I snort at him. “Uh-huh.”
“Didn’t know Ciarán was gonna be here…” he mutters, looking at his feet.
My brows furrow as I peek at Ciarán and Rose through the shelves. “Um, yeah. He came by not too long ago. Is that a problem?”
My brother sniffs, shaking his head. “Course not, Rose loves seeing him.”
Well, at least he can acknowledge that.
He looks back at the nook adoringly, then looks around the store, a contemplative look on his face.
“So, it’s going okay having Noah here?”
“Yeah, it’s been good. We’ve gotten to know each other a lot more, and he’s… great.”
Those words aren’t enough to describe what I think of Noah, how glad I am that he moved in.
Aiden’s eyes soften. “Good. I meant what I said this morning. I’m proud of you, Gabe. I know things have been hard, but I see how far you’ve come.”
My cheeks heat. “Thank you,” I mumble, though I still feel guilty for hiding so much from him.
“That’s what big brothers are for.”
“You’re younger than me. You seem to forget that a lot.”
He grins. “Yeah, but have you seen my arms? I’m the big one.” He flexes, making me roll my eyes. He’s such an idiot at times. We step into the aisle leading to the nook.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he calls out, and two heads of dark curls turn his way. Green and cerulean eyes find him.
Rose practically sprints to Aiden, shouting, “Papa!”
He lifts her, kisses her on the head, and turns to me. “Thanks for watching her.”
“Anytime.”
His eyes slide to Ciarán, and he gives him a reluctant nod. Ciarán gives a wave to them both. “Bye, Rose.”
She’s still waving frantically as they leave.
After the shop closes, Abbie arrives armed with wine and snacks. We set up camp in the book nook at the back of the store, where we always do book club.
“Time for literary excellence,” Abbie announces, tossing herself onto the floor cushions.
“We’re readingMy Knotty Beta, by Silas Flame,” Ciarán says, waving the paperback like a preacher holding a religious text.
I take a seat. “This is the one with the, um…”
“The knotting, obviously,” Ciarán supplies, far too helpfully.
Abbie giggles. “And the beta topping the alpha for the first time. In a lake. During a thunderstorm.”
“Ah, yes. The height of realism.”
Ciarán clutches his chest. “How dare you!”
“I’m not judging,” I say quickly, grinning. “Just… mentally revising my idea of outdoor recreation.”
They launch into an animated rehash of the first chapter, Ciarán pausing to add exaggerated sound effects. Abbie snorts into her wine, nearly choking. Ciarán grabs the book and begins a reading of a particularly explicit paragraph, complete with gestures that have me covering my face.
