. Their teasing, the way they pick on their brother. Was it a shock to be plucked from Harlan the second I walked through the door? Sure, but somehow it doesn’t freak me out like it would have a couple of weeks ago. And the mystery of that makes me happy. This family is magic.
