in your room.”
Grinning, Corbin watched them go—and realized both Hope and Ivey were doing the same. Hope actually looked confused, as if she wasn’t sure what to make of Lang, but Ivey looked merely amused.
“A domesticated man.” Ivey nudged Hope. “It’s a pleasure to see, don’t you think?”
Hope went pink in her cheeks.
“We were taught well,” Corbin explained. Being tidy had become a habit, learned under his mother’s watchful eye. Because he’d been looking at Hope, he saw her flush and turn away—with a small smile. Interesting.
Putting a hand to Ivey’s back, and with Hope preceding them, they headed out. “Lang is terrific,” Corbin said. “I’m glad he’s here, but it’s sooner than I expected.”
“I guess he didn’t let you know he was on his way because he wanted to surprise you?”
“With a boat.”
Still smiling, Hope headed for the path that led to the guesthouse. “He said he sold his business?”
“That sounds crazy, right? But we’re family, so...” Corbin stepped ahead of Ivey and moved aside the branches of a prickly bush. It’d make sense to clear the path a little more. He’d see to that soon. “I knew Lang was selling his sports complex, but he got it done quicker than I expected.”
“A sports complex?” the women said almost in unison.
Dusk had fallen, yet streaks of red and orange clung to the horizon. Without the baking sunshine, it wasn’t quite as muggy. The throaty trill of frogs on the lake mixed with the constant chirping of crickets. It was a peaceful night. He wouldn’t mind spending more like it.
“Yeah, you know. Batting cages, indoor soccer, outdoor baseball and softball diamonds—”
“Wow,” Ivey said. “It was his, or part of the family business?”
“All his, and it was the perfect job for Lang.”
“Because he’s athletic?” Hope asked, as she moved around a spiderweb.
It amused Corbin that she was skittish with men but thought nothing of insects. Like Lang, he’d just as soon not tangle with some types of bugs. He wasn’t quite as squeamish, and put to the test he’d definitely man up. But given a choice? Yeah, he’d avoid spiders.
“Lang is one of those natural athletes that did well at every sport he played,” Corbin said. “He never took any of them too seriously, though.”
Ivey snorted. “Does he take anything seriously?”
“Family.” Lang would do just about anything for him, their mom and now Justin. “It was hard enough on him when I moved closer to where Justin lived. At first, I didn’t want to change too many things in his life, but it didn’t take me long to rethink that.”
“You wanted a clean break?” Ivey asked.
“Since his mother walked away, and he didn’t have any close ties there, it seemed like a good idea. Make everything different but better.”
Ivey nodded. “Give him a new focus and a fresh start.”
“Lang would have been there right away, but I wanted it to just be us, you know? I figured we should get acquainted before the rest of my family closed in. It’s mostly Mom, Lang and me, but we have other relatives we see on holidays. How about you two?”
Hope was suddenly giving all her attention to where she stepped.
Corbin knew he’d said something wrong, but he had no idea what.
Catching his hand, Ivey squeezed. When he glanced down, she gave a small shake of her head so he’d know to let it drop with Hope, but then she followed up with, “I’m an only child. My parents were one and done.”
“Because you were a handful?” he teased.
“Probably, though the way Mom tells it, I wasn’t bad, just determined to do things my own way. She said I never minded hard work. Honestly, though, I am self-absorbed.”
Hope snorted in disagreement.
“When I set my mind on something, I rarely notice anything else going on around me. It was that way in school, in college and when I took over the clinic here.”
“Don’t buy into that,” Hope said with firm insistence. “Ivey is wonderful.”
“I agree.” Corbin rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “But the same goes for you, Hope. I mean, anyone who can take over bug duty with my son is okay in my book.”
Tension easing, she laughed. “Anytime.”
When they reached the driveway of the guesthouse, Ivey stepped away from him, saying to Hope, “I’ll walk up with you.”
“You don’t need to.” Hope shot a guilty look at Corbin.
The house was dark, none of the outside lights on, and the night seemed to envelope them. To Corbin, it felt like great ambience, but to