‘So, what exactly is the family gathering about today? Something special going on?’ I asked.
‘It’s a cookout,’ Paisley replied.
‘Everyone brings something, and we throw it all on the grill,’ Tate explained.
It sounded so normal. They were one of the most influential families in Chicago, but they spent their weekends having a cookout.
‘Gran is coming too,’ Reese said.
‘Your parents too?’ I asked, looking at Tate.
‘No, they’re traveling. But trust me, there’s going to be plenty of people to confuse you.’
“I’ll do the introductions,” Reese offered. “Three of his brothers are coming. Travis and Sam will be the ones missing. And my sister is in Paris, so she won’t be here either. But like Tate says, there’s gonna be plenty of people. Between all of us, you should get a good picture of Tate here so you don’t have any surprises down the road.”
She wiggled her eyebrows at Tate, who shook his head. “Keep it up and I’m revoking your breakfast invitation.”
Reese pouted. “You can’t do that. You love me too much. And besides, I’m in a bad place: heart crushed, shitty ex-fiancé, and all that.”
Reese spoke with ease, like it was all a big joke, but there was no mistaking the emotion in her eyes.
Tate pointed at her. “Stop it. That’s where Paisley is learning all her emotional blackmail techniques.”
“I’m an excellent teacher,” Reese replied with a grin.
Tate shook his head, snorting. “Not everyone’s like Reese, I promise.”
I grinned. ‘Hey, I like Reese. She’s fun.”
The rest of his family arrived a short while later, and everyone gathered in the kitchen. His brothers Declan and Tyler came first, then Luke. His grandmother, Beatrice, arrived last.
All the guys were tall, towering over me by at least a head. They had slender yet strong builds, with muscular but lean bodies.
Tyler was the tallest, and his frame was bulkier than the rest of his brothers. He revealed that he was a hockey player, which made sense. Declan resembled Tyler a lot. I suspected he was a professional athlete of some sort, but he was a lawyer, to my surprise. I could imagine those blue eyes and impressive stature coming in handy in the courtroom.
He also seemed to be the direct opposite of Tyler, who had smiles for everyone. Declan was more serious. Luke seemed more sedate as well, but I wasn’t sure if it was because he’d just met me or if that was his personality. Physically, he resembled Tate with his dark hair, but he had green eyes like Paisley and Reese.
Tate introduced me to all of them.
Tyler grinned. ‘He’s already making you work on weekends? Please don’t quit because my brother is insensitive.” He turned to his brother, saying, “Tate, that is not the way to make people stick around.’
‘That’s okay. I volunteered to stay, and anyway, since I slept here, it wasn’t an inconvenience.’ The second I said the words out loud, the room went silent.
‘You slept here?’ Declan asked before I could cover my faux pas. He was looking straight at Tate and not at me.
‘Yes. With the blackout last night, the elevator in my building wasn’t working, and I live on the twentieth floor,’ I said quickly. Perhaps a bit too fast. Even Tyler looked at me suspiciously with a knowing smile. Declan cocked a brow at Tate.
‘What did I miss?’ Luke asked, walking into the kitchen. He’d gone to his car to bring a box of fresh veggies.
‘Nothing much,’ Tyler said. ‘We’re giving Tate here advice on how not to run Lexi off after only a few weeks.’
‘Oh. How should we prepare her best?’ Luke said in a teasing tone. ‘That’s right. When he looks like this,’ he said with an exaggerated frown, ‘it’s best to stay out of his way. You never know when he’s going to lash out.’
Ha! I’d pegged him all wrong. He was more like Tyler than Declan. The razzing between these brothers was hilarious.
“Yeah. I think as a rule of thumb, it’s best to stay out of his way entirely,’ Tyler said.
I liked their dynamic. Tate was taking it all in stride.
‘Does anyone have any input that’s proactive?’ I asked.
‘Oh, she’s a brave one,’ Luke said. ‘I like you, Lexi.’
‘Thank you. And yes, I like to think of myself as being brave.’
‘Well, my brother does like good conversation. And wine, of course,’ Tyler offered.
“Duly noted,’ I said, glancing at Tate, who was looking at me with amusement in his eyes. I searched his features for any sign that I was overstepping boundaries. Instead of playing with Paisley outside, I was here with him and his brothers. But he seemed to be enjoying this.
‘I think I’m a better source,’ he said. ‘Anything you want to know, just ask me.’
I glanced at Luke, schooling my features to look serious. ‘Do you think he means it, or will he bite my head off if I ask him things?’
