He prayed Kelsie would get what he was saying, but her glare nearly matched Estelle’s, so he leaned close and whispered, “Consider it a much-needed lesson.”
Before she could respond, Estelle stood and snagged Kelsie by the elbow. “Let’s go help in the kitchen, and not because of what he just said.”
“Watch her close,” Sawyer called after them.
Estelle shot Sawyer a look of pure annoyance as she disappeared with Kelsie. His mom’s house had an open floor plan, but a couple of necessary kitchen elements provided a corner for some respite from the crowd. To that end, he was surprised his mom hadn’t by now turned the kitchen into a fortress, but she had a thing about keeping the whole family together, as if they didn’t see each other enough during the week.
“What the hell was that?” Liam asked.
Ethan, Sawyer noted, averted his eyes.
“She’s lives in my apartment building, and she has flat out refused to sleep with me. Any more questions?” The lie hung bitterly in the room, and he wasn’t sure anyone believed him. But he’d rather they question him than her, and what was more, he was not going to discuss his sex life in a group setting, let alone one that included his parents and his…upstairs neighbor.
“Yeah,” Crosby said. “I have a question. Why are you hanging out with her if she won’t sleep with you?”
Russell’s brow shot up.
“Must be the challenge,” Liam said.
“Boys,” Russell said. “Have some respect. At least for Kelsie.”
Sawyer barely heard him. Liam’s words hit a little too close to home. Fortunately, Ethan chose that moment to pop a brownie into his mouth. He chewed for a moment, his expression growing more wary by the second. Before too long, he stopped chewing altogether.
“Was this supposed to be eaten?” he finally asked, bewildered.
Sawyer tried not to laugh. He failed. It was a good thing Kelsie wasn’t there to see his brother’s face. He didn’t mind giving her a hard time, but that was his job to do. Not Crosby’s, not Ethan’s, and not Liam’s.
His.
For two more dates, anyway. Because he wasn’t what she needed, and the sooner they got this stupid dating game over with and ended things between them, the better.
For them both.
…
Kelsie studied the roomy, ultramodern kitchen teeming with scrumptious smells and friendly faces and felt miles from her apartment.
And confused. Sawyer had completely failed to mention that his brothers were equally insanely hot versions of himself, each with the same intense green eyes. One was clearly taken, but the other two might be available. Not that it mattered. Hi. You’re ripped and those eyes slay me, so if you’re free to accompany me to this wedding, we’ll just pretend that sex I had with your brother never happened.
Not. Awkward. At. All.
“I hope those boys didn’t bother you too much,” Alice said. As she spoke, she tended to food cooking on five of the six burners on her stove, and whatever was in the oven emanated a smell to die for. Just to the side of the cooktop, two pans of outrageously fluffy yeast rolls sat waiting for the oven.
No wonder Sawyer thought Kelsie was a disaster.
“After dealing with Sawyer all week,” she said, “it would take more than that to get to me.”
Alice returned a knowing smile. Already, Kelsie found her impossible not to like. She exuded warmth, making Kelsie feel at home despite being completely out of her element anywhere near a kitchen. She was outspoken and friendly and could clearly hold her own against her husband and four boys, and must have done so handily because she looked far too young to be their mother, not that there could be any doubt. She looked just like them.
“How did you and Sawyer meet?” Estelle asked.
At the question, Alice slowed whatever she was doing to the saucepan to a near standstill.
“We, uh, live in the same building. I had a plumbing emergency, and he helped me out.”
“Ironic,” Estelle said. “I met Crosby when I was apartment-sitting for my brother and the air conditioner quit. Actually it caught on fire, then quit.” She laughed. “I guess it’s a good thing these guys are handy.”
“Sawyer’s great with his hands,” Alice said, her voice full of a mother’s pride, potential double entendre apparently undetected.
Estelle snorted. “So we’ve heard.”
Alice paused a moment, then shook her head as she apparently caught the reference. “Oh, to be young again. Do you like to cook, Kelsie?”
Kelsie faltered, not just because she was a kitchen disaster, but because after