For The Win (Gamer Girls, #6) - Auryn Hadley Page 0,46

really my type. Kinda too muscle-y."

"I like the muscles."

"Which is why you're with him," Kate said.

Which sounded nice and all, but there was still one big problem. "What if I ruin it? What if he says the wrong thing? Kate, I should tell him to cancel, right? Something came up, and I should go back to his hotel?"

"No," Kate decided. "This is you, Rhaven. This is what he has to accept, and if he can't, then I promise you that it's better to find out early. I mean, right now, it would suck, but in a year? No one deserves to have their heart broken like that. So shove your family in his face. Make him face this shit the same way you make the gamers deal with who you are. Come out guns blazing, sweetie, and no matter what, I'll be here if you need to talk."

"Thank you," Rhaven breathed. "I just want it to work out so bad."

"I know, sweetie," Kate told her. "It'll be fine. It has to be. And besides, it doesn't get any easier later on. The nerves will always be there, but that's part of the fun, right? Enjoy it. You are bringing your boyfriend home to have dinner with your dad and brother. Just tell yourself that over and over."

"My boyfriend is coming to meet my family," Rhaven breathed.

Oddly, it did help.

Chapter 16

At a quarter till six, Braden sent a message that he was on his way. Five minutes later, he pulled his little red compact rental car into the drive and got out. From the back seat, he pulled two cases of beer and headed to the front door. Oddly, he wasn't nervous, just excited. Rhaven was standing there, as if she'd been waiting for him, holding the door open. Trying to play it cool, he grinned at her as he walked in, and then lifted a brow.

"Where do you want the beer? It's cold."

"Cooler's out back," a man - who had to be her dad - said, looking up from the burgers he was making at the kitchen counter.

"This way," Rhaven told him, leading Braden through the kitchen and to the back door.

The little single-wide wasn't bad. It wasn't new, but it had been maintained well. Just seeing Rhaven's home said a lot, though. The house was neat, and it didn't look like a new thing. There was just enough clutter to make it clear this was normal. And while there wasn't much that was fancy, everything he saw seemed more than functional. It kinda reminded him of how he'd grown up, living with a single mom and making the most of what little money they had.

But Rhaven seemed nervous. Granted, she'd pretty much been that way since he'd first shown up. Not that he blamed her. She had her habits, and he was here threatening them all. And while he should feel bad about that, he really didn't. Not after last night. For the first time, she'd finally stopped pushing him away, and that made everything else worth it.

Braden followed his girl toward the back, still lugging the beer. Tyler was in the yard, lighting the charcoal in the grill. Beside the picnic table was a cooler, and Braden headed straight for it. There were a few lawn chairs scattered around for everyone to recline in. Not the cheap, crappy ones. These were the big and comfortable kind. Evidently, backyard time was a thing in her family.

While he buried the bottles in ice, Braden looked over at her brother. "You cooking, Tyler?"

The guy flashed a grin. "Fuck no. Dad grills."

"What do you do?" Braden asked Rhaven. "I mean, if your dad grills and Tyler's lighting the fire, then you just..."

"I cook, but don't grill," she admitted. "Tyler's a nightmare when it comes to food. He gets to go shopping instead."

"Nice," Braden said. "At home, we live off delivery. Pretty sure none of us can cook anything impressive."

"Your family?" Tyler asked.

Braden grabbed a pair of beers from the cooler. First, he offered one to Rhaven. The other he held out for Tyler. When those were gone, he grabbed one more for himself, and then claimed the closest chair.

"My coworkers, actually," he explained. "I think most of us put too many hours into the job, but our boss makes sure we're compensated. The downside is that I tend to have three meals a day at the warehouse."

"Warehouse?" Tyler asked.

"The office," Braden clarified. "The building started life as a warehouse. Then it was