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“You don’t need to go home to do that. I’m not the biggest Friends fan in the world, but I’d watch it if it meant you weren’t wearing pants.” A wolfish grin spread across his face.
I rolled my eyes and pushed off the door. “No. I’m not going to take off my pants.”
“You wound me.” He laughed. “It’s a nice evening. Wanna sit outside?”
“Sure.” As I followed him out, I realized I’d only ever looked at the yard from Ellie’s bedroom window.
Brantley pushed open the back door onto a wooden porch. A large, rattan sofa took up one corner of the porch, and a few half-burned candles sat on the glass table in front of it. The porch looked out over a lush, green yard dotted with kids’ toys, everything from a soccer ball to a swing set with a slide.
He took a seat on one end of the sofa, and I dropped myself into the corner, kicking off my shoes. I tucked my feet up and sighed, leaning against the squishy back cushions.
It was basically silent. Aside from the gentle hum of the TV inside, there was nothing. It was incredible, because I’m not sure I realized how loud the twins were until right now.
“Do you feel like this every day when they go to bed?”
Brantley quirked a brow. “Like what?”
“Like, wow, shit, they’re really loud.”
He stared at me for a moment before bursting into laughter. I blinked at him, watching as his shoulders shook with each deep chuckle that escaped his lips.
“Am I funnier than I think I am?”
He shook his head, still laughing. “No. I’m laughing because I’ve never put that feeling into words before, but you just nailed it. It really is exactly that.”
“They are really loud,” I said again, frowning. “Are all kids like that or is it just because there’s two of them?”
“You have no idea about kids, do you?”
“Not really. I’m pretty ignorant about them,” I admitted with a shoulder shrug. “I’ve never been around them. The closest I’ve ever been is in the grocery store with Janie Green’s son who screamed the entire trip. I wanted to punch him in the face.” I frowned. “That makes me sound like a horrible person.”
“Nah, I’m pretty sure we’ve all felt like that once or twice.” He winked with a smirk. “It’s pretty amazing, though. You’re so good with the twins.”
A blush rose up my cheeks. “I’m just nice to them.”
“You’re more than nice. You’re weirdly patient. Like, with the paint. Kali, anyone else would have lost their minds and been so fucking angry, but you just brushed it off.”
“I was annoyed.” I tucked hair behind my ear. “But me showing them that wouldn’t have achieved anything. You handled it. I’m just the builder. My anger has no place here.”
“Just the builder.” He smiled, meeting my eyes.
“Are you sure I’m not being really funny today?”
He shook his head again, rubbing his hand over his forehead. “I think it’s funny that you refer to yourself like that. I think you’re more than just the builder.”
“You do?”
“Do you have any idea how much fun you are to be around?”
“No, but if you’re about to give me some compliments, I’ll happily listen.”
He laughed. “I just…Hell. You’re just fun, Kali. I don’t even think you realize how much of an amazing person you are. Moving here was so hard, and until you showed up on my doorstep, I was sure I’d change my mind. You make me laugh more than anyone ever has.”
“That’s because I’m an idiot,” I pointed out. “Like the paintbrush mic thing. Idiocy.”
“You’re an adorable idiot. It works.”
“Aw, you think I’m adorable.” I grinned.
“You are when you smile like that.”
Another blush heated my cheeks. I cleared my throat and looked down.
Brantley laughed again. “See? Still adorable.”
“All right, stop it. You’re just saying it to make me blush now.”
“Pretty much. Is it working?”
I clapped my hands over my cheeks. “No.”
He reached over, grabbed my wrists, and tugged my hands away, revealing the red-hot blush that was coating my cheeks. A disarmingly sexy grin stretched across his face, and I pouted as his gaze flashed across my face.
“Stop it.” I wriggled my hands out of his grip. “I swear, messing with me is your new favorite hobby.”
“It is,” he admitted, eyes sparkling. “You’re so easy to fuck with, I don’t even have to try.”
I rolled my eyes. “And to think—I let myself be guilt-tripped into this.”
“More fool you. I warned you about her, and you obviously didn’t listen.”
“That’s so not fair. I did listen, I just don’t have freaky skills to avoid the guilt like you do.”
“I don’t avoid the guilt. I pretend.”
“Would you have pretended if you were me, knowing you’d leave a poor guy to be lonely?”
He raised his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t have been lonely. I’d have watched TV with my pants off.”
