“But I get it now. She was protecting me. Was she overbearing? Sometimes. Did she make all the right choices? Probably not. But she was trying to keep me from the situations where that one thing—that one life-altering event that I couldn’t come back from—might happen. She had to weigh the pros and cons of each situation and make a game-time decision, knowing that if she made the wrong one, it would be her fault. Or she’d feel like it was, anyway.” I smile. “And now? I have a great life. I’ve traveled the world and had important jobs. I get to have experiences now and, I promise you—the experiences as an adult are head and shoulders better than anything you could have as a teenager. I swear it.”
I don’t have to look at Chase to know he’s grinning.
His foot taps the top of mine before he slides it back and sits up again.
“Well, now that both of you are against me …” She sighs and looks at the door. “Hey! There’s Uncle Luke.”
Our attention turns to a younger version of Chase and Gavin walking to the table.
Luke is a touch shorter and thinner than Chase but carries the same playfulness I associate with Gavin. His hair is styled to the side. His legs are clad in denim, and a flannel shirt sets atop a white T-shirt.Is that a gold chain around his neck?
“Fucking great,” Chase mutters just loud enough for me to hear.
“What do you know?” Luke says, sitting beside me like we’re long-lost buddies. “It’s like I saw your truck out there and came in to see what’s happening.”
“What are you doing in Brickfield?” Kennedy asks, clearly smitten with her uncle.
“Well,” he says, narrowing his eyes and earning a giggle from his niece. “You are entirely too young and innocent for me to divulge such things.”
Kennedy makes a show of rolling her eyes.
Luke turns to me and smirks. His chin hosts the same dimple as Chase’s. There’s a hint of mischief in his eyes that I’m familiar with—Gavin has the same one.
“You must be the woman everyone is talking about,” he grins.
“Luke…” Chase warns.
“I am the woman everyone is talking about,” I say, feeling him out. “My name is Megan, and it’s nice to meet you.”
Luke seems impressed. “
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” I tell him.
“Is that so?”
“Yup.”
“It was all good, right?” he asks. “My brothers have a habit of making me look bad because they’re so intimidated by my good looks.”
Chase snorts.
“It was mostly good,” I say. “Gavin talked a little crap, but it wasn’t too bad.”
Luke’s jaw drops. “That bastard.”
Everyone at the table chuckles, and I’m relaxed once again.
“Dad,” Kennedy says. “Can I get a cookie?”
“You just had a milkshake. Do you need more sugar?”
Luke huffs and pulls out his wallet. He takes out a five-dollar bill and hands it over to his niece. “Yes, she needs more sugar. What kind of question is that?”
“Don’t tell Uncle Gav, but you’re my favorite,” Kennedy says.
Luke winks at her. “If he starts pulling on me, let me know. I have to stay ahead.”
Kennedy gives him a thumbs-up and leaves for the ordering counter. As soon as she’s gone, Luke leans in.
