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I sat back and crossed my leg over my knee before steeling my expression. “And I told you I wasn’t interested. I’m happy to be cordial, but I will not be forming any liaisons of any kind with anyone except the man upstairs in my shower. Seriously, Kat. I would have thought you would have learned something after the last time.”
My usual unending patience was growing thin for her incessant meddling in my personal life.
“But he’s Carter’s little brother? You’re old enough to be his father, Greer.”
I nodded, because she wasn’t wrong. But I didn’t need a reminder of that. “Maybe I am, but there’s nothing little about him. Anywhere.”
She released a shocked gasp. I didn’t do sexual innuendo with my little sister. Carter, yes. Katherine, no. And I was needling her, hoping she would give up this never-ending quest to find me a woman. “You know what I mean! And there’s no way I’m buying that you’re having sex with him. You’re not gay, for Christ-sake.”
And with three little words, she’d just pushed the wrong button less than two minutes into our conversation. I held up a finger. “Let me stop you there before you go any further. I am not one of your children. I’m your older brother. And you’re right, I’m not gay. But one thing I can assure you of is that it’s none of your concern how I identify or who I sleep with.”
Her eyes widened at my straightforward response. She was used to me caving to her, but not this time. And not anymore. “Greer, do you hear yourself? You’re almost sixty years old and telling me you’ve just discovered that you like men?”
The hairs on the back of my neck prickled with awareness. I could feel him close by without having to look.
“You’re right. He doesn’t like men,” I heard him say from behind me. Then his hand landed on my shoulder, followed by a gentle squeeze. “I’m the only man he’s ever loved. And I love him.”
My breath caught in my chest at his admission, even after his proposal. The reality hadn’t set in yet, so I smiled as Austin took the chair next to mine. Dressed in shorts and another tight T-shirt, he looked like the rest of my life.
“This conversation doesn’t concern you, Austin,” she quipped. “It’s between me and my brother, so if you don’t mind, I’d like to have this conversation alone.”
One side of his mouth inched up in a misleading smile. “Well, I do mind. And if you’re questioning his life choices, then I’d say it’s one hundred percent my business. So go ahead. Say what you need to say, or ask whatever you need to ask, because we have plans.”
She narrowed her eyes at Austin, then looked over at me. “Greer. Tell him to leave us alone. This is a private family conversation.”
I glanced at him and smiled. “I think he needs to stay.”
His eyes lit with amusement. If he didn’t announce it, then I wasn’t going to just yet.
But Katherine interrupted our moment. “How long has this been going on?”
I turned back to look at her. “This is new,” I replied as Austin said, “about fourteen years.”
Her brows drew together in confusion as she looked back and forth from me to Austin. Then a smile broke across her face. “You two are ridiculous. I knew it! This is all a joke,” she laughed. “You almost had me there, Greer.”
I sighed. “I assure you, Katherine, this thing between us is no joke.”
My sister’s good humor faded quickly. She raised her hand and pointed at us. “No way. You two don’t even have your story straight. My teenagers lie better than this. You really should have at least rehearsed what you were going to say.”
Austin reached for my cup and took a sip of my coffee before placing it back in front of me. He extended his arm over the back of my chair as we sat silently staring at her. My sister became more flustered as she looked back and forth at our unfazed expressions. We were both so damn happy.
“There’s no way. You’ve only been divorced for... eleven years. You would have had to...” she trailed off. Then she looked horrified. “Did you cheat on my friend?”
I laughed humorlessly. “Absolutely not. I was never unfaithful. But you know we were both better off as friends. We were never in love with each other.”
“Then what the fuck is he talking about with this fourteen-year shit?”
I went to speak, but Austin spoke first. I was concerned he was going to blow up like the hothead I knew he could be, but his response surprised me. “It’s really very simple, Katherine. I’ve been in love with your brother since I was twenty-two years old. But our timing wasn’t right. I was leaving for the Navy, and things got in the way.” He hugged me closer. “But our timing is perfect now. And I don’t intend to let him go. Ever.”
Katherine tilted her head and looked at me. “Is this why you divorced Sabrina?”
I shook my head. “No. We divorced because we shouldn’t have gotten married to begin with. And if you’re honest with yourself, you know that as well as I do.”
“But you were going to have a family.”
I held up my hand and cut her off before she ruined my day. “I’m done. We’re going out for breakfast, and probably for the rest of the day. We might be back tomorrow.”
Austin stood from his chair and leaned down to kiss my cheek. We needed to get out of here, and I knew exactly where to take him for some uninterrupted privacy.
