I wish I wasn’t so fucking scared to just ask him what he wants. But Daddy always said don’t ask a question that you don’t want the answer to.
And if the answer is that he’s having fun with me for now, but he’ll be returning to Chicago soon, well…I don’t want to hear that.
So, I’m basically a coward.
“Earth to Gabby,” Declan says, waving his hand in front of my face. “Where did you go there, baby-doll?”
“Sorry.” I smile and shake my head. “Daydreaming.”
“About what?”
“Dessert.” I glance longingly at the pecan pie Mama made for dessert.
“Can we have pie now?” Sam asks, just as he does every Sunday. And every Sunday he gets the same response.
“I know you’re not gonna try to eat my pie before dinner,” Mama says, shaking her finger at him. Sam’s shoulders droop and he lets out a long sigh.
“No, ma’am.”
“Dinner is just about ready,” Charly says, plating all the dishes, and passing them to me to put on the long table in the dining room. Charly and Mama are the best cooks in the family.
“Why doesn’t Gabby ever help cook?” Beau asks. “You’re a great cook.”
“I do well enough at the inn, but I don’t love it the way Mama and Charly do.” I shrug and set a bowl of salad on the table. “And I helped chop the salad.”
“I like your cooking,” Beau says.
“Does that mean you’d like to join us for more dinners?” I prop my hands on my hips as a smile slips over my eldest brother’s lips.
“Well, since you invited me so nicely, sure.”
“Uncle Beau wants mac n’ cheese,” Sam says as he sits in his chair. “Every night.”
“I think that’s what Sam wants,” I reply dryly. “And you already get it at least twice a week.”
“That’s hardly ever.”
“Yes, you’re incredibly abused,” Charly says with a roll of the eyes. “I’m so very sorry for you.”
“Well, maybe not abused,” Sam says, thinking it over. “Maybe mac n’ cheese abuse!”
I ruffle my son’s hair and help him dish up his plate before I dish up my own. But when I turn to do so, Rhys has already loaded it up, dropping scoops of everything when he scoops his own.
“Thank you.” I lean over and kiss his bicep, then look up to see Declan’s eyes on me. Of all three of my brothers, Declan is the most laid back. He’s the typical artist; very sensitive and easy going, but he can be just as fiercely protective as Beau or Eli, in his way.
But right now, his eyes are smiling, and his lips are quirking, and I know that I’m in for a conversation outside with him before we leave Mama’s house today.
And that’s okay because sometimes Declan gives the best advice.
“Mom, I don’t feel great,” Sam says softly. When I lay my lips on his forehead, it feels warm to the touch, but he’s not burning up.
“Do you think you got too much sunshine today?”
“Maybe.”
He’s picking at his food, and that’s not like him.
“Does your belly hurt?”
“No.”
“Have you felt like this for very long?”
“No, ma’am.” He takes a bite of rice and swallows, and he looks okay to me.
“I’ll give you some medicine when we get home,” I murmur and kiss his head. “Just eat what you want. You don’t have to clean your plate.”
“Do I still get dessert?”
“Yes, baby, you can still have dessert.”
“I think it’s just because you didn’t hug your Nannan when you came in,” Mama says and kisses Sam’s head as she passes him to her seat. “You don’t feel warm.”
“He might have overdone it today,” I say, a little worried. But my boy plays hard, and sometimes he just wears himself out.
“Charly,” Kate says, “I need some new shoes for fall.”
“Oh, sugar, I have you covered.” Charly tucks her hair behind her ear and rubs her hands together. “I have a whole slew of new shoes coming in later this week, and they are to die for.”
“Perfect,” Kate says with a grin.
“We’ll be there,” Van agrees.
“You should come with us,” Kate says to me. “You hardly ever come into the city.”
“Well, now that I have an employee, I might be able to do that,” I reply happily. “I’ll let you know.”
Suddenly, Rhys leans down and whispers in my ear, “Snag a pair of new fuck-me shoes.”
I grin over at him and feel my cheeks flush. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Done.”
***
“So talk to me about Rhys,” Declan says as he leads me into Mama’s back yard. We’re wandering through her gardens, on brick paths. As summer is coming to an end, the evenings are cooling off a bit.
Not cool by most people’s standards, but it’s not stifling.
“What would you like to know?”
“Everything.” He sighs and drags his hand through his longer hair. “How are you? How does he make you feel? Is he good to you?”
“Being the big brother.”
“And your friend.” He takes my hand in his and squeezes it lightly. “Always your friend, baby-doll.”