Because You're Mine (The Gallaghers #3) - Layla Hagen Page 0,6

occasion. But it was quite lonely. It was perhaps one reason Henry and I were so close, even though he moved away for college while Mom and I remained in Ohio.

My brother was always looking out for me.

Not that I made it easy for him. In culinary school, I lived in Los Angeles. After graduation, I worked at a seafood restaurant in Portland and then Miami until I got this opportunity. But Henry knew how happy I was—and was always so supportive.

Once I stepped out on the street, I put on sunglasses. It was a warm autumn day, and I looked around with a smile.

The apartment building might be old, but it had a lot of character. I liked the high ceilings and absolutely loved the hand-finished plaster walls.

I liked Columbus Circle. It was pretty, with a mix of modern and historical buildings up and down the street. The storefronts were quaint, restaurants offering outdoor seating kept warm by portable heat lamps. The area had a big-city feel with a hometown vibe.

The pizza shop displays looked pretty delicious, and I was certain that I'd become a regular. It was perhaps a bit unusual for someone who finished culinary school to eat cheap takeout. But the last thing I wanted after coming home from work was to cook. Most times I didn't even care what I was eating, I was usually so beat from the long day.

I followed the route to the location that Ian had shared with me. It was just a fifteen-minute walk to Central Park, which was perfect and gave me enough time to soak in the city. All the tour guides I’d read recommended visiting New York in the fall. I felt particularly lucky that my job started in September, since it was still warm and the tree foliage was just beginning to turn a mix of green and red. In a few more weeks, it would look completely different.

Usually, I listened to music while I walked, but not this time. I just wanted to soak in the sounds of the city, and there were plenty—lots of hustle and bustle from the congested traffic. Central Park was the favorite meeting point of New Yorkers, primarily because it was one of the few places in Manhattan that wasn’t concrete. There were so many people on the sidewalk that I had to pay extra attention or risk slamming into someone. When I was closer to the park, Ian shared his location with me again, and I found him without a problem.

Damn. The man just appeared hotter every time I saw him. He was wearing a black T-shirt that made his biceps appear even more defined. His ass was round and begged to be squeezed. And those blue eyes were mesmerizing. How could he be this hot?

Riiiight... I made a mental note not to reach out to Ian every time I wanted to explore the city. He winked at me when he saw me, and I joined the group. Up close, I noticed that his shirt was tight enough that I could spot some serious abs. He cocked a brow, and I quickly averted my gaze. My pulse quickened as I focused on the two women next to him. One of them was pushing a stroller. I had never met his sisters. They didn’t go to college in DC with Ian, so I never ran into them. Come to think of it, I’d only met his brother Dylan a couple of times, though I didn’t remember where. He wasn’t with us in Lake Tahoe.

"Hey, Ellie. These are my sisters, Josie and Isabelle. This is my niece, Sophie."

Josie was the one pushing the stroller. The siblings looked nothing alike. Isabelle had a wild mane of red hair, and Josie had dark brown hair that brushed her shoulders. None of them had Ian’s dark blond hair or angular cheekbones.

"Hi, nice to meet all of you. I hope I'm not intruding on family time. I was just dying to go out and about with someone who knows the city."

"No worries. You're not interrupting anything at all, and it’s lovely to meet you,” Isabelle commented right away and added, “And I understand your excitement. I moved to New York about a year before my brothers did, and I'm still excited about the city. I was a tour guide for a while, so if you need any tips on where to go or not go, ask me."

"Thanks so much," I said. They all seemed so