“Ew, he’s my brother.Please.”
“Sorry.” She laughed. “I’m just saying he had me all hot and bothered. That kind of attraction doesn’t come around every day, so if Finn does that for you, you owe it to yourself to findoutwhy.”
“I guess,” Imumbled.
“No. I don’t accept that answer,” Casey said, flashing me the affecting smile that no doubt brought Jake to hisknees.
“What answerwillyou accept?” I lamented, flustered by her gushing cuteness. Maybe this was why I didn’t have female friends. All they wanted to talk about was feelings and having sex with mybrother.
After giving Casey her required ‘Yes, ma’am,’ I walked back into the spa room with my tail between my moisturized legs. I immediately went to my mother and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. I stopped short of a verbal apology because she really did have the snippy beatdowncoming.
Mom beamed with delight at my repentance, and all was forgiven. Amazing. That’s why she was a mom and I was not. I wasn’t sure I’d have the patience and understanding to deal with a bitchlikeme.
During the massage, I allowed my mind to wander back to the early morning hours when I was getting a rubdown of a very different sort. I really hadn’t planned on any of it. He was supposed to stay on the damn couch, but of course, nothing ever seemed to follow a pattern with Finn. The dude was acting perfectly fine, carrying me around the carnival like I was a ragdoll, and then, all of a sudden, when it was time for bed, his ribs start breaking right and left? I mean,really?
It was his unpredictability that drove me crazy and forced stupid decisions, like inviting him for breakfast. I still didn’t know how that happened. When I’d woken him up this morning, I’d had every intention of shooing him from my room. He was a stray pup who’d worn out his welcome, but one smile, one tease, one touch of his sweaty hand and I was falling all over myself to parade him in front of myfamily.
Of course my mother would fall for him, what with all his ‘mom whisperer’ skills. Plus it didn’t hurt that he was single and beautiful… andsingle.
And of course my dad would fall under his spell as well because Finn was witty and fun, and it was to be expected that he’d want to spend one of his many birthday days with a guylikethat.
This whole scenario was just too dangerous. The more time he spent out of his kennel, the more attached they’d all become. Before I knew it, he’d have a spot on my couch and be swiping food off the counter. Regardless of what Casey said about opening myself up to possibilities, I simply could not trust myself around Finn, and for that reason he needed to go. As soon as we got to the venue, I’d pull him aside and let him know he wouldn’t be sharing my bed tonight no matter how charming and gorgeous he tried to be. From this point forth, I was putting myself back in charge, and that meant no sappy feelings for me until I was sure Finn was goneforgood.
When the girlsand I arrived at the fairgrounds later in the afternoon, all relaxed and smelling like we’d been rotated in lavender, my focus was clear: find Finn. But when we arrived at the main stage and headed around back, we found Jake and Kyle, but no Dad, no Keith, and no Quinn. Oh, crap. Were they taking Finn for a walk around the block? Just exactly how much bonding had he managed to get in with the males in my family, while I’d been at the spa thinking of ways todumphim?
Jake was busy, so I went to Kyle for thescoop.
He perked up when he saw me coming. “Oh my god.” Kyle fussed with an exaggerated wave of his hand. “Look at you! Was anyone else hurt in theaccident?”
I fought the urge to laugh… or whack him in the nuts. Each would have been equally satisfying, but once I lost control, he would win, and that was not an option. “You know, Kyle, somewhere out there is a sad little tree, tirelessly producing oxygen so you can continue breathing. I think you owe it anapology.”
He nodded, pleased with my comeback, and shot one right backatme.
“I love what you’ve done with your hair, Em. How do you get it to come out of your nostrilslikethat?”
“It really is extraordinary,” I countered. “100,000 sperm and you were the fastestswimmer.”
We grinned at one another for a couple of seconds before Kyle relented. “Well, I think I’m good now. Whataboutyou?”
“Yep, got it out of my system,” Iagreed.
“Excellent. It’s been fun. So to what do I owe the pleasure of yourvisit?”
“Do you know whereFinnis?”
“Finn?” He feigned ignorance. “Oh, you mean the guy dad did the old magic flossing tonguetrickon?”
“Hedidn’t!”
Just because it was his birthday week didn’t give my father the right to performmagic.
“Oh, but he did.” Kyle nodded hisapproval.
“Dammit. I just don’t get it. Does he carry dental floss around in his pocket for just such anoccasion?”
“I don’t know, but after he had successfully tied the floss with his tongue, your Spiderman raised the bar and did this whole climbing up the wall thing, and it was bad ass. I think I might have peed myself alittlebit.”
“He climbedawall?”
