Midwest Fighter (Kendall Family Book 2) (19 page)

“He’s not so bad,” she scolds, picking through my suitcase. “He’s changed somewhat since he decided to stay. Sharlo has a way of bringing out the best of him. He’s not as cranky all the time.” She hands me a one-shouldered shirt made of a pale pink, buttery satin, gifted to me by a good friend whose daddy struck it big in oil. “Shit, Sof.
Hermes?
How do you afford this stuff? I should send some of my designs back with you to Texas. You’d be a great advertisement for our clothing line even if it’s not really your style. You have the perfect body.”

“You’ve got the wrong sister,” I mumble, snatching the shirt back and setting it in the suitcase. I’d never admit to anyone that my well-off friends sell me their designer clothes for a steal. “Fake it until you make it”
has been my motto for as long as I can remember. “Modeling is
Angie’s
thing. I couldn’t handle the unwanted attention.”

Evelyn pops to her feet, snorting. “Like men don’t look at you anyway? You’re a knock out and you’re crazy smart. I don’t know why you’re so dead set against dating.”

“Because men aren’t a priority in my life.” Raising my eyebrows, I give her a hard stare. “I’m perfectly capable of providing for myself. Not every woman feels the need to find a rich hottie to take care of her.”

“You think that’s why I married Charlie?” she asks in a sharp tone. “You obviously know
nothing
about me. I don’t buy Hermes or spend ridiculous amounts of money on
any
material things, and neither does my husband.” Shaking her head back and forth, her eyes begin to water over. “Why has it always felt like you hate all of us? I haven’t done anything to you, but I know James can be an overly possessive jerk sometimes. It just seems you go out of your way to avoid him and treat him like shit.”

“I don’t hate him!” I snap back.

Tears begin to spill down her cheeks when she asks, “Then what did we ever do to make you want to move as far from home as possible?”

“It’s complicated,” I say quietly, swiping away my own leak of tears.

“In case you haven’t noticed, this family is getting smaller by the minute. We
need
each other, Sof.
James
needs us. I can’t even begin to imagine what it did to his head when he found Dad. He could really use our support, regardless of what mistakes he made in the past.” She starts for the door, pausing to look over her shoulder. “Do me a favor and at least try to come down off your high horse while you’re here. I miss the big sister that would get down on the floor and play Barbies with me for hours, or take me to the pool in town and out for ice cream afterwards. She had a big heart and actually wanted to hang out with me.”

When she’s out of sight, the dreaded memory from my junior year of high school—the one I’ve done everything to forget—returns in a blinding rage.

Ready to throw up, I collect my things and begin to repack.

Being around my siblings always makes everything worse.

D
eclaring
myself “ecstatically happy” doesn’t do the radiant feeling in my belly proper justice as I prepare for Evelyn and Charlie’s 4th of July celebration. After telling them about the baby, James and I agreed to keep the news from the rest of his family until they’ve had a chance to acclimate to the idea that I’m more than Evelyn’s good friend.

We were also agreeable to coming up to the Hamptons a few days earlier than his family in order to avoid the expense of the hotel in downtown Brooklyn where we’ve been staying since his return. We claimed one of the beach house’s posh rooms by making love in the bed so many times that it’s a bit of an oddity to be fully dressed and standing upright.

Charlie and Evelyn were the first to arrive, each of them rattling off about the party. Lorenzo and Dante were next, setting up a small stage in the back yard. Neither seemed all that surprised to learn James and I were officially an item, though Lorenzo held his hands over his heart and made a comment about “all the good ones being taken.” I assured him that James was never into him anyway.

Nolan came soon after in a van filled with cases of alcohol that took the men the better part of an hour to transport inside. Katie, her teenage sons, and her mum weren’t far behind, arriving in time to instruct the caterers and wait staff of their duties.

The morning flew by as I helped Evelyn prepare for the gathering, decorating and ensuring everything was in order. It’s late afternoon by the time we’re in the master suite, primping for the party in designs Katie and I specifically created for the occasion. After I’ve curled the last of Evelyn’s dark locks, I secure her hair with a white headband. The entire time she gives me this wide-eyed stare and knowing grin. It’s maddening.

“Are you going to share what’s on your mind,” I ask, “or do I have to beat it out of you with that leather crop I just spotted in your closet?”

When her face becomes scarlet red, I cheer silently to myself. At least she finally stopped staring at me like a nutter. “I can’t believe I left that out,” she mumbles.

“Not exactly a surprise your rockstar’s into kink,” I tease. “We all have our fetishes.”

Her hands shoot up to cover her ears. “I don’t want to hear yours!”

Laughing, I pry her hands from the sides of her head. “Tell me what’s going through that noggin of yours and I promise to keep my scandalous rendezvous with your brother to myself.”

