Maya Silver
I miss the days when I could get a good coffee for less than $5.
A small blonde barrels into me, stealing my attention from my phone. My niece grins up at me, a half-smeared Bobcat face painted on her cheek. “Hi, Uncle Coley. I’m hungry.”
“Hi, princess.” I hoist her up into my arms, relishing the way she snuggles into my neck. “Let’s go get you a snack.”
Violet nods, making her tight curls bounce. “Yay!”
I find my mom in the kitchen with an exasperated frown hardening her features. It only takes an instant to locate the reason for the look. Across the room, Logan’s hovering over the dip bowl, dunking pita chips in like it’s an Olympic event. I swear he doesn’t even chew before he swallows and goes for another. Jake and Cameron watch with horrified fascination while Lily—who’s wrapped around Cam’s back like a tiny monkey—giggles uncontrollably.
We cross the room to run interference. “Save some for the rest of the room, man.”
Logan pouts, his bottom lip stuck out. “I may be your future brother-in-law. Cut me some slack.”
The asshole shoots me a saccharine smile, fully aware that he’s opening me up to a level-five interrogation. If my hands weren’t occupied with holding Violet, I’d stab him in the eye with the serving fork on the counter in front of me. The last thing I need is for my mother to get involved in my love life. Or lack thereof, considering I’m stuck in the friend zone.
My mom pushes the spinach artichoke dip closer to him.Traitor.“What do you mean?”
Logan happily scoops a heaping glob of dip onto a chip and pops it into his mouth. “We’re dating siblings. That’s like one degree of separation from being brothers.”
My mom’s jaw nearly hits the tiled floor, and her golden-brown eyes that so closely resemble my own widen. “You—what? I—you have a girlfriend?”
“No, I d?—”
“Nicholas Henry Berrett, how could you keep this from me?” Before I can answer, she launches into a breathless string of questions.
For a moment, I massage my temples, letting her wear herself out. “Mom,” I finally interrupt. “Mom.”
With a sharp inhale, she rests a hand on my forearm. “Sorry, honey. I’m excited is all. You haven’t been interested in a relationship since… it’s just been a while.”
Briefly shutting my eyes, I take a deep breath. “I’m not dating anyone, Mom. Logan’s just being a… D-bag.”
“What’s a D-bag?” Violet whispers not so loudly.
My stomach sinks. Dammit. “Um… it’s a diaper bag.”
“Because Logan’s smelly,” Cameron adds with a chuckle.
Jake bites his lip. “And you want to throw him in the trash immediately.”
“So youaren’tseeing anyone?” my mom asks, her brow creased.
I shake my head, my lips pressed together, and her face falls, as if I just told her that I hate her raisin crumb cake.
Violet leans over and taps on my mom’s shoulder to get her attention. “It’s okay, Nana. Don’t be sad. Mommy said we have to be patient for Uncle Coley to bring home my new auntie.”
Lily nods over Cam’s shoulder, as if my dating life is a common dinner topic. “Or uncle,” she suggests. “My friend Angela has an uncle who is married to her other uncle.”
Violet tilts her head and eyes the ceiling, then nods. “Yeah. As long as Goose likes him, we’ll like him, too, I bet.”
Logan chokes on the pita chip he’s munching on, and Jake pats his back, although he’s buried his face in his shoulder to hide his laughter. Cam cackles, not even bothering to hide his amusement.Assholes.
“That’s right, girls,” my mom says, giving them a reassuring smile. “Your uncle can be with whoever makes him happy.”
“I have seen him check out my junk a time or two.” Logan pops another chip into his mouth and crunches it with his teeth obnoxiously. “So you may not be wrong.”
Cameron whoops out a laugh, startling me from my thoughts. My mom fights a smile as she takes Violet from my arms and helps Lily off Cam’s back. “Why don’t we go get ready for bed, girls? You can show the boys your cool hockey pajamas.”
