“Oh, we’vemet, Brantley noted, staring at Trey. “We just haven’t been introduced since”—he waved his hand in Trey’s direction—“the change in his Facebook relationship status occurred.”
Trey ignored him, then took Ava’s hand and led her toward the table. “Ava, I’d like you to meet my sisters, Tori, Sadie, and Bryn. And this is April, my soon-to-be sister-in-law.”
Brantley glanced at Magnus, whose attention was now on Tesha. The dog trainer had never met a dog he didn’t like, and because he’d taught Tesha everything she knew, she happened to be his biggest fan.
Brantley elbowed Reese, urging him to say something.
Reese glared back at him.
Brantley rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll ask.”
“No, you won’t.”
Brantley flashed awatch megrin and waited until Magnus looked up. “So, this is a thing, huh? The three of you? If you don’t mind me askin’, what exactlyisyour intention with my brother?”
“Shut it, Walker,” Magnus muttered, laughing as the color in his cheeks rose.
Brantley dropped all pretense of teasing and walked over to shake Magnus’s hand. As soon as Magnus’s palm touched him, Brantley jerked him in for a hug. “Seriously, man,” he said softly, “I’m very happy for all three of you.”
“Thanks.”
When he released Magnus, he turned to find Trey and Ava standing there.
“You remember my pain in the ass brother, Brantley,” Trey introduced.
Without preamble, Ava hugged him. Remembering how fragile she’d been the last time he’d seen her, instinct kicked in, and he was careful as he hugged her back.
“Good to see you,” Reese told her when she went to hug him too.
“So it’s really a thing?” Brantley asked Trey.
“It’s really a thing,” Trey said with a grin.
A knock sounded from the front of the house, and Meghan raced to get it, shouting, “Aunt JJ’s here! Oh, wow! She’sbig!”
“Hey, now.I’mnot big. The babies are big.”
Baz’s laughter echoed from the front room.
A moment later, JJ and Baz joined them in the kitchen. The moment she saw Ava, she gave the woman a hug, clearly not surprised to find her and Magnus there with Trey.
Not that Brantley was, either. He knew something was going on with his brother, but Trey hadn’t bothered to clue him in on the details. Then again, he knew exactly what it felt like to have that new love and to want to keep it to yourself for a little while. But it was the first time in a long time he’d seen his brother truly happy, and it looked damn good on the man.
“Who’s ready to eat?” Iris asked.
“That means set the table,” Frank said, barking the command the same as he had back when they’d all been growing up in this very house.
The sound of chairs scooting and butts lifting echoed in the space as everyone moved to do their chore of getting the dining room table prepared for the feast.
***
“Are you excited?” Bryn asked, her questionaimed at Reese.
Since they’d been talking about the upcoming wedding for the past ten minutes, Reese didn’t ask her to clarify.
He finished chewing and nodded. “I am, yes.”
“Are you nervous?” Meghan asked from beside him. “I mean, you’ve gottastand upin front ofallthose people. Everyone’s gonna bewatchin’ you. Doesn’t thatfreakyou out?”
