Nash Brothers Box Set - Carrie Aarons Page 0,180

realize how exhausted their mom is and don’t say a single thing but good night as they kiss her cheeks. I give them a fist bump each and then they’re off, trying to elbow each other as they race up the stairs.

“They remind me a lot of my brothers and me.” A small smile stretches my lips as I watch them go.

Not sure where that personal tidbit came from. Perhaps I’ve softened in the time I’ve been here, which is unusual for me. But seeing Penelope so out of her usual element … maybe it’s loosened something in my typically icy demeanor.

“If they grow up to be anything like the Nash brothers …” I’m pretty sure Penelope is going to say something rude as she breaks off on a yawn. “I’ll be proud.”

This rare show of kindness toward me, or I guess toward my family, startles me. It’s as if, for a night, we have both put our weapons down.

“I’m surprised you stayed,” she says as she bends to pick up a discarded sweatshirt on the rug. “You didn’t have to.”

“Figured you could use the help.” I shrug, not really sure why I stayed either. “Is Ames okay?”

“Hopefully he just has a twenty-four-hour bug. But thank you for getting that Tylenol. It doesn’t help with the sickness, but it does help with the nausea … and knocks kiddos out. Some may judge me for drugging my kid, but he needs to sleep this off. I’ve probably parented worse over the years.”

Penelope picks up a juice cup and then stares at it for a few seconds. Setting both of the items of clutter down on the coffee table, she sighs and collapses onto the couch. She must have decided against cleaning up.

And it’s now that I realize how truly busy her life is. She has three little people depending on her. I usually walk around in my self-absorbed bubble, not really giving a fuck what other people deal with on a daily basis. I certainly never considered what Penelope went home to each time I flirted with her, lusted after her, or best, tasted her.

“I can blow you in the garage or something,” she offers even though she’s lying motionless on the couch with her eyes closed.

“You may think I’m the biggest prick alive, but I’m not that much of an asshole. I don’t require payment for tonight. Rest, and I’ll text you tomorrow about—”

I’m about to lower my voice and say some very dirty things about our friends with benefits pact, but when I glance at Penelope, her breathing has evened out and her lids are closed.

She’s asleep, fully dressed on her couch with a disaster of a living room all around her. It’s strange that I’ve been sitting in her house for almost an hour, helping to wrangle kids while one pukes just above my head, and I’m not the least bit on edge. I’m not really a kid kind of person; never considered myself a parental figure or even really wanted one of my own. And even though tonight did not contain the kind of happy ending I’d signed up for when I scheduled a meet up with Penelope, I wasn’t exactly complaining.

Taking the soft knit blanket off the back of her couch, I cover her with it and quietly walk out of the room. I turn off most of the lights on the first floor and lock the door behind me before heading for my car down by the curb.

A shadow to my right has me pausing, all the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

“What were you doing in there?” An accusatory tone spits out. The voice belongs to Corey Watters, who steps out of the shaded part of the lawn.

My heartbeat quickens, when it should be slowing since I know who this person is. “Jesus, Watters, what the fuck are you doing? Lurking?”

His bulging eyebrows and military buzz cut make him look like Biff from Back to the Future. “I came to check up on Penelope and Ames.”

“Well, they’re asleep. You can go home.” This guy annoys the shit out of me.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” He eyes me critically, posing the question again.

Making a pssh sound, I swat my hand at him as if he’s a nosy insect and walk off without answering him. The guy has a hard-on for Penelope, and I don’t need to deal with his macho army shit right now. If she wants to shack up with