“I thought you liked Jackson, Billy?” My brothers and he were always tight.
“I love the guy but I just have to bust his balls. I want what’s best for him, but he’s not doing anything to help himself either. I mean, just last night he was out until after one in the morning.”
“You’d know that how?” my mom asks, with a slight tone in her voice.
Billy looks triumphant. “Because I was with him!” he yells, and we laugh. God, my brother is the ultimate playboy. He’ll never settle down and brags about avoiding it. My poor mother is dying for grandkids and at the rate all her kids are going, Frosty will be nothing but a few drops of condensation by the time it happens.
This time it’s Adam who knocks Billy around. “Stop encouraging the guy. Let him go home when he wants. I think half the time it’s town talk making up these ghost stories. When’s the last time you saw the guy leaving a bar with a girl? Huh?”
I’m taking this all in.I’ve read the gossip magazines and columns, all flaunting Gage and his latest conquest.The parties, the events, of course, being top pick in the NFL opened new doors for him and behind those doors were easy women. I guess I can’t blame the guy.
Coming from a small town and then being thrust into a world of glamour and booze, and women… he was a nineteen-year-old kid. No one guided him, except my dad, but I think he was too late by the time Jackson came home and they had a chat. It’s why I studied sports management in college. He could have used me for PR back then. Maybe I could have kept him on the straight and narrow.
But if my brother is saying all the talk lately is just that, talk, then maybe I should change my view of Jackson.The rag mags have been slow with his stories lately. Maybe he is lying low, trying to change his ways.
“Whatever. Gage is my hero,” Billy says.
I roll my eyes and gather my stuff. “Mom, thanks fordinner. Let’s talk tomorrow about the festival, okay?” I lean in and give mom and dad a kiss, then for each of my brothers. “Love you guys.”
Adam walks out with me to my car, Billy and Tom still inside grabbing the leftovers. “Why did we take two cars?” I laugh. “We live next door to each other.”
Adam smiles. “I love that block. Everyone’s so close. You get to talk to Britt yet?” Britt is Jackson's sister, my absolute best friend from the time we were in grade school. She’s the only one I kept in contact with after all this time. It’s like we couldn’t shake each other if we tried.
“We keep missing each other, but we made plans for tomorrow night. Wine night at my house,” I smile.
“Just keep the noise down. I heard your landlord is a real asshole,” Adam laughs.
“No way, he’s the best big brother anyone could have!” I jump on his back and hug him, making kissy noises.
“Ugh gross, get a life!” he yells. “Jesus, I definitely didn’t miss that!”
“Ha, yeah right, you love me and I’m your favorite.”
He opens my door for me, and I slide in and start it up. “Remember what I said? A locked door keeps Jackson away.”
“Why are you so worried about him sneaking in my house, big bro?” I raise a brow. “Does he think I’m pretty?” I flutter my eyelashes.
“He thinks everyone is pretty. That’s the problem.”
Laughing, “Relax Adam, I’m a big girl.” I close my door and he shakes his head whilst walking away, but not before I hear him say, “That’s what I’m afraid of.”
What does that mean? What does my brother think he knows?
Chapter 5
Francesca
“Oh, thank God you’re home!” Britt runs through my front door, throws a bag of snacks and three bottles of wine on my kitchen island. Then she grabs me in a hug and swings me around.
Britt and her husband, Bobby, live in the house diagonal from me, next to Jackson. I love hearing the story of when they all started buying these homes together. I think Jackson did it to kick start my brother’s business, but then everyone wanted to get in on it. Slowly, they watched and waited for houses to become available. With Bobby in real estate his company—Get Shacked Up—is the number one realtor in the County. And with my brother updating the houses, a compound formed and slowly this block became our own.
“Ahh, I missed you so much!” I return her hug and we laugh and dance around the kitchen.
“You look great! It’s been too long! I haven’t seen you since my wedding! And I’ve been married for three years already!” That wedding was a perfect night. It was everything Britt had always dreamed of, since we were little girls, dreaming of our wedding at sleepovers.
Also, it was one of the last times I spent any real time with Jackson. We were both in the wedding party, but not matched up.I couldn’t help but stare at him and his date all night, wishing it wasme, but almost relieved it wasn’t. I most likely would have embarrassed myself in front of him, getting caught up in the romance of a wedding.
“How is married life treating you?”
