should’ve woken me. I could’ve helped.”
“You deserved to sleep in after last night.”
He waggles his eyebrows.
“Because we were up late getting the rest ready, not because of what you did when we were done. Although, that was a good effort too.”
“Just good? I need to up my game.”
“It was amazing, phenomenal—”
“I’m ready!”
We turn to Kaylee, and I have to bite back another laugh.
Lyric is quick to whip out his phone and take a photo.
She has on her Elsa dress, as suspected, but I wasn’t expecting the army helmet and Nerf guns.
“You look super cute, bub, but, uh, are the guns and helmet really necessary?”
“Yes,” she says simply.
“Of course they are,” Lyric says. “What’s a birthday party without war games?”
The buzzer for the gate sounds.
Lyric heads for the front of the house. “That’ll be Brenna with Chase.”
I hit the button on the wall to let them in.
As he reaches the sliding doors leading to the less messy part of the house, Lyric looks at me over his shoulder. “Did you want to … I mean, you haven’t met her yet …”
I should meet her. If not as the guy seeing her brother-in-law, then at least as his boss.
“Too much?” he asks.
I realize I haven’t moved. “No. It’s, uh, yeah, let’s do that.”
“I’m not leading you to the firing squad,” Lyric says. “You might want to try smiling.”
“I am smiling. I’m thinking of three different ways to murder you for being a condescending jerk.”
“What’s a con-sed-ending jerk?” Kaylee asks.
I turn to Kaylee. “Sweetie, if someone tells you that you should smile, what do you say?”
“Give me a reason to.”
I turn back to Lyric. “See, I’ve taught her valuable feminist lessons and shit.”
“Swear jar,” Kaylee sings.
“And then she betrays me like that,” I mutter.
The three of us go out to meet Chase and Brenna, but when the car pulls around, three people get out.
“Chase!” Kaylee calls, and they both run into the house.
I’m still too busy looking at the man in a pristine blue suit with meticulously styled dirty-blond hair and a smile I’d recognize anywhere. He makes my stomach flip, but only because he’s familiar.
“Holy shi—vers, you and your brother could be twins,” I say to Lyric. “You know, if you cut your hair.”
“And aged seven years. Do I really look as old as him?”
“Heard that, little brother,” Chord says. He extends his hand to me. “Chord Jones. Nice to finally meet you.”
Brenna steps forward. “Yes, I’ve been dying to meet the boy bander who’s been keeping our Lyric busy with all those overnighters.”
My hand freezes in Chord’s grip, and I try to wipe any guilt from my face. I don’t know if Lyric’s told them about us. I guess I assumed he didn’t even though I technically only asked him to keep it from Kaylee. Well, and the general public, but I wouldn’t classify his brother and sister-in-law that way.
“Subtle, Brenna,” Lyric says. “Really subtle. Thank you for dropping Chase off. You’ve done your duty. You can go have date day now.”
“Aww, we thought we’d stay for the party.” Chord smiles. “Get to know the girl Chase tells us he’s going to marry one day. Family is important.”
Brenna snickers.
“Oh, dear God. They’re doing this to torture me,” Lyric mutters.
“Hey, then I’m all for it.” I smile. “By all means. Please come in. We’re just waiting for Kaylee’s mom to arrive, and then we can leave for the playground.”
They both look confused, and I’m guessing Lyric hasn’t told them anything about Maggie, which I respect. I’m sure Maggie appreciates it too.
Lyric and I lead the way, and as we keep walking, I lean in and lower my voice.
“Do they know?”
“No. They know how much I’m crushing on you and are giving me shit.”
“Good to know.”
“I wouldn’t tell anyone without letting you know.”
“It’s okay if you do tell them. I just wanted to know what I’m working with.”
Lyric lets out a breath of relief, and it’s only now that he’s relaxed I realize how tense he was about it.
The gate buzzes again as we reach the foyer.
“That’ll be Maggie.” I duck back outside to greet her, and when we head inside, we find everyone in the playroom.
Lyric’s given Chord and Brenna some drinks, and they’re chatting while Kaylee and Chase dig through her dress-up chest.
“You can borrow my clothes,” Kaylee says. “Lyric wears Daddy’s clothes all the time. They’re going to get married like us!”
I’ve never once experienced the expression so silent you could hear a pin drop, but right now, everyone in