I roll my eyes. Hard. “You’re an idiot. You know that?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. But answer the question.”
“Superman has a chin dimple,” Knox offers.
As if the rock star has ever lacked for attention or needed reassurance that he’s the hottest guy in the room. I guess all it took was a shaved head to make him feel like an average Joe.
“Yes, but you aren’t the Man of Steel,” I remind my brother.
“It’s okay, baby. I like your dimple,” Ryan coos. Kissing her forefinger, then placing it against the dent in his chin.
Once again, Mark’s hand wraps around my waist, landing on my hip. I don’t miss the quick notice Owen gives the move before Mark steps in with his unsolicited opinion. “There’s no question. Have you seen this face when she smiles?” He points to my cheek, where my dimple would appear if his comment had made me smile. “If that doesn’t prove the answer to your question, I don’t know what does.”
Why is Mark so annoying when we’re around my people? On his turf, I find everything he does charming. But when you put him side by side with the men of this group, his personality doesn’t quite compare.
Owen’s eyes find mine, and one eyebrow lifts as if to say,that was cheesy as hell. His own dimples are on full display when he ends the debate. “Sorry, Knox. The man from California knows what he’s talking about. Cheek dimples for the win.”
With that, Owen sends me a sexy little wink, then continues to torture my brother about who’s sexier than who and, surprisingly, Knox is playing right along. I haven’t seen this playful side of him in so long I can’t remember when.
“These two are going to be an exhausting combination,” Ryan says under her breath to me. “We have to discourage these charm-offs whenever possible.”
Stepping away from Mark, I pull her into a hug. “All I hear in that statement is that you two are gonna be around enough for it to be an issue.”
She hugs me back but says nothing. I know she’s telling us her move here is temporary, but I see through her. She’s back for good, just like my big brother. Next to the safe arrival of my new niece, it’s the best news I’ve had all year.
When Ryan moved away for college, she swore she’d never come back. Looks like I owe Knox a thank you.
Owen’s phone pings, halting the who’s hotter debate.
“Oh, for fuck's sake,” he groans.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“No, Daisy. Things are far from okay.” His hand runs through his hair in distress. “Look what just showed up at the firehouse.” He turns his phone for us all to see.
Puppies.
It’s a litter of lab puppies. Six of them, to be exact. Four yellow and two chocolate brown.
I exhale with the relief that it’s not work calling him in for an emergency. He’s a member of the SWAT team, and I hate it.
Is it sexy? Yes.
Is it stressful? Also, yes.
Those calls aren’t an everyday occurrence here in Central Oregon, but the few times he’s been called away from a family gathering, I’m a mess until I find out he’s safe and sound.
I wish I had never joked about his drinking. Now that he doesn’t drink when we’re out, it means he's sober and can be called in. He knows I was giving him a bullshit reason for us not to be together when I said he drank too much, but annoying me is his primary goal in life, so he uses my words to torture me. Right now, I’m grateful all I have to worry about are the fur babies on his phone.
“Oh, my goodness. Look at them,” I coo.
“Bro, what is your malfunction?” Knox asks. “How do puppies piss a person off?”
“Because I don’t have time for a puppy.”
“Good thing nobody said you had to take one,” my brother counters.
“Look at them.” Owen shoves the phone closer to his face.