“I can’t believe you’re going to be the mommy of my niece,” she confesses, her goofy smile making another appearance.

“Or
nephew,” I correct sternly. “As challenging as it would be, we mustn’t rule out the fact that I could be raising a miniature version of James. God help us all.”

“Whatever. I really want it to be a girl. Just think, Shar! The two of us could spoil the shit out of her, having girls’ trips together to get our nails done, shop,
whatever
. All the things you and I normally do together, only we’d have a mini Sharlo to show off. We could design the world’s cutest little dresses and make matching bows for her hair. She’ll be the most gorgeous bug in the world with your hair and JD’s big brown eyes!”

My heart stutters with the vision of a blond-haired, brown-eyed beauty nestled inside the safety of James’s thick arms. Perhaps this parenting gig isn’t so dire after all.

“As grand as that sounds,” I tell her, “from what I understand that’s not how it works. You aren’t able to simply ‘pick’ the baby’s sex unless you’re filthy rich. Even then, there’s not enough money in the world to choose
after
conception. Do we need to have ourselves a little discussion on how these things work?”

Snorting, she bumps my arm. “Whatever. We’re going to be
family
, Shar. I mean
officially.”

“You and
the baby,
yes.”

She clicks her tongue. “You can’t be my niece’s mom and not be related to me. That’s not how it works.”

“Well your brother hasn’t exactly popped the question, now has he?”

Her lips curve with a smirk. “Do you want him to?”

“Perhaps one day, when the timing’s right.” I press my lips together, keeping the remainder of my thoughts on the subject to myself. It’s quite unnecessary to share my nagging question of whether or not James merely wants to be with me out of obligation to help me raise the child, or that the concept of marriage terrifies me more than the rumored Backstreet Boys reunion. And it’d be a wasted breath to argue we haven’t been together long enough when a short courtship worked brilliantly for my mate and her rocker.

Evelyn turns to glance at herself in the vanity mirror. When she faces me again, her entire face is lit with a glowing smile. “By the way, Charlie and I talked to Katie this morning and she has no problem with you guys staying here as long as you need. I know you’re trying to figure everything out between my brother being homeless and your place not being safe, so I wanted to help out in any way I could.”

I shake my head. “We couldn’t impose.”

“Why not? It’s the
least
I can do after you invited me to come out here and live with you. I never would’ve met Charlie, and there’s no way I’d be this happy. I owe you
big time.”

I pull my bottom lip through my teeth as I contemplate her offer. I
did
recently resign at the gallery and could work on designs for our fashion line from anywhere. And the idea of not having to return to the flat where there seems to be a target on my back has me sighing in relief. I’m not completely sure James would go for it though, especially seeing as he mentioned an interest in pursuing MMA fighting with Nolan’s guidance. There are still so many bloody issues we have to sort through that it makes my head woozy.

There’s a soft knock at the bedroom door before James pushes his way inside. It doesn’t seem to register with him that his sister’s also in the room the way his eyes darken as they study me from head to toe. He licks his lips before they quirk with an adorable smile. “You look se—”

“Don’t say it!” Evelyn pleads, popping to her feet and clapping her hands over her ears once more. “Wait until I’m out of the room to start any dirty talk!” Then she hugs me and whispers, “I’m so happy for you guys.”

“Enough to loan us your crop?” I whisper back.

“I’m outta here!” she cries, scurrying from the room.

“If she has a problem with me saying you’re sexy as fuck, this is going to be a long weekend,” James tells me, biting back a grin.

“You’ll simply have to whisper your sweet compliments into my ear,” I say, joining him in the doorway. I become putty the moment his arms wrap around my waist and I’m immersed in his manly scent. I can’t imagine there will ever come a day when this beautiful man fails to spark excitement between my legs, making me crazy randy. Now that I’ve envisioned him as a fearless protector of our infant, it’s going to take a brigade to stop me from expressing my feelings for him in public.

He bends, grazing his lips across my earlobe when he whispers, “You look sexy as fuck.”

“Don’t suppose there’s time for a quick round?” I ask, gripping his fit ass with both hands as he plants kisses up and down my neck.

“I’ll always have time for you, baby, but if we start now, we’ll miss the party.”

“That’d be rather unfortunate,” I manage despite becoming breathless from his tender kisses.

With a groan, he settles his face in the curve of my neck and flexes his muscles around me. “You make me so fucking happy.”

Tears prick my eyes, making it difficult to respond without breaking down like a blubbering wanker. This is a man who once didn’t know the meaning of “happiness,” and now he’s saying I’ve afforded him the opportunity to understand it. Does it make me a masochist that those specific words make me want to throw him down on the mattress and make love until the sun goes down?

