Hmm. Her daughter seemed awfully polite.
Harry smiled up at Maggie. “I had the pleasure of video chatting—briefly—with your daughter as well.”
Behind him, Lisa smiled. “I’m Lisa. We met. This is Nadia, my big sister. You met her too.”
Emily grinned. “Hi. This is neat. Are you here for brunch too?”
Everyone turned to Reggie, who looked a little ill. “Sure. The more, the merrier.”
“Oh, good.” Nadia moved back to her brother and slung an arm up and around her brother’s shoulders. She squeezed him tightly. “I’ll go in and help him in the kitchen while you guys stay out here. We’ll be back.” Nadia smiled, but Reggie didn’t look so pleased.
Then Harry asked Maggie about her arm, and she turned her attention to the charming man by her side instead of the scared one walking with his sister as if about to face a firing squad.
***
Reggie swore to himself. What had he been thinking to cancel brunch with the family? He should have gone, then come home and met with Maggie and Emily. Except he’d wanted to impress Maggie with his cooking skills.
Idiot.
“So.” Nadia stood there, leaning against the counter while Reggie added more eggs to his scramble. “Sickie isn’t too sick after all.”
He fake coughed when he drew closer to her. “I think I’m allergic toyou.”
“We were worried. You never miss brunch unless you’re working.”
“I tried today.”
“Tried and failed.” Nadia snorted. “Here we are, trying to do a good thing looking out for you, and you’re here with a woman and her cute kid. And don’t even try pretending you’re nothing but friends. I can tell.”
“I barely looked at her.”
“Ha. My proof.”
Reggie rolled his eyes. Nadia was weird.
“So, this is Maggie. The one-armed chick with the adorable daughter.” Nadia frowned. “Are they taking Frank?”
“Maybe.”
She sighed. “I guess that’s okay.” She watched him work, not offering to help. Nadia loathed kitchen duties. And chores. And baking. Basically, anything she considered “domestic.” She’d instigated the be-my-butler game with him as a kid. He’d spent years thinking it normal to wait on his sister hand and foot until his father had caught on and fixed things.
Reggie smiled politely. “Please, don’t help. Just watch me.”
“Okay.” She smiled. “Liar.”
“Nadia…”
“Why didn’t you tell anyone you had plans? That would have been much better to swallow than that you ditched us for your new honey.”
“And her daughter.” Not what he should have said, he realized, when her eyes narrowed. “I just meant I’m not here seducing anyone. I invited them over to seethe dog. Period. But I knew if I mentioned it to you guys, you’d be all over me about an Amy do-over or that I’m repeating patterns.” He groaned. “Can’t I just make brunch for my new friends?”
“Sure you can.” Her voice gentled. “But when you can’t stop staring at her legs, or you keep glaring at Dad for getting too close to her, we can kind of tell you like her a lot more than in a friendly kind of way.”
“Damn it.”
“And now, swearing like a sailor.” She tsked, her stupid grin way too wide. “You’re surely on the path to no good. Lying, swearing. What else have you been up to, little brother?”
“Sistercide, if you keep talking.”
