“What did he make?” Brody asked, turning to me as though Desmond didn’t exist.
I hesitated. “He made a really good salad,” I began when Brody guffawed, a hearty laugh that put me at ease.
“Argh, he took the easy way out,” Brody insisted.
“And chicken alfredo soup,” I continued.
“Still not too hard. Des could do that.”
“And braised short ribs.”
Brody’s mouth dropped open at that. “I used to hear stories about how Desmond would always burn toast when he was a teenager. Every morning. His mom would always be worried about the fire truck showing up while he was getting ready for school.”
“I was always in a hurry,” Desmond added, putting an arm around me.
Brody grinned. “I know why,” he said with a meaningful look at me.
I blushed. Desmond used to rush over to my house and walk me to school.
Desmond turned and winked at me while he poured us each a glass of red wine. “I had a great reason to hurry,” hesaid, handing us our glasses. “Five minutes more with Ava before school began? You bet I hurried.”
I tried to hide my smile behind my glass.
Brody turned to me, his face wicked serious. “I need to warn you though. Des has become very overprotective of the people he loves ever since school ended.”
I read between the lines.Ever since Desmond’s mother passed.
“That’s not a bad thing,” I said.
Brody shook his head. “Did he tell you how a missed call from me makes him think I’ve collapsed somewhere? He rushes out of whatever meeting he’s in to try to get to me.”
I nodded, remembering the time we were trapped together in the elevator. “I think I was witness to one such occasion.”
Brody’s eyes widened in surprise. “You know? And you can still stand to be around this man?”
“Excuse me,” Desmond interrupted. “Might I remind you that you’re my brother and you’re supposed to be rooting for me?”
Brody groaned and turned around to look at me. “Though, now that I think of it, he hasn’t overreacted to my missed calls in the past few weeks. Might you be the reason why?”
I wriggled out of Desmond’s grip. “I’ll let Desmond answer that question for me.”
Desmond walked over, spatula in hand, looking very domestic in his apron. I wanted to reach up and kiss him.
He put his arm around me, and when I turned up to smile at him, he dropped a kiss on my lips. Like he’d just read my mind.
I love this man, I realized.I’m hopelessly and completely in love with him.
“Oh, I can tolerate him all right,” I said when Desmond broke apart with a grin.
Desmond turned to Brody. “See that? She’s a keeper.”
Brody grinned. “Well, considering how you’re becoming almost normal now, I’ll hold you to those words.”
38
DESMOND
“Goodbye. And drive safe,” I said as we stood on the curb outside my apartment building and waved to Brody before he drove away.
