Scott blushed darkly, rolling the sleeve a little further up to reveal a black paw print. “It’s, uh. It’s to match Charlie’s. He didn’t tell me that the healing process is gross.”
“It wouldn’t have been nearly as gross if you moisturized properly like I told you,” Charlie said, his tone suggesting that this wasn’t the first time they’d had this discussion.
“So you guys havematching tattoosnow?” Riley raised an eyebrow.
Charlie grinned at him. “We’re disgusting.”
“You are actually disgusting,” Riley agreed. “I’m offended by how in love you are.”
“Jude wants matching tattoos,” Owen said. “So I’m never, ever forgiving either of them.”
Riley chuckled at that. Of course Jude wanted matching tattoos. Jude had been in love with Owen since they were in grade school.
Riley had been able to tell since the moment he’d met him, because he’d been in love with Brent. Even before he really understood what love was.
“But you’re gonna get the tattoo, right?” Riley asked.
Owen was in love with Jude, too. Owen would have done anything for Jude.
“Obviously. We’re in negotiations about designs, but it does help to be married to an award-winning illustrator.”
Owen hadn’t shut up about the award Jude won last year since it happened. He was so proud of him.
Riley was maybe more than alittlejealous of them. He didn’t begrudge his brothers their happiness at all, but he wished he could have the same thing.
And no one but Brent would be good enough.
They weren’t there yet. Not by a long shot.
But Riley was starting to let himself hope that theycouldbe, one day. Someday when he’d worked up the courage to be honest, when he’d worked up the courage to stay and risk getting his heart broken.
“All these beautiful young men in my house, and not one of them helping me set the table,” Mrs. Jules said from behind Charlie’s shoulder.
“I’ll do it,” Riley offered. “You guys go relax.”
Before anyone could object, he squeezed his way into the kitchen, striding over to grab plates from the cupboard.
They onlyjustowned enough for everyone, now that Kayla was old enough for her own plate, but that was kind of nice.
“Full house,” Riley commented as he started spreading out the stack of plates. “You’re gonna need a bigger table if I ever settle down.”
“You haven’t told Brent how you feel yet,” Riley’s mom responded without looking over at him. “I wasn’t sure, I thought maybe you’d done it years ago and he’d knocked you back. But you just never did, did you? I can see something’s changed.”
Riley blinked at her, his pulse pounding in his ears. “Could we lower this to a whisper?” he murmured.
He didn’t need Brent walking in and overhearing them right now.
How did his mom know?
Well.
That was a silly question. She didn’t need to be told to know. She could justknow.
“You should tell him,” she continued, not lowering her voice at all.
No one was going to hear them from the living room. This house had old, thick walls, and sound didn’t really travel much.
That knowledge didn’t stop Riley from panicking a little.
