The Brothers Rule - Carolyn Faulkner Page 0,28

too, on down the line of brothers until she ended up standing before Jace, who picked her up and brought her into the warm family room. He sat down in the oversized recliner he favored, with her bundled onto his lap and just rocking for a minute, before he signaled to Adam to go get part of what he'd had them prepare for her.

He put it down on the end table next to where he was sitting and lifted her off his older brother's lap to put her on his own, handing her a rocks glass with a generous swig of whiskey in it, with no rocks.

"Drink this, Laur. It'll help you feel better."

They all knew she wasn't doing well, when she didn't protest in the least but downed all of it in one gulp.

Adam's, "Good girl," was a chorus from all of them, even Nick and Tanner.

He kept her close to him, sharing his warmth, as they put something inoffensive on the TV, which turned out to be I Love Lucy reruns, the volume low so it remained in the background.

It wasn't too long before Ryan rose and went to the kitchen, returning with a cup of hot cocoa from what had been their mother's homemade secret recipe, which he put on the coffee table while he retrieved her from his brother, putting her on his lap and rubbing her back then handing her the pretty cup and saucer—also from their mother—of hot cocoa.

"This'll warm your insides, babe. It's very hot, so drink it slow."

The room was very warm in consideration of their guest, but all of the guys were sweltering and had stripped down to their t-shirts and donned shorts in self-defense. As he held her, and when she wasn't taking a swallow of the warm, soothing chocolate, he was running his finger lazily through her hair to help it dry quicker, not wanting her to have to go to bed with wet hair.

It surprised all of them when Nick stood up to stand beside Ryan. "Can I hold her, too?"

Jace frowned and was the first to try to discourage him, not that the other two who were closest to her didn't have a criticism at the ready—they did. "She's not a stray puppy, Nick—"

But Laurie pre-empted everyone by getting up off Ryan's lap and following Nick to the big comfortable chair he was sitting in, curling up on his lap, too. He didn't try any funny stuff—he wouldn't have anyway, even without his elder brothers all glaring at him, and all he did was wrap his arms around her loosely as she tucked her head beneath his.

After a while, Tanner came to stand next to Nick, saying softly in a voice that was, at some point, going to be as deep as Jace's already was, "Me, too, please."

He didn't make her get up, though, but bent down and lifted her into his arms, carrying her back to his chair while catching one of Mom's homemade afghans on his way, which he tucked in around her carefully once she had settled onto his lap.

His chair was the only one that rocked, so he used the foot that was down to set them rocking gently, with her head lying drowsily on his shoulder and him humming tunelessly under his breath.

If anyone spoke, it was in hushed tunes in deference to her, but mostly, they just watched shows they'd seen a-zillion times before but still loved, each of them glancing over at her frequently to reassure themselves that she was all right.

Eventually, Tanner stood with her in his arms. He was taller and more muscular than any of them had been at his age, and he might well end up being the biggest of them at some point.

"She's asleep."

"Let's put her to bed."

It was a group activity, all of them pouring into the small spare bedroom. Nick pulled the linens back, Ryan removed the useless throw pillow, and everyone helped tuck her in. Then they all trooped out as quickly and quietly as they could, desperate not to disturb her.

And somehow, by some miracle, they managed to do it, too.

"So, she's staying here?" Nick asked when they got back to the family room and turned the TV back to sports, where it usually stayed.

"Yes," Jace answered. "Do you or Nick have any objections?"

"No, of course not," they both responded unhesitatingly.

"As I said before, I like her. I don't know her as well as I'd like to, but I like what