Luke turned to Tyler and Declan. ‘What do you guys think? Should she go for it, or should she hedge her bets?’
Tyler crossed his arms over his chest. ‘Always hedge your bets.’
‘Okay, everyone, let’s move outside,’ Luke said, ‘before Gran hands us our asses for not starting the grill.’
There was a bit of commotion in the kitchen as everyone walked outside. I stayed behind, helping Tate put everything he’d taken out on the counter on a tray. There were a gazillion sauces: ketchup, barbecue, mustard, and whatnot.
‘I like your brothers,” I said after a while.
‘I meant what I said, Lexi. You can ask me anything you want. But a word of warning. You might not be ready for the answer.’
I sucked in a breath, a million questions playing on my lips. But I didn’t get a chance to ask anything, because Declan said loudly, “Move your ass out here, Tate.”
I didn’t have a lot of nanny duties because Grandma Beatrice was glued to Paisley. I spoke to Reese, who confided in me that she was excited to work at Beatrice’s bookstore starting Monday.
“I didn’t know she still had a bookstore,” I exclaimed.
“It’s because she couldn’t keep the original name. This one is called The Happy Place. Gran insisted on keeping it because it was the first store they had, and they lived above it for many years. She owns the whole building. She doesn’t actually run it, of course. She’s got a manager. Anyway, I’ve helped out there since I was in high school. I’ve always loved the place. It was one of the reasons why I wanted to turn the upper levels into a spa with my shitty ex, Malcolm. It’s sitting empty, and will continue to stay that way, unless my ex gets his way.”
“Why don’t you open it on your own?”
“I might, at some point. Right now, though, I’m honestly not in the right frame of mind to start a business. I need something to ground me now.”
She seemed so disheartened that I wanted to hug her. I’d had my fair share of heartbreak over the years.
“Do you want to talk about what happened?” I asked her, then added, “Sometimes talking with someone unfamiliar with the situation can be helpful.”
She nodded, then blurted out, “He slept with my best friend.”
I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.
Reese sighed. “Man, I’ve said that out loud a million times and I still want to drink a shot of tequila whenever I repeat it.”
“Oh, Reese. I’m so sorry. That sucks. If you need a partner to spray-paint his car or something, I’m your girl. If that’s not your style, forget I said anything.”
Reese started laughing, inching closer to me. “I’ve already had that offer from my sister and several of my cousins. Don’t tell Declan or he’ll behead us.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“You’re a lot of fun, Lexi. I’m glad Tate hired you. Now, let’s see what goodies we’re having for lunch.”
***
Once the brothers started the grill, the food just kept coming. After I filled my plate, Beatrice waved at me and patted the spot next to her on the rattan sofa. I looked around for Paisley, but she was with Tate. The sight made something twist in my chest. I went straight to Beatrice, sitting down.
‘Do you need anything?’ I asked. ‘Something to drink?’
She was already holding a plate of food.
‘No, no, I’m fine. Tyler handed me this, and it’s more than I’ll ever eat,’ she said. ‘I’m glad you stayed today. I told Tate I wanted to meet you.’
‘You did?’
‘Yes. I speak to Paisley every evening, and she’s talked my ear off about you. That’s a good sign. I think she likes you more than anyone who’s ever watched her.’
‘Really?’ My heart swelled. I was already starting to care about Paisley too, and I was happy that she liked me.
‘It’s a pity you can only stay until the summer ends.’
My smile faded a bit. ‘Yes, Tate and I talked about that, but I’ll help him find someone else.’
‘I told him I can watch Paisley, but he insists this old bag of bones can’t keep up.’
I glanced from Tate to Beatrice, searching for the right words. I needed to put it delicately, but I was with Tate on this one. ‘Well, Paisley is very active. We bike a few miles every day.’
Gran shuddered. ‘Good Lord. What is it with kids these days? They have more energy than I ever remember.’
I couldn’t help but laugh.
‘You know what? I don’t think it’s just Paisley who’s happier since you came around.” She leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper. “Tate is too.’
‘Oh?’ I asked, hoping I sounded innocent and that my face wasn’t red, though it felt suspiciously warm.
‘Yes, he’s cheerier. I can’t explain it. Maybe he’s at ease that he finally found someone who knows how to interact with Paisley so well. Ever since Nora left, he’s closed himself off,’ she added.
‘A divorce does leave scars,’ I murmured. “I’ve seen the results on the kids I teach, and it does have its impact.”
‘It’s not that. He blames himself for the marriage ending.’