I squeeze him back and whisper, “I believe I know the feeling.”

* * *

H
unter hollers
his greeting in an ear-splitting noise when we enter the backyard. After slapping hands with his twin, Hunter crushes me in his arms. As he sets me back down on the patio, his eyes dart down to where James claims my hand and he snickers.

“I fucking knew it! That bastard Asher acted like there was nothing going on between the two of you, but…
twin intuition,
man!” Leaning in, he kisses me on the cheek and whispers, “I totally called it.”

James pushes him away from me, pretending to be angry. Or at least I
assume
he’s pretending the way his lips twist with an almost-there smile. “Quit flirting with my girl. Go cool yourself off with a beer. They’re inside by the food.”

“About time you found yourself a good one,” Hunter tells his brother, slapping him on the shoulder. “Don’t screw it up.”

“Asshole,” James mutters as his brother strolls back toward the house. Then he’s pulling me in his arms and running his lips along my jawline. I once again feel a need to drag him back to the bedroom, company be damned.

“You still feeling okay, baby?” he asks.

“I’m brilliant,” I promise, turning to meet his lips.

Despite having an audience of more friends and family that have arrived, some of which I don’t recognize, James goes wholeheartedly after the kiss, gripping my bum and gyrating his hips into mine.

I’m gobsmacked when we hear a high-pitched squealing noise calling every nearby dolphin, and break away from James to find his oldest sister, Angelina. Granted, I’m still intimidated by her timeless beauty, especially when she’s dressed as if preparing to sail the Greek islands. But I’d be lying if I claimed her reaction didn’t feel like a seal of approval that I hadn’t anticipated.

“How long has
this
been going on?” she asks, coming after me for another crushing embrace. The Kendall children sure know how to make a girl feel welcome.

“A while,” James barks out, obviously not ready to go in on the details.

“Well, I can’t believe there’s someone out there willing to put up with our James,” Angelina replies, backing away with her fingers locked through mine. “You’re well on your way to sainthood, sister.”

“That’s a bit brass, don’t you think?” I scold. “He’s been the rock for your family all these years. I would think he deserves nothing less than the utmost respect for putting everyone else’s needs ahead of his own.”

Her piecing blue eyes flitter between me and James as a blush fills her cheeks. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” Her perfectly white teeth flash when her eyes settle on her brother. “Sorry, JD. I’m glad you found someone who isn’t afraid to say what’s on her mind. You deserve to be happy.”

James merely stares at her until Evelyn appears to greet their sister, breaking the tension. I rise to my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. “I’m feeling parched. I’ll be right back with a pint for you and something far less exciting for me.”

With heavy eyes, he draws me in for a soft kiss before letting go. I feel as if my head is in the clouds as I wander off toward the house in search of a beverage. I finally understand the meaning behind the old cliché “stupid in love” and wish to shout my devotion from the rooftop. Perhaps I understand that “baby brain” nonsense Katie once mentioned as well.

Braden, looking fit as ever, seeks me out as I’m leaving the kitchen and greets me with an embrace so grand that I’m quite literally swept off my feet and nearly spill my ginger ale. He’s as built as James and wears a musk cologne that sets my heart aflutter. No use pretending the Marine Corp bit doesn’t excite me in a way Nolan’s patriotism once did either. Even in board shorts and a Billabong T-shirt, his regulation haircut gives him away as being in the military.

Once he sets me down, he slings an arm around my neck in a side-hug and flashes his deep dimples.
“Please
tell me it isn’t true about you and my brother. I can think of a dozen things I’d rather call you than my sis, and none of them are PG.”

A bright laugh falls from my lips. “Best not let him hear you say such things. You do remember he has a possessive side, yeah?”

“I can take him,” he quips, winking. “I hope you and my sister at least invited some of your hot friends. I’ve been in Japan for way too long. I need to find myself a good ol’ American woman.”

“If there are any present, I’m quite sure
they’ll
find
you,”
I tease, bumping into him with my hip. “You’re rather difficult to miss.”

“Brae!” Evelyn calls out, running to her brother.

Katie trails in behind her, stopping at my side to watch as the siblings hug and exchange words. Her eyebrows raise as her gaze fixes on Braden’s plump ass.

“Hot
damn,”
she whispers. “Having Ev’s brothers around is like being on the set of a photo shoot for Calvin Klein underwear. What in the
hell
was in the water where that family grew up? I’m going to need some alone time after watching them parade around without shirts all day. If I weren’t old enough to be that boy’s mother, I’d be willing to teach him a thing or two.”

“Hunter’s
unspoken for,” I whisper back.

“And he’s, what? A whole two years older than this one? I can’t be messing around with boys who are hardly older than my sons, Shar! People go to
jail
for that kind of thing!”