I had to laugh. Some things would never change. “Nice to see you too, asshole. You going to invite me in or make me talk to you out here?” I gestured to the clouds overhead. “Pretty sure it’s going to rain in a minute.”
“Like I care.” My brother crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the doorway. “I’m nice and dry right here.”
“Austin,” Rachel called from inside. “Let your brother in. Seriously, what is wrong with you?”
“Me?” He turned around and stabbed a thumb into his chest then gestured wildly at me. “He’s the one who almost went away for drug trafficking. He’s the one who picked our asshole sperm donor time and again over us. He’s the one who burned bridges with I don’t know how many industry contacts trying to get that asshole a job he didn’t care to keep. How am I the bad guy in this situation?”
“Clearly coming here was a mistake,” I muttered to myself.
“I should’ve just asked for forgiveness instead of permission.”
“Because that’s worked so well for you?” Austin turned back to me and gave me a mocking expression that made me ache to punch it off his face.
Why’d he have to be such a smug asshole?
“Hey, I’m not sitting in a jail cell, am I?”
He took a step toward me, his fists clenched at his sides, and I squared up to him.
“Whoa.” Rachel jerked Austin’s collar back before jumping between us. “Is this seriously how you guys want to settle every argument? What the heck are you teaching Wyatt? That it’s okay to punch people? Especially when it’s family?”
All the starch left Austin, and he sagged in front of me. “No,” he muttered.
“And you.” Rachel whirled around to face me. “Aren’t you sick of all this bull…crap? Have you seriously not learned your lesson yet?”
“Me?” I shook my head. “He’s the one who squared up. I just came over here to talk about work.”
“Ha. Since when?” Austin scoffed from behind Rachel. “I’m lucky if you even show up at the shop, let alone give a shit about what’s going on.”
“Wow. Nice to know what you really think about me, bro. I seriously don’t even know why I bothered.” I turned to leave when I remembered Indy. She needed this job. She was counting on me. I couldn’t screw up this opportunity for her. Swallowing all the words I really wanted to say to my brother I faced the couple still standing in the doorway. “I’m sorry. I really do need to talk to you about work. I’d appreciate it if you could find a minute for me.”
Austin’s eyes widened over Rachel’s shoulder, and she gave me an encouraging smile. After a beat, Austin nodded. “Fine. You can come in. As long as you promise to keep it PG. Wyatt doesn’t need to be teaching the kids at preschool any new words.”
Rachel’s lips curved. “His teacher told me he enthralled them all with a rendition of ‘Highway to Hell’ at snack time yesterday.”
Austin winced.
After giving her fiancé one more warning glare, Rachel stepped back and motioned me to come in.
Just as the door closed behind me, the sound of the sky opening up echoed around us.
Austin gave me a look like he was regretting letting me inside so soon. I smirked back at him.
Blue, my brother’s Great Dane, ran up to me and immediately stuck his nose in my crotch while his entire body wiggled with happiness. I shoved his face away as I rubbed behind his ears. “Hey boy. You been good lately?”
“Uh huh,” Wyatt answered from deeper in the living room. “Mommy says I’m the bestest boy.”
I laughed. “Of course she did. That’s ‘cause you’re awesome.”
Wyatt grinned even as his shoulders came up to his ears, a blush darkening his cheeks.
“We’re just going to see what Mom is up to out back,” Rachel murmured as she swept past us to pick up her son who squealed and whined about the Legos they were leaving behind.
“Oh, you don’t have to leave,” I protested. “I don’t want to kick you out of your house. Especially in this weather.”
“If you’d paid attention to anything other than your own drama, you’d know that we can go from the house to the mother-in-law quarters without being outside.” Austin shook his head. “Kind of a requirement with Trish’s needs.”
I winced. Rachel’s mom was a paraplegic and wheelchair bound. So that made sense.
