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“I’m not sure. It’s just a preseason game.” I choose my words carefully. My brothers maybe manwhore dipshits, but they’re also bloodhounds and Beneventis. They can smell bullshit a mile away, and I’m not ready for them to get a whiff of anything just yet. It’s Tuesday, and Maddox and Killian come home Friday night. That only gives me three days and three nights to figure my shit out.
Guess it’s going to have to be enough.
CALLEN
Callen
I need your advice on something.
Cooper
Pulling out isn’t effective.
Callen
Dude. You’re married to my sister.
Cooper
What’s your point . . . ?
—Text from Callen to Cooper
Carys hands me a cup of tea, reminding me so much of Mom that it’s a little freaky. “You doing okay, little brother? I know it’s been a heavy few days.”
“Thanks, Carys.” I splash some milk in the mug, even though it’s a hundred degrees outside and I’d rather be drinking a beer.My sister stands there, waiting me out like she thinks she’s preparing for the fall or something. “I’m fine.”
Pretty sure I’ve never said that as much as I have these past few days.
She nods but doesn’t believe me. It’s written all over her face.
“If you say so.” She leans her elbows on the marble counter and stares me down. “You think you’ll get any playing time Thursday night?”
“Maybe one series. They’ll tell me whether I’m dressing for the game tomorrow.” Most teams won’t risk their starters getting injured during preseason. These games aren’t for us. They’re for the rest of the team to evaluate the players and the plays. But preseason games don’t count for anything. Not for standings. Not for playoffs. Not for bonuses. And they won’t risk the money makers. Why should they? “Why? You coming?”
She looks away and wipes at her eye. “Yeah. We all are. We want to make sure we’re there in case it ends up being Coach’s last game.”
Yeah. There’s the fucking purple spotted elephant in the corner of the goddamn room.
“I think it’s gonna be,” Cooper adds as he walks into the kitchen, looking at something on his iPad. I was too young to remember Coop as a SEAL. After he retired, he managed money for a while. Pretty sure he never has to work another day in his life if he doesn’t want to, but you’d never know it. That’s not his way. These days, he’s a consultant for a private military group. It gives him plenty of time to be involved with his three kids. Especially since Carys’s lingerie brand has skyrocketed over the past ten years.
He looks me over skeptically. “Kinda late in the day for a run...”
“Yeah. Just wanted to clear my head and ended up here.” Cooper and I meet a few times a week for a run. SometimesDeclan will join us. Every now and then, Brady will too. Never Murphy. He’s not a runner. Most of the time though, it’s just Coop and me.
“Come on.” He slaps my back and heads to the kitchen door. “Let’s grab some rods.”
I look from him through the glass door out to the lake at the end of the property. “It’s hot as balls outside.”
Carys giggles and leaves us to it. “Have fun, boys.”
She kisses Coop’s cheek, and he smacks her ass as I look away.
My entire family is like this. None of them are afraid of PDA.
None. Of. Them.
Growing up, it was sickening. Family vacations were hazardous to your health. At least as a teenage boy. Nobody wants to see their dad grabbing their mom’s ass. Or worse. The outdoor showers at our beach compound have seen a whole lot of action. And most of it wasn’t from my generation until recently.
