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You could really tell she was the leader of the pack of women, just like her husband was the leader of the men.

“I’ve had a couple of panic attacks in front of Brax and he’s concerned.”

CiCi gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m betting if you’ve had a couple of panic attacks in front of Brax you’ve had a lot more when you weren’t in front of him, right?”

“Yeah,” she admitted quietly. “But it doesn’t make sense. I’m out of Bangladesh. I’m here in the States. I should be fine.”

“That’s not how these things work,” CiCi countered. “I had someone help me. I didn’t have them for panic attacks, but after spending so much time in the hospital and thinking I was going to die, it took me a long time to accept that having a future was my new normal. I couldn’t cope. Our brains and emotions sometimes need to be healed by a doctor just like our bodies do.”

“Hmmm, I never thought about it like that,” Jenny admitted.

“Yeah, I’m smart.” CiCi smirked. “Just don’t expect it to run in the family.” CiCi raised her voice for the last two sentences.

Everybody in Gideon and Jada’s house laughed, except for Brax, who glowered at his sister.

What would it be like to have a relationship with someone where I could tease them like that? Oh hell, be honest. I want to have a relationship with Brax where I could tease him like that.

“How come I get the feeling they’re talking about me?” Brax asked the men in general.

“Because they are.” Nolan grinned.

“Do all the rest of you think so, too?” Brax asked as he looked each one in the eye.

“Definitely.” Linc laughed.

“No question.” Gideon grinned.

Kostya just nodded.

“Great,” Brax sighed. “That’s just what I need.”

“Sorry, Brax. That’s just the way it goes during the courtship time. Don’t you remember how bad it was for Gideon?” Kostya asked.

Brax thought back to Jada’s antics and grinned. “Yeah. Thank God, there is no way that Jenny will ever be as bad as that.”

“You better be knocking on wood.” Gideon smiled. “You just tempted the Gods of Love.”

“How bad is it for her?” Nolan asked. Brax wasn’t surprised at his question. Everybody knew the struggle that Maggie had. Nolan had been a mess worrying about his woman and being the primary caretaker for their young daughter as Maggie got back on her feet.

“I’m not really sure. The rest of you were in more of a relationship with your women. I’m not even in the courtship stage. We’re just friends. I’m not even convinced that I want to be in the courtship phase.”

“So basically, you’re lying to yourself,” Linc said. “Maybe you’re the one who needs to see a shrink.”

“Look, I’ll admit we bonded a little when we were in Bangladesh, but now that we’re in the States, it’s different. Friends. We’re just friends.”

“How many times have you called her since we’ve been home? How many times have you gone out with her?”

“Not many.”

“How many?” Gideon drawled. “Take a guess.”

“I dunno.” Brax thumbed his fingernail across the label of his empty beer bottle.

“We’ve been back for nineteen days. I say you’ve called her nineteen times and you’ve taken your friend out of the hotel four times. Anybody else want to put a wager on this?” Nolan asked as he looked around the kitchen,

“I think he’s called more than once a day. My bet is thirty-eight calls and he’s taken her out twice,” Kostya guessed.

“I want in on the action,” Gideon chuckled. “I say⁠—”