‘Oh no! Why?’ I shook my head, realizing what I’d asked. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude.’
‘Not at all, my girl. They were never a match. When I first met her, I remember thinking that she wasn’t a bad person, but she and Tate… I couldn’t see it working. Imagine my surprise when they got married. She was seduced by the family name, I think.”
‘Some things aren’t obvious from the start.’
‘That’s true. But with some things, you know. You don’t need to see them. You don’t need someone to tell you it’s there. You feel it.” Narrowing her eyes, she added, “Tell me a bit about you.”
‘About me?’ I asked blankly.
“Tate said you’re helping your parents pay off some medical bills.’
‘Yes. They had a hard time, so I’m hoping what I contribute will help a bit.’
‘Do you have other siblings?’ she asked.
“No, it’s just me. I’m an only child.” When I was younger, I always wanted a sister, and Mom and Dad wanted more children, but things didn’t turn out the way they’d hoped. And I’d planned to have at least three kids, but, at thirty-one, I wasn’t sure I had enough time for three. But I’d be happy even with one little bundle of joy.
Beatrice was looking at me intently. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re helping your parents.”
‘Thank you,’ I said.
“My parents were also sickly in their old age, but I have two sisters, and we helped them together.”
“Did your husband also have siblings?”
“Yes, three. And everyone had many kids. I always dreamed about having at least four kids, but I only had two. Tate’s dad and his brother.”
“Where is his brother?”
“He moved to London after we sold the bookstore business. My two boys gave me a lot of grandchildren, though. Loved looking after them when they grew up.”
“Six is quite a bunch.”
“Eight, including my granddaughters, Kimberly and Reese. They were at our house so often that they were practically all siblings. And now Tate thinks I can’t look after Paisley.’
I pressed my lips together, sensing that was for the best.
‘Tate wanted a lot of children too, but things didn’t work out. I can’t believe he thinks I can’t watch my great-granddaughter. I’m still fit enough to run a bookstore, am I not?”
“Are you there every day?” I asked in surprise.
“Well, not a lot. I go there a couple times a week, and the manager I hired handles the daily tasks.” With a wistful smile, she added, “It was the first building my late husband bought, and we opened the bookstore when my sons were young. I feel closer to him when I’m there.”
Oh, Beatrice. She was such a lovely, warm person.
“My grandkids also spent a lot of time there growing up. I liked having them in the bookstore. Everyone knew Declan was going to be a lawyer even before he knew it. He was the most outspoken, always getting the rest out of trouble or at least trying to. Once, the school caught all of them smoking under the bleachers.” She chuckled at the memory. “Declan tried to convince them it was a science experiment.”
I burst out laughing. “He didn’t.”
“No one believed him. The most I could get out of them was that they did it on a dare, but they wouldn’t tell me who dared them. My hunch is it was probably Luke. He always liked his dares, and the fun in it was riling up everyone to join him. Tyler was also into dares, but his were more along the lines of physical activity. He walked around bossing them into workout sessions after reading that it prolonged your lifespan. Sam was his most arduous listener. Then he went on and became a doctor.”
“And Travis?” He was the brother I knew the least about.
“Oh, my Travis took after his grandfather in a lot of ways. Always fearless. A bit terrifying for everyone else. Had a mind of his own. Whenever he didn’t like someone, he’d put frogs or insects in the pockets of their coats. Scared them off for good.”
“Very efficient.”
“But don’t let me keep you with my tales. Fill your plate again. They just made the grilled corn, and it’s fabulous for everyone who still has their real teeth. Take advantage of it,’ she said.
Laughing, I stood up. ‘It was nice talking to you, Beatrice.’
She winked at me. ‘You’re good for Paisley.” After a brief pause, she added, ‘And for Tate.’
I felt my cheeks heat up to my ears. I walked away quickly, heading to the grill.
Tyler was operating it this time. I held out my plate and asked, ‘May I have an ear of corn?’
‘Yes, ma’am,’ he said, putting one on my plate. He looked up at me with a twinkle in his eyes. ‘I’m putting it out there that you can always ask me stuff about my brother. I promise 100 percent honesty.”
‘Does he know you’re going around offering information about him?’
‘I bet he does.” He smirked. “In my defense, I don’t do it often, just for the people I like. And I like you, Lexi.’
I grinned, liking the ease between us. I didn’t feel like I was working but rather like I was part of the gang. It felt like they were embracing me as one of their own.
I looked around for Reese but couldn’t see her anywhere.
“Where is Reese?” I asked Tyler.
