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Austin threw up his hands. “All right, calm down. I’m not sure these days.”

Archer gestured toward Wild Pines, sweeping his hand across the line of cabins. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of busy.”

“With Wild Pines shit? Seriously, you don’t have to be the person running this place.”

Heat flared in his chest. “Then who will Austin?! There’s no one!”

His voice echoed across the lawn.

Tea and Riley startled in their chairs, turning their heads in their direction.

Austin grabbed his arm and pulled him away from their gaze, to the shadows of his cabin. “Is that really how you feel? That there’s no one else so you have to do the job?”

Archer hesitated. It was enough to send a message to his brother.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Austin pried. “I thought you loved this place. I thought this was part of your dream.”

“Because I knew you never wanted it, and I couldn’t let Dad down.”

“You could have. I didn’t allow myself to be burdened by it, and neither should you.”

Archer flipped his hat backward and rubbed his eyes. “It’s…fine. For now. It’s not like cocktail lounges are open.”

Austin squinted his eyes. “Fine. But when they reopen—because they will, man—I want a thorough update. It’s not like Dad sat around twiddling his thumbs during the off season, he helped manage that Hy-Vee in Saint Paul during the winter. You’ll have the opportunity to still do your thing.” He pointed to the women, now back to settling in their chairs, avoiding them. “And I mean, of course you’re fine right now. You have some smoking hot help to keep you company.”

Archer flipped him off.

Austin’s laugh felt like it rumbled the earth beneath them. “I knew you were still sweet on her.”

Archer looked up to the sky and didn’t say anything. He wanted to tell his asshole of a brother that he was wrong, but the words wouldn’t surface. Was he still sweet on her?

Austin poked a finger to the center of his chest, then pressed hard. “No compromising. No falling apart.”

“You’re not going to tell me to stay away from her after everything that happened, or some other kind of big brotherly bullshit?”

Austin slapped his back. “That’s like telling my bald as fuck head to grow some goddamn hair.”

Archer kept quiet as he listened to Tea catch up with Riley and Austin. She asked about their wedding, about their home and their friends in Fargo, and the day that Austin decided to give up on his hair entirely and shave his head. Her face flushed as she chuckled along with Riley and Austin’s persistent bickering, which Archer unfortunately knew was his brother and sister-in-law’s favorite version of foreplay.

Tea reached to itch her feet, then stopped herself, eyes sliding to him. She smiled like she got caught, then sat on her hands.

His body hummed. He wanted to reach out and touch her again, to hear those soft moans escape her lips one more time. He wondered what kind of foreplay she enjoyed.

Fuck. Less than a week into being “friends” and he was already imagining taking her clothes off. He hated admitting when his brother was right. It was horrid for Austin’s ego.

Chapter 13

Tea

Loons will choose quiet, protected places for their nests, which are built in bays or sheltered islands close to the water. The male loon will select the nesting site before a female mate is chosen.

“So, what’s a BILF?”

Riley spread the plastic cloth across the folding table. “Brother-in-law for life, obviously.”

Tea taped down the corners, but she wasn’t even sure it was needed. The day was hot and the wind was coming from the south. Or, lack of wind. It was dead without a cloud in the sky. “That makes more sense,” she replied.

“Why, what did you think it stood for?”