Wes laughed. “One woman asked if I was into Kama Sutra.”
“That’s not so bad,” Hailey said, her expression suggesting otherwise.
He pinned her with his gaze. “She asked how flexible I was.”
Both women laughed.
The waitress came around so they ordered a plate of nachos to share and another round of drinks.
“How flexible are you?” Fiona asked when she left.
“He won’t do yoga with me,” Hailey said.
Wes pointed at Fiona. “You have her for that. I’m your grocery, video game, movie night friend. She can be the rest.”
“Hey,” Fiona said. “I bet I could beat you at Mario Kart. I’ll have you know, I play with my nephew every weekend.”
“Challenge accepted,” Wes said.
“Can we agree, for now, speed dating was a bust?” Hailey asked.
“No way,” Fiona said. “I’ve got wicked ideas brewing for an article. Oh, I should try out my newest quiz on you two.”
“Since I’m not a twelve-year-old girl or Chris, I’m going to pass on the quiz.”
Hailey nudged him with her hand. “Be nice.” She turned to Fiona. “What’s the quiz?”
Fiona snickered. “What kind of friend are you?”
Wes groaned, lifted his hand. “Check, please.”
19
Wes didn’t love crowds of strangers but when so many of the people he cared for were in one large group, it was a different story. Noah’s house rang with activity. Music pumped, people laughed and talked, delicious food scents teased them along with the ocean breeze. He tried to imagine what it would be like even five years down the road. Would he have nieces and nephews running around? He smiled, pretty sure the answer was yes.
“What the hell are you smiling about?” Noah set a beer in front of Wes, passed one to Chris.
They were out on the back porch discussing their father’s lawsuit. Wes was pissed off about it too, but it was hard to hang on to a bad mood with the women laughing from the grass where they played bocci.
“I’m happy. Is that okay?” Wes took a long drink of his beer, enjoying the crisp, cold flavor.
“You’re happy our dad is a dickhead?” Noah glared at him.
“I think he might be referring to the scene on the lawn. Makes me pretty damn happy, too.” Chris’s grin went all dopey when Everly looked his way.
Grace, Hailey, and Fiona were on one team with Tara, Everly, and Tilly on the other. Morty was napping in the house. Or, as he called it, preparing himself for the Thanksgiving feast.
Noah moved to the railing and set his beer down, looking out, past the grass, toward the beach. It was usually Wes tied in knots.
“You get that even though he isn’t going to win, he can drag this out, tie up our portfolio with red tape.”
He didn’t want to feel guilty for living in the moment. “We do. I do. I’m sorry. I had a moment of being grateful. What a weird thing on a day like today, huh?”
“Stop. Both of you. We all know what’s at stake. We have lawyers to deal with this shit and deflect it. Dad wants to get in our heads, under our skin. I say we don’t let him.”
Wes opened his laptop, pulled up his files on Squishy Cat. “To that end, I’ve instructed our lawyer to go ahead and file a no-contact order. He won’t be able to stop himself from doing that so we can slap back at him. Every time he violates the court order, it’ll weaken his case.”
Chris and Noah looked at him. Wes felt the heat of their stares. He looked up. “What?”
“You don’t have to make those decisions on your own,” Chris said. Sometimes Wes wished Chris was the oldest but then remembered what it had been like growing up and didn’t want that for his brother. “It’s an excellent step. I have a meeting next week to interview some candidates for a board of directors for the community center.”
“Stop working,” Grace hollered at them. “You’re wrecking our game.”
Noah’s smile was instantaneous. “Sure, Gracie. It’s our fault.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, making him smile wider. Grabbing his beer, he took a seat next to Chris, across from Wes.
“God, I love her. Sometimes it messes with my head how much,” Noah said, staring at the beer bottle in his hands.
Wes’s attention got stuck on his brother’s tone. He truly didn’t mind the changes or challenges that came along with being in love. Wes was surprised by his need to squash the small seed of jealousy in his gut.
