a reassuring smile and a hand out of the car. Shutting the door behind me, he pulls me in close and places a soft kiss on my lips. “Relax,” he breathes in my ear. “They’re going to love you.”
Swallowing down my fear, I nod, and taking Colt’s offered hand, let him lead me to my doom.
I mean, the door.
The door opens as we climb the front steps. A man with the same face shape as Colt but the wrong coloring stands in the doorway and gestures us inside with a smile. He’s a little shorter and a little broader than Colt, too, with darker hair and oddly colored eyes. Hazel-ish? But kinda gray too.
He pulls Colt into a quick hug, slapping him on the back with genuine happiness. “Hey, man. Good to see you. It’s been ages.”
Colt laughs and reaches for my hand again, tugging me inside after him. “Brendan, everyone, this is Alexis.” And he tells me each of their names, as though I don’t already know, but the confirmation of which face goes with which name is helpful given my discombobulated state.
Gabby and Lauren both smile widely and wave as they’re introduced. Jonathan waits for Colt to finish before stepping forward and hugging his brother as well. “We’ve missed you, man,” he says. “The tour’s not the same without you.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” chimes in Lauren, nodding emphatically. “You definitely miss the way he bangs on your dressing room door and lectures you about appropriate times to have sex.”
I can’t swallow the burst of laughter that comes out of me, even though I try.
Lauren turns to me, a sly smile on her face. “Weeeeelll, perhaps now that he’s getting some, he won’t be so jealous of other people’s love lives.”
Colt snorts. “It’s not so much jealousy as it is not wanting to walk in on my naked brothers when I’m just trying to wrangle everyone for a show. I can’t say I miss that part at all.”
“Awww, c’mon,” Gabby says. “You don’t miss bossing everyone around even a little?”
“Oh, I dunno.” Lauren leans against the breakfast bar, a speculative note in her voice. “Somehow I think he still does plenty of bossing around.”
When my face heats up, Colt steps in front of me, as though to shield me from his sisters-in-law’s gazes and double entendres. “Alright. Let’s let Alexis get comfortable with everyone before you start prying into our sex life. Maybe save that for next time, yeah?”
To my surprise, Lauren looks sheepish as she peeks around Colt to look at me. “Sorry, Alexis. I’m just so used to busting Colt’s chops. It wasn’t really directed at you.”
I wave away her apology with a smile. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”
Colt pulls me against his side again, his arm around my waist, and I don’t miss the looks we’re getting, a combination of curiosity and happiness. Whatever strange relationship these boys might have with their mother, it’s clear that they all care about each other.
Lauren offers drinks, and once we’re all settled, conversation flows easily around me as they all catch up.
“I caught a few of the videos of you guys performing,” Gabby says at one point as she lounges against Jonathan’s side. Jonathan perks up at her comment but doesn’t say anything. “You guys were on fire,” she continues. “Any other performances lined up? And where and when? I’d love to come see you live. If you were that fantastic in some bootleg YouTube video, I can only imagine the kind of sparks you throw off live on stage.”
Colt lets out a low chuckle, his hand sliding over my knee. And I’m sure he’s remembering just what kind of chemistry we had that night and where we took it. I cover his hand with mine, threading our fingers together.
“Thanks, Gabby,” he says. “Yes, we have a few more performances lined up after the success of the last one.” He nods at his middle brother. “Brendan’s actually agreed to produce some tracks for us so we can start selling them online, too.”
Jonathan’s eyebrows jump at that. “Going indie?”
Colt shrugs and sips his water.
“My label’s been dragging their feet,” I put in. “And we were inspired. We both have something of a fan base still, so we figured we might as well capitalize on it before it all fades away, y’know?” I feign nonchalance with a shrug of my own. “More popularity could also interest a label at some point down the line. It’s happened before.”