The Rivals - Dylan Allen Page 0,395

drops a whole octave.

“Shit sorry, it’s Stone. I should have said.”

Remi’s silent for a beat. “Yeah, you should have,” he snaps. Then he softens his tone. “Stone, hey. I knew you were headed back. Didn’t realize it was today. You staying with Hayes?” he asks conversationally, but his voice is more guarded now that he knows I’m in the car.

“No, I kept my place in the medical center while I was gone, so I’m headed there.”

“Yo, damn I forgot!” Tyson slaps the steering wheel.

“What?” Remi and I ask at the same time.

“Stone was in Mexico when Reggie was. Maybe he saw the asshole in that picture.” Tyson’s hands tighten and twist on the steering wheel and his lip curls.

“Man, I fucking hope so,” Remi growls. “I want to kick his ass for hiding while my sister dangled on a hook all by herself.”

My stomach plummets to my toes. This doesn’t bode well.

“Hmmm…What did she say when you asked?” I ask trying to handicap my prospects.

“She says he’s some dude she met and had a fling with him...but that’s it.” Remi grumbles.

“Who was she with? Besides that chick.” Tyson asks.

“No one,” I answer flatly and turn my head to look out of the window. We’re flying down the airport service road and the scenery speeding by gives me an instant headache. My stomach roils. A stranger? She really expects me to go spend the rest of my life pretending that we don’t know each other. And I can’t breathe

“For real? Damn.” Tyson asks, disappointment clear in his voice.

“For real.” I spot a cluster of fast food restaurants and point. “Can we stop? I’m starving.”

“Yeah, and if we’re not going to Regan’s I’m going to get something, too.” He slams on his brakes and makes a squealing turn into the parking lot of the restaurant and joins the very long drive through line. Tyson throws his car into park as if he expects to be sitting for a very long time. Shit.

“So, we’ll start Friday nights in a few weeks. Let’s let her get settled, cool?” Remi asks.

“Hell no, it’s not cool. That’s the only home cooked meal I get all week.” Tyson whined.

“I just told you that Regan is wrecked. Stop being selfish.” My stomach clenches to hear that she’s wrecked, that she nearly lost her children because of that picture.

“I’m not just thinking about myself. I’m thinking about Regan, too. She needs adult time. Fun adult time. She needs to date again and get over that French motherfucker who I never liked, for the record.”

Remi lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Stone, welcome to the family. This is your life now. We don’t know each other well, but I’m looking forward to changing that. Since we’re kind of…brothers now.”

My gut tightens and I can’t hide my discomfort as I stammer through my answer.

“Uhh, but not really, though. I mean, he wasn’t my dad.”

Tyson gives me a surprised side-eye, and there’s silence from Remi’s end of the line. I grimace and look away. I rub a hand over the back of my suddenly warm neck. “I’m sorry, I just haven’t really had time to process this—”

“Hey, hey…no pressure.” Remi sounds like he’s talking to a skittish animal. “I know this is strange. Just wanted to let you know where I am…You can meet me there, or not. Either way, welcome to the family. You should come to dinner at Regan’s one Friday. Ty drive like you have sense and call me when you get home. We’ve got some business to discuss.”

He hangs up, without saying bye or waiting for Tyson’s response.

“Older brothers. Bossy as fuck. See how he just ordered me around? He’s always sticking his nose in my shit. You’d think I was still thirteen and not thirty-two.”

“Hayes is the same. Sticking his nose where it’s not wanted.”

“Listen, you got any nice doctor friends Regan’s age? She needs a regular guy, but you know my sister—she’s so image conscious. She’ll want someone who, as my mother would say “has the same size door as hers.” He gives me a knowing look.

“What does that mean?”

“I mean, she’s had a rough time. Since that picture dropped, all the funding for her little center she was building has disappeared. Her little fake housewives clique dropped her, boards she’s served on for years asked her to resign. Her kids come home crying because people are talking about their mother’s ass. And so, I want to find her a man who makes the bitches who have