Chris tipped his head back against the pillows, let his eyes drift shut. “I get that. It feels overwhelming to have so much of your happiness tied to another person and their feelings.”
It was a perfect segue for something he’d put off bringing up. Wes cleared his throat. He didn’t want to piss his brothers off but reality intruded. It was his job to look out for them. “It would be worthwhile, since you’re both living with women you love, to consider how tightly you want them tied to your finances in the future.”
Chris’s eyes popped open. He sat up straight. “Are you talking about prenups?”
Wes looked out at the yard where Hailey was bent over laughing at something Grace was saying. A warm buzzing feeling filled his chest. “Yes. As happy as you are, protecting yourselves and your assets, our assets, is just good business.”
Noah set his beer down with a slam, making it fizz over the top. “Screw that. Grace is it for me. I’m not asking her to sign anything.”
Wes rolled his eyes. “Could have called that one.”
Noah made a dismissive noise. “Whatever, man. If I mess things up and she leaves me, she can take what I have. Nothing matters without her. Least of all money. She wouldn’t want it but, as you said, we’re living together, so she’d deserve her share of it.”
Wes’s chest tightened. This right here is what love did to a person’s brain. It was this sort of thing that terrified him to his core. Would he gladly step aside from everything just to feel a chemical explosion of feelings? “Her share, absolutely. But not of our business. Would you really give up everything you’ve achieved, what you’ve worked for, what we’ve worked for, if your relationship ended?”
His father had made his mother fight for her share as a way to get back at her and, oddly enough, get her back. Of course, it didn’t work and things only became more toxic. His brothers would never do that to the women they loved.
Chris held up a hand. “Don’t get into this right now. You don’t get it, Wes. I understand what you’re saying. Noah, you know he’s looking out for us. His brain only operates on one setting and that’s smart business practice. But Wes, man. There’s nothing remotely businesslike about falling in love.”
His skin heated and he hoped his cheeks didn’t darken, giving away his frustration. Snapping his computer closed, he nodded, his jaw tight. “While I haven’t been in love, I do understand wanting to protect someone, which is what both of you want for your future spouses. That’s all I’m doing here. Watching out for people I love.” They didn’t see the parallel but just as they’d do anything for Everly and Grace, so would he, for them.
“Let it go. Grace was right. It’s Thanksgiving. Let’s put work away. How many holidays did Dad fuck up with work?” Noah shook his head like he was remembering something unpleasant.
“Too many. Either of you talk to Mom?” Chris asked.
“I spoke with Ari this morning. She was flying out to meet up with her from now through Christmas.” Wes hadn’t realized until he saw her face on the screen this morning how much he missed her. He’d enjoyed talking to her so much and wished she could meet Hailey. Wished she were here now.
“I’ll call her later tonight,” Noah said.
The women were heading to the porch. Grace went straight to Noah’s lap. Everly sank down beside Chris, nestled into the crook of his arm. Wes was happy for his brothers but he worried about their inability to separate the emotional from the practical.
“Hey,” Hailey said, sitting on the ottoman. Her happy gaze landed right on him and his heart muscles pinched. Not the same.
Fiona and Tilly went into the house while Tara took a seat in the rocking chair.
“It’s a bad sign when I’m tired from throwing a little ball around,” Tara said, leaning her head against the cushions.
“Getting your ass kicked is hard work,” Grace said. She took a drink of Noah’s beer.
“Why is it so serious up here?” Tara looked around at all of them.
Hailey met Wes’s gaze and his heart did that twinge thing again. It was uncomfortable and getting harder to dismiss but if anything, his brothers’ stubbornness strengthened his resolve.
“You okay?”
“We’re fine. Conversation got a bit heavy. Our dad’s being a pain in the ass.” Chris kissed Everly’s cheek and took her hand. She gave him a shy smile but even from where he sat, Wes could see her gaze was full of love and trust. Of course Chris would want her taken care of. Grace as well. Maybe his brothers weren’t all wrong.