“She just left.”
“Oh, okay. I’m going to check on Paisley, then.”
She was at the other end of the yard, sitting next to her father. ‘What are you two chatting about?’ I asked as I approached.
‘I was telling Daddy I want to watch The Jungle Book today.’
Tate gave me a meaningful look.
The corners of my mouth lifted. So, this is where he draws the line.
“Well, I think your dad might be a bit tired after barbequing for so many people, but why don’t we watch it on Monday?”
Paisley lit up. “Okay. I’m gonna tell Great-Gran. Maybe she wants to watch it too.” Sliding down from Tate’s lap, she immediately headed to Beatrice.
“Thank you,” he said with a sigh. “How could you tell that I couldn’t find a good excuse?”
“You seemed a bit stuck and in need of my help.”
“Thank you for coming to my rescue,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’ve watched The Jungle Book so many times with her that I want to bust the screen when the theme song comes up.”
We laughed for a moment, and then he asked, “Are you having fun?”
“Yes. I love your grandma.”
“She’s amazing,” he said with admiration in his voice.
“Your whole family is lovely. It makes me miss my parents. They often have gatherings like these too. They love to invite neighbors and friends over for cookouts on the weekend. Well, they used to, before Mom had the surgery. But as soon as she’s better, things will return to normal.” I looked around with a smile, regretting that I had to leave. “It was a great day. I’m happy I stayed.”
His smile faded. “You’re leaving?”
“I’m meeting my friend, remember?”
“Okay. I’ll walk you out.”
“There’s no need to. I can find my way,” I said.
“I know you can. I want a few moments alone with you, without my brothers watching me.”
My heart skipped a beat. I glanced around us as discreetly as possible, and yeah, everyone was looking at us, even Beatrice. “Why are they staring at us?” I asked.
“My brothers have… ideas.”
That was clear as mud. And he was flashing me a mysterious smile. I opened my mouth before closing it again. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what he meant.
He walked me through the house, and the second we closed the door to the backyard, I felt a shift between us, like the air itself was different—hotter and full of tension.
As we reached the front door, he put a hand on my arm. My skin sizzled. He turned me around, holding my gaze. “We didn’t talk about last night.”
I bit my lower lip. I didn’t want to talk about any of it, if I was honest. What good would it do? I knew all the reasons why this wasn’t going to move forward.
Come Monday, we had to find a way for things to go back to employee and employer. But right now, my mind was pulling in one direction and my heart in the complete opposite.
“I don’t know what to say,” I said.
He came closer, bringing a hand to my face, touching my cheek with the backs of his fingers. “Thinking about you wearing my shirt all night had a very positive effect on me.”
“Did it now?” I whispered.
“I barely kept myself from coming upstairs and knocking on your door. I thought about you all night.”
A tremor went through my body. “I did the same.”
He groaned, bringing his mouth close to my ear. I pressed my thighs together as heat pooled between my legs.
He groaned again, touching his lips to the side of my neck, moving them up and down. “What am I going to do with you, Lexi?”
“What are the options?” I asked in a lighthearted tone.
“Kissing you against this door or taking you upstairs.”
I laughed nervously. “I don’t think either is a good option. Your family is in the backyard, remember?” I had a visual of the whole family pressing their noses against a window, trying to see what we were up to.
He groaned again, pulling back. “Right. How could I forget? If we stay here any longer, I bet someone will burst through that door.”
“Tate,” I whispered, my voice soft. “We shouldn’t.”
“I know.” His gaze instantly turned from playful to serious. But he kept touching my cheek with his fingers. The skin-on-skin contact was almost too much. He frowned, looking at my mouth. “You’re dangerous for me, Lexi.”
My eyes widened. “Why?”
“You make me feel.” He pressed his thumb on my lower lip. “You make me want.”
I swallowed hard, breathing in deeply.
He stepped back, letting go of me. “But you’re right. We shouldn’t. I’m not sure I have it in me to do the right thing. Not when it comes to you.” He opened the front door, looking at me intently.
My body buzzed with adrenaline and a bone-deep yearning to close the distance between us. Oh, sweet heavens. In that moment, I knew I didn’t have it in me to do the right thing either. How could I when he was looking at me with so much heat?
And that sexy smile? It made my underwear combust.
Panties? On fire.
Bra? Up in smoke.
And the most dangerous part? It also melted all my defenses, and I knew I had to do something about it.
I was going to think really hard about everything over the weekend, but I didn’t think it was a good idea to stay on as Paisley’s nanny.
