“Cut it out, bro. I am immune to your ‘woe is me’shit. As usual, you’re in a situation of your own making. You have me, Miller, Mark, Mom, and a handful of friends to help ease your workload. Hell, didn’t Jenna offer to help Mom with the new puppies, but you insisted on doing it since you’ve named yourself some sort of puppy whisperer, forgetting that Mark and Jenna’s baby, Eloise is already six months old?”
I grumbled, reaching down to pet my dog’s head. She pushed her face into my hand, and I grinned as her tail thumped against the side of my desk.
“Now you cut that shit out, or I’ll tell Mom you and Brooke are trying for a baby. I don’t enjoy relying on other people for things I can do myself.”
He laughed, reaching across my desk to snatch his half-full coffee back. “I get that, but there’s a fine line between allowing others to ease your burden and burning yourself out, trying to do everything for everyone. And for the record, Brooke and I are trying for a baby.”
“Wait. What now? I had no idea.”
I stood, closing the distance between us, and hugged him tightly. He slapped my back, and I returned the gesture, both of us grinning like loons.
“Yeah. We want a big family and figured it wouldn’t hurt to start trying.” He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the receptionist’s desk, where Brooke sat, chatting on the phone with a customer. She twirled a lock of dark hair around her finger, then glanced in our direction, winking at Magnum, who returned the gesture.
“That’s. Well… Damn. Congratulations, man.”
“Thanks. But don’t tell Mom. I doubt I’d be able to perform if she started showing up, giving us tips on different positions to increase fertility.”
“Who would?” I said, cringing at the thought of our mother giving any of us sex tips.
Mark, my youngest brother, and his wife Jenna already had a baby, and now it looked like Magnum wasn’t long behind them. Miller and Emma were stupidly in love. So that left me.
Fuck.
That left me.
The oldest.
The grumpiest.
The most resistant to change.
I could see it clearly in my mind’s eye—Mom casually inviting me over for lunch, only to be bombarded by her neighbor’s friend’s niece twice removed, who had a sweet personality and was looking for a long-term relationship.
I glanced at the open door, wondering how long I could be off the grid before being tracked down. Between my police officer brother and squirrelly mother, I wouldn’t make it a week. My back hit the far-left wall of my office, and I ran my fingers through my hair, shaking my head.
Would it be so horribleifI were to meet someone?
Yes. Yes, it would.
The tulips I brought last week were probably long since dead, and I made a mental note to ask Mom for another bouquet when I stopped by later to work with the pups.
“Right. So, these plans look good. Do you want me to pass the list to Brooke so she can start ordering parts? I’ll also make a note on the calendar of what guys I can spare once the Alan project is finished.”
“Oh,” I said, pushing off from the wall and walking back to my desk, where I sat with a groan. “I’ll handle all that.”
“Nonsense.” Magnum stood, pocketed his phone, then picked up his mug, turning toward the open door. “You don’t have to do this alone. So, give me deadlines, haunt me a little, then put a fire under me, and watch as the magic happens.”
I smirked, shaking my head and pushing my glasses back to my nose. “Okay, Mag. Thanks for this.”
“Don’t mention it. Talk later.”
He waved two fingers in my direction as he walked out the door, making a beeline to Brooke’s desk before he handled his tasks for the rest of the day.
I shook my head, watching as he cupped her jaw and kissed her cheek before disappearing into the back room. Turning back to the spreadsheet, I wiggled the mouse and reached down to scratch Malibu’s head, knowing my workday was far from finished.
Chapter 6
“Mom?” I called,sliding my key into the front door of her condo and wincing as the hinges creaked, reminding me that I was supposed to WD-40 it last week. Malibu wasnot happy to be dropped off at home, but I needed time alone with the puppies to finish assessing their skills.
