Ethan laughs, shaking his head.“See? Even Mama agrees.”
As soon as Lily’s attention shifts toward me, Cas lightly whacks Ethan on the head. Ethan yelps, rubbing his skull, while Cas smirks like he’s done nothing wrong.
I bite back a laugh, shaking my head at them. The table erupts into playful chaos, laughter, chatter, forks scraping, glasses clinking, while Grace giggles beside me, whispering,“You two are ridiculous.”
I lean toward Cas, whispering under my breath,“I still think it fits you, Butterfingers.”
He leans back, dark gaze locking on me, crooked grin spreading.“Butterfingers, huh? Funny… because I know exactly how to use my hands when it matters most.”
I freeze, stomach fluttering, fingers tightening around my fork. I can’t meet his eyes, but the heat radiating off him sets my cheeks ablaze. My heart hammers, every nerve alive.
“Oh,” I whisper, breathless.
He tilts his head, grin still wicked.“Is it getting too hot in here, Penny? You look all flushed.” Several heads turn our way, but Grace smirks, whispering,“Try not to faint in front of everyone.”
I clear my throat, shifting the conversation.“This dinner was delicious, Lily.”
The men snicker.
“Thank you, Penny,” Lily says warmly, standing to clear the plates. I move to help, but she waves me off.“No, I’ve got it. Didn’t you say earlier you wanted to talk to the men?” she adds, winking at Grace.
“Yeah,” I reply, glancing around the table at all the eyes on me.
“Behave!” Lily calls over her shoulder, shaking her head at the boys’sheepish faces as she walks out with a handful of dishes.
Cas leans back, his grin gone, eyes sharp, fixed on me in a way that makes my chest tighten.
I glance at Grace, whose panic is written all over her face. I give her a soft, reassuring smile, trying to calm her nerves. The brothers follow my gaze. Dex groans, running a hand through his hair.“Is this about Grace?”
Grace swallows hard, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table. I notice Ethan’s jaw flex, his eyes narrowing slightly, and I can feel the weight of all their attention pressing down on us.
“Yes,” I admit, squaring my shoulders.“But first, I need you all to promise me something. Let me finish speaking before you react.”
I look at Cas. His eyebrow quirks up, amused but attentive. The rest of them nod.
“All right… Grace has a date this Saturday.”
Immediately, the mood shifts.
“Nope.”
“No way.”
“Over my dead body.”
Josh raises a hand, commanding silence.“Let her finish,” he says firmly. The boys grumble, the smiles disappearing.
“Mark was my first boyfriend,” I begin, voice steady despite the tension. All eyes turn toward me.“I was twenty. I never had time to date as a teenager because I had to care for my father. I went to college completely ignorant on the matter of boys, love, and dating.” I take a deep breath.“I met Mark in college and fell for his sweet words and attention immediately. I now realize my lack of experience made me the perfect target.”
Cas shakes his head, disbelief and concern in his eyes.“You’re not ignorant, Sunset.”
I smile faintly.“Now I’m not. But I had to make a big mistake to learn the difference between genuine love and… well… not.” I glance at Grace.“If you want her to understand love safely, she needs the chance to date, learn about herself, and be surrounded by family while doing it.”
I look down, chest tight.“I didn’t have that. I had no one to talk to after dates, no one to help me make sense of flowers or attention… I would have loved to have all of you as brothers. Grace is lucky to have such a protective family. But the best defense she’ll have in college is knowledge, gained through her experiences.”
Grace fidgets, twisting the tablecloth nervously.
“Who is it?” Cas asks, finally breaking the tension.
