The Rivals - Dylan Allen Page 0,457

cousin Jesse, cluster around them while we smile into the camera set up on the tripod.

A few years ago, I would have bet a million dollars against the odds of this group of life long rivals being a family.

But here we are. After the pictures are done, I raise a toast to our family and my legacy. When everyone else moves back inside for dessert. I stay on the porch to clear my head. I’m grateful as hell for everything I have, but I’m also heartsick at the prospect of Remi moving.

He’s my brother and my best friend. The bullshit that comes with leading this family and running Kingdom would be unbearable if I didn’t have him here.

“Hayes?” Jesse ducks his head out of the door. “I’m heading to my hotel.”

“Already? It’s a shame we didn’t get a chance to talk.” He smiles graciously and I feel like a asshole for avoiding him all night.

“You have a house full of guests. I’ll be back in town for good next fall. We’ll have plenty of time to catch up.”

He’s a couple of inches shorter than me, but he’s built like all the men in our family- broad shouldered, slim hipped and long legged. “Right. You’re graduating. Where are you in school, again?”

“At Tufts. Near Boston.”

I nod my approval. “You playing soccer, still?”

His smile falters a little. “No, I had an ACL injury freshman year. I’m pre-med, now.”

“Sorry, I hadn’t heard.” I guess actively avoiding any mention of his name is a good way to make sure I wouldn’t.

He shrugs and stuffs his hands into his pockets. “It’s all good. I never thought I’d go pro or anything. And I’m excited for med school. I’m going to Baylor.”

“Like Stone.”

He smiles “Yeah, he wrote me a letter of recommendation. I know it helped my application. I owe him.”

I hide my surprise. I didn’t realize that my brothers had kept in touch with him. “Well, congratulations. Thanks for coming all this way.”

He shrugs. “It’s Christmas. I wanted to spend it with family.”

I smile back and nod, but I feel like shit for the way I’ve treated him. I’m grateful that Confidence pushed that mountain of my pride until it moved.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the Wilde’s, right?” he asks.

“Yeah.” I glance at the house and back at him as a thought occurs to me. “Where are you staying?”

“I grabbed a room at the Omni.”

“No way. We’ve got three spare rooms. Stay here.”

His eyes widen and he shakes his head. “I don’t want to put you out.”

“You’re not. You’re family.”

At his skeptical expression, I cut the bullshit. “Look, your parents and I…that’s a dead end. But there’s no reason that we can’t get to know each other if that’s what you really want.”

He smiles, and relaxes. “I do want that. Thank you. I’d love to stay.”

I pat him on the shoulder. “You need help with your luggage?”

“Nope, it’s just a carry on. I got it.”

We walk into the house and I stop at the foot of the stairs. “I’m heading up to bed. Tyson and Dare are still here so you’ll have company if you’re not ready to turn in. The room is the fourth door on the corridor to the left of the stairs. See you in the morning.”

“Hayes, just a second.”

I look over my shoulder and raise my eyebrows in question. “Yeah?”

He stuffs his hands in his pockets and rocks back on his heels. His smile falters for the first time and he opens his mouth a couple times and closes it again before he finally speaks.

“I didn’t take it for granted that you’d be open to my being here. What my father did…it was terrible.”

“Yes, it was.” I add, it’s not particularly gracious, but I spent my daily quota of that already.

He winces, but nods. “I’m nothing like him.”

I hold a hand up. “I know that greed isn’t genetic. Clean slate.”

He shoulders visibly relax and his smile brightens again. “Well, I appreciate it.”

“Then, don’t fuck it up.”. I tip my imaginary hat at him and head toward the kitchen. I grab my wife, a slice of cherry pie, and head upstairs for seconds

Chapter 10

Tyson Wilde

I Dare You

What a night.

I glance around the dark spot lit backyard of Hayes and Confidence's house. I've only seen the old Rivers House in pictures, but this is a far cry from the palatial grounds and manicured lawns that were compared to the famous botanical gardens in Geneva.

But like everything about this new generation, it fits.

It's