was all or nothing, and I fully embraced the family motto.
I hugged Skye next and shook Ryker’s hand. “Sorry, bro. Tried to talk her out of the sign, but she was like a kid in a candy shop.”
Tess glowered at Ryker. “What? I thought it’s a nice touch.”
“It is,” I said quickly.
Ryker shook his head. “Man, keep indulging her and next time, she’ll bring a teddy bear too.”
I wouldn’t put that past Tess. She had her own way of doing things. I’d missed my family.
“Come on, let’s buy a huge-ass breakfast and eat it at my place,” I suggested.
“We already have that covered.” Ryker held up a bag I hadn’t noticed before.
It took a while to get out of JFK with all the traffic, but we arrived at my loft quickly. Once inside, we laid food on the coffee table in my living room and sat around it, devouring it.
Tess smiled, her eyes closed as she sipped from her coffee cup. “Tell us about the trip,” she said.
“How was Laney? Gave you good tips?” Skye asked.
“Yes. I ended up doing a one-day tour at the Colosseum with her.”
“That’s a great— Wait, what’s with that expression?” Tess asked. Both she and Skye now had trained their gazes on me.
I felt as if I was under a magnifying glass. Schooling my features now wouldn’t help one bit; quite the contrary. They’d know I was trying to keep something from them.
“He isn’t his usual happy self,” Skye remarked.
“Hmm... you’re right,” Tess added, tilting her head. I loved keeping them on their toes when they were like this. Also, I was very curious if they’d eventually guess. I was betting against that outcome... I couldn’t even believe myself that I was all twisted up.
“Maybe he’s sad he didn’t get to see more of Rome,” Skye theorized.
“Maybe the deal didn’t go quite as planned,” Tess said.
Damn, I was good. They’d never guess at this rate, but I enjoyed the process. I was making a concerted effort not to laugh.
“Maybe he’s just messing with you,” Ryker suggested helpfully. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I burst out laughing. No one could read me better than Ryker.
“You’re bad,” Tess teased, pushing me away playfully.
Skye’s jaw dropped. “Wait, you actually were messing with us?”
“Sort of,” I answered, because I didn’t like lying.
“You can’t do that to me, I’m pregnant,” Skye exclaimed.
“Cole Harry Winchester,” Tess said. I groaned. Nothing good ever came from anyone in my family using my middle name. “You don’t fool me. I’m noticing some suspicious frown lines. It’s not jet lag or business related.”
I yawned, shaking my head. I’d actually planned on telling my family about Laney, if only to get some perspective and because I was a believer in our no-secrets policy. After our dad abandoned us, Tess had come up with it, insisting we had to talk to each other, that it was better than keeping it all in, and I agreed one hundred percent. I liked being able to talk to my siblings about everything. Hearing their perspective was always useful.
But I’d planned to tell them after I’d gotten over the jet lag, or at least after a good night sleep in my own bed. But then again, the best laid plans never worked out in my family. It was an unwritten rule, but I still liked to try my luck from time to time.
“I liked spending time with Laney,” I began. No one reacted. “Anyway, it was a lot of fun and...” I didn’t finish the sentence because that was basically it. I didn’t know how to put everything else into words.
“And holy shit, she made an impression if you’re still thinking about her now,” Tess said.
Ryker just looked stunned.
Skye pointed a finger at Ryker. “Don’t give him shit.”
“I wasn’t going to,” my brother replied slowly, still looking stunned. Okay, so I did feel a bit like a shithead for causing this reaction in the first place. True, I was an eternal bachelor, but I wasn’t a jackass. It was simple and easy, and no one got hurt. Relationships were messy and unpredictable, and they could implode even after decades, as had been the case with our parents. Being a bachelor was just easier, and it worked for me. The bachelor group used to be bigger—Hunter and Ryker had been my brothers-in-arms, but now Hunter had married Josie, Isabelle’s sister. Ryker had gotten married last year to Heather; they’d shared the ceremony with Skye and her fiancé, Robert,