Brody's grin widened. "She'll love that."
Then he did something he hadn't done since I was a kid. He stepped into the house and gave me a tight hug. My arms lifted and wrapped around him of their own volition. Muscle memory took over and I pressed in closer the way I had when I was eight and he was eleven. Back then Brody Murphy always had a hug for me.
The hug lasted for a long while, too long because my body seemed to realize that not only was I hugging a nice, warm male body, it was firm in all the right places and he smelled good.
Crap. Abort. Abort.
Before I could drop my arms and step away, there was a clatter of footsteps behind us and I heard Sierra's choked laugh. I also heard another laugh and looked behind Brody to see Ben standing on the porch. Dear God, I'd been so consumed with ogling his brother that I hadn't noticed he was there. He was also staring at the two of us with narrowed eyes, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Unhand my sister, you scoundrel!"
Brody released me with a laugh and turned to J.J. "What is this, the nineteenth century?"
My mother seemed oblivious as she came forward and enveloped Brody in a hug.
"And my mother too?" J.J. asked in mock outrage. "Pistols at dawn it is!"
I shook my head. "Have you been watching historical romances again?"
My brother sputtered. "I would never."
Sierra and I shared a look and laughed. Brody and Ben laughed as well as my mom released Brody and hugged his brother. "PBS or BBC?"
"Shut up," he grumbled as he grabbed a carrot stick off the tray in the center of the table and crunched on it.
Unfortunately, my mother wasn't as easily distracted.
"So when did this happen?" she asked, her eyes bright and happy.
Brody's mouth opened but I answered before he could. "Nothing happened, Mom."
Her brows lifted but instead of arguing with me she asked Brody, "Would you like something to drink?"
"Sure, Mrs. McClane."
Her eyes narrowed. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Colette?"
"One more," he teased her.
She huffed out a sigh and shook her head at his antics. She'd been asking him to call her by her first name since he turned eighteen, but he never did. "Well, come on then. Let's get you some sweet tea."
Brody and Ben followed her into the kitchen, leaving me with a smirking Sierra and my brother. He gaped at me, closed his mouth, then opened it again. It was one of the few times I'd ever seen him speechless.
"Sierra, can you give me a minute with my sister?" he finally asked, his voice quiet. His expression was difficult to read.
Surprisingly, Sierra did what he requested without argument.
Uneasy, I shifted and crossed my arms over my chest. "What's up, J.J.?"
My brother just stared at me. God, was that disappointment in his eyes? I couldn't be sure because J.J. had never looked at me like that before. Finally, he asked, "What are you doing, Cam?"
I frowned at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."
He frowned as well. "Why are you messing with Brody like that?"
I laughed but the sound was harsh and biting. "I'm not messing with Brody, J.J. I'm trying to be his friend."
My brother mirrored my position and crossed his arms over his chest. It was clear he didn't believe a word I'd just said. Probably because I didn't sound as convincing as I'd intended to. "He knows better than to make a move on my sister. But you—"
