Page 47 of All for Love

KODY

“November twenty-third, can you believe it?” I asked Kaden as we stood at Dad’s bar on Thanksgiving. “What the hell happened to this year, man?”

Kaden chuckled, shrugging as he pushed his glass toward me. “I have no idea, but I must’ve slept though most of it. That’s the only explanation for how it went by so fast. Do you even remember March?”

I thought it over, then shook my head. “Nah, not really. All I remember about pretty much the entire year is wedding planning and work.”

As I wrapped my hand around the whiskey bottle to fill our glasses, Kaden’s eyes caught on my knuckles and he frowned. “What happened to you?”

I glanced down. The swelling had gone down and it was healing nicely, but there was still a small cut where the split had been. Although the bruises were fading, the greenish-yellow tinge still present made it obvious they had been there.

Shit.

“I hurt myself at the gym. Boxing.” I blew it off, hoping he’d do the same thing. “How are things going with you and Brooke?”

His gaze darted up to mine at the question. He exhaled heavily before it dropped back to my knuckles for a beat. “We’re doing good. Are you sure that happened while you were boxing at the gym? It looks like a little bit more than that. Why weren’t you wearing gloves?”

“I got cocky. Took on my instructor in the ring. It’s really nothing serious. Can we drop it now?”

Doubt flickered in his eyes. He nodded and took his glass from me when I held it out. “How was it working with Mercedes after, you know, everything?”

“It was fine,” I said honestly. “She’s actually really good at what she does. I’ve got to admit, I’m a believer now. You will be too when she gets to you.”

A thoughtful expression came over his features before he nodded and refocused. “Yeah, I’m hearing good things. She’s finishing up with the lower-level sales teams now, right?”

“Yep, she’s been working at implementing the changes she’s made and making sure everyone knows about them. She’s even made these pretty nifty posters with flow charts on them that she’s putting up in the breakrooms to create awareness.”

“I saw some of those,” he said before cutting me a sideways glance. We walked out to the patio together. “You’re keeping things appropriate, right?”

“Of course.” As long as he considered consensual sex appropriate—which I did—then I wasn’t lying. “You were right to say we should give her a chance. I wasn’t particularly enamored with the idea, but she really is good at what she does. Don’t hold her indiscretions against her.”

He rolled his eyes at me. “It wouldn’t matter if I tried. Dad hired her for three months, remember? We’re stuck with her until at least then regardless of how we feel about it.”

My gut rebelled against the way he said it, which didn’t happen to me often—especially not with my brother—but now that it had, I felt my jaw tightening against my will and my muscles tensed. “Just give it a chance. You said you were willing to do it, so do it. Don’t be a dick.”

“It’s not my dick I’m worried about.” He scoffed, shaking his head, and he strode away from me and plastered on a grin. He slid his arm around Brooke’s waist.

She glanced up at him, clearly concerned, but he just gave his head a little shake and she sighed but let it go. A tiny spear made up of jealousy prodded my chest. What he had with Brooke, as unlikely as I’d once thought it was that they’d work out, was good. It was honest.

He could touch her here, in front of our family, and they could have their silent little conversations and no one gave a damn. I’d never wanted that, but now, seeing my brother and my father with it, I wondered if there was any chance I’d been wrong not to.

There certainly was something enticing about it, but I left that train of thought right in its tracks when Mercedes came to stand next to me. She gave me a small smile, standing about a foot away so that we wouldn’t be seen too close to one another.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” she said, clutching her glass of champagne to her chest as she inhaled deeply. “The food smells delicious. I’ve been starving myself all day for this. Your staff better be as good at cooking Thanksgiving dinner as my mother and me, or we’re taking over next year.”

Margaux must’ve heard her because, the next second, she was next to us, winking at Mercedes before smiling at me. “She’s right, you know. We wouldn’t have minded doing the cooking, but I suppose there is always next year. What happened to your hand? Your father and I noticed it was hurt when you got here, but he wanted to wait before we asked. I, however, am too curious. I’m also concerned. Are you okay?”

The lie I’d spun to Kaden came to my lips easily now. “I’m all good. It seems I simply have questionable judgment about who to challenge at the gym.”

Amusement and understanding softened her gaze as she brought it back to mine. “Well, I’m glad it appears to be healing well. Maybe next time, you should pick on someone your own size.”

I chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.”

Margaux winked and went to join Kaden and Brooke. Mercedes tried to swallow a laugh as she glanced up at me. “You hurt it boxing at the gym, huh?”

“Yeah, well. It was either that or admitting I knocked a guy out for being a prick to you and then proceeded to spend the night rocking your world.”

She lifted her brows but then shrugged and shot me a secretive smile. “Let’s leave the world rocking out of it.”