Wow. I feel sorry for the woman, to be rejected by her fiancé and his entire family. None of the brothers look like they want to be on her side. If she were on fire, they’d just watch. Noah might pull out some marshmallows.
On the other hand, I feel sorry for Sebastian, too, for having to marry Lucienne Peery. There’s no scandal she isn’t attached to somehow. And apparently she goes through men like tampons.
The brothers start tossing out suggestions to get her to break off the engagement. Amy reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Don’t worry. Whenever these guys get together, they get a bit overdramatic.”
I glance at the lively discussion among the men on how to “protect” Sebastian. I’m not sure if it’s overdramatic. More like overprotective. Sebastian seems like a capable guy, even if his fiancée is as awful as Huxley claims. But seeing how much they care about each other is sweet. It makes me adore Grant more, if that’s even possible.
“All of them take everything that happens to any one of them personally,” Amy adds. “And they do the same with what happens to their women, too.”
Sierra smiles. “I love it. They didn’t come from the most normal family, but they’refamilyin the truest sense of the word. They have your back. Always.”
I smile. “Good to know.”
“So, when’s the wedding?” Amy asks.
“I’m not sure. We aren’t even engaged yet,” I say with a smile. Grant’s taking his time. I think he’s ready to ask, because he looks at me like he’s dying to say something before catching himself. Maybe he wants to make sure I’m emotionally ready. He knows losing Grandpa messed me up. But he doesn’t seem to realize that having his unconditional love has helped me heal faster. Every day, I feel a little bit more surefooted. A little happier and more optimistic.
“Knowing Grant, he’ll propose soon,” Amy says before taking a bite of roast beef. “When he wants something, he goes for it. If anything’s in the way, he steamrolls it.”
“You may be right,” I say. “He’s agreed to have me meet his father tomorrow.”
“You’re going to meet Ted Lasker?” Amy nearly shrieks.
An abrupt silence falls on the table. All six brothers swivel their heads at Grant, then at me, then back at Grant.
Noah looks stricken. “I thought you said you loved her.”
Emmett shakes his head. “You’re either really brave or really stupid.”
Sebastian gives Grant an expression full of mourning. “I hope her love can overcome what you’re about to do to her.”
“What?” I say. “I told him I’d love to meet his dad, and he said okay. Why should he hide me from his father?”
“Oh, it isn’t that he’s hiding you from Dad,” Nicholas says. “More along the lines of hiding Dad from you.”
I frown.That’s an odd way to put it.Grant did seem a little nervous when he agreed to introduce me to his father, but his brothers are acting like Ted Lasker carries both Ebolaandthe Black Plague.
“It’s okay,” Huxley says to me. His tone is extra grave. “No matter what happens, we’ve got you. You’re one of us now.”
Chapter Sixty
Grant
If I had it my way, Aspen and I would be doing anything other than meeting my dad. And if we had to suffer the ordeal, we’d do it in a cabin on top of a mountain so remote you couldn’t get cell reception.
But no. He insisted on having a Sunday brunch at Jean-Georges. So everyone’s going to see us. Maybe even take photos.
After all, that’s where you go to be seen. And to be honest, I prefer not to go there, because it reminds me of how colossally I screwed up fourteen years ago. But she said yes to everything Dad asked for.
Ugh. Justugh.
My phone pings—again. My brothers sent dozens of texts last night after leaving my place.
–Griffin: You really sure about this?
–Noah: I have a way to slip an elephant laxative into his coffee before he leaves home. Just say the word.
–Huxley: That’s disgusting.
