The Summer Deal (Wildstone #5)(54)

Max pointed at him. “Exactly. And if memory serves, you warned me off hitting on her. And then you did it instead.”

“We’re not talking about this.”

“So should I be upset that I missed out?”

Eli rose to his feet and took a step toward Max, who immediately put his hands up, but instead of an apologetic look on his face, he laughed.

Eli turned his back on his idiot brother and stared out at the water. He purposely let out a long breath, counting in his head until he lost the urge to put his fist through Max’s knowing smile. It took a minute. Or ten. When he turned back to Max, his brother offered him a bottle of water, his smug-ass smile gone.

“So you didn’t just tap that,” Max said quietly. “You fell for that. And hard.” He nodded and tipped his bottle of water to Eli’s. “About time, man. You deserve it.”

Eli shook his head. “What am I doing? She hasn’t even brought her boxes into the house from her trunk. Her job’s temporary. She’s probably got one foot out the door.”

Max shook his head. “She’s scared. I’m guessing she’s been given the short end of the stick so many times she’s convinced herself temporary everything is the only way to go. She’s shaking in her boots over getting attached to us, but most especially to you.”

“So what do I do?”

Max shrugged. “Give her a reason to grow roots.”

Eli just looked at him.

His brother looked right back, steadily, a slow smile curving his lips. “Even though you don’t know you’re doing it yet, it’s really good to see you engaging in some feels, man.”

Didn’t feel nice. Felt scary as fuck.

He got home, planning on taking Brynn out wherever she wanted to go. Getting out of his car, he caught sight of something on the beach that had him walking across the street to the sand. Because to his utter shock, Kinsey and Brynn were at one of the three volleyball courts, throwing down in a game that looked very serious for the two most uncoordinated, unathletic people he’d ever met.

Brynn had the ball. She served and got Kinsey right in the center of the forehead. Brynn gasped in horror and went running toward Kinsey, yelling, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!”

Kinsey touched the spot on her head and pointed at Brynn, eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare come over here and ask me if I’m okay, like I’m some fragile little snowflake.” She then snatched the ball and got in position to serve.

With a squeak, Brynn whirled and ran back to her spot.

Kinsey was in shorts and a fitted tank that read, PEOPLE, NOT A BIG FAN. She had sand stuck to her—everywhere. Her face was red and sweaty, her hair piled on top of her head as she pointed at Brynn.

Brynn was in shorts and a tank as well—hers had a smiley face on it. She was also hot and sweaty, but she was grinning, and as Kinsey pointed at her, Brynn gave her a double-handed, universal “bring it on” gesture.

Deck stood on the sidelines, his son, Toby, on his shoulders, the both of them cheering the girls on.

“Get her, Ms. Davis,” Toby yelled.

“Just don’t kill her, Kins,” Deck called out.

Kinsey served, and since she sucked at it—Eli should know, he’d made the mistake of being in a league with her and she’d lost them every game they’d played—the ball hit the net.

This year, he and Max had switched from a three-man team to a two-man team, cutting Kinsey out.

She still hadn’t forgiven him.

She swore impressively and waited for Brynn to serve. Brynn’s body moved more easily than Kinsey’s, who’d spent most of her life feeling sick. He could tell Brynn didn’t feel off, but she also had zero idea of the power of her own body. She moved with a slight awkwardness that told him she wasn’t one hundred percent convinced her limbs were her own. And yet that smile . . . that girl-next-door smile slayed him every time.

She missed the net by a mile and shrugged. “Don’t want to beat you too fast,” she called out.

Okay, so the girl-next-door—with an edge.

Adorable.

And sexy as hell.

Suddenly, standing there watching the sisters beating the shit out of each other, yearning for Brynn in ways that went far deeper than their animal attraction, everything Max had said sunk in and clicked, and the epiphany punched him in the face.

He was tired of standing on the sidelines, tired of letting life, love pass him by. He wanted Brynn. He wanted her in his bed, but also in his heart, where truthfully, she’d already made a home for herself.

Definitely one of the scariest thoughts he’d had in a long time. But with a deep breath, he stepped off the sidelines, both emotionally and physically.

The women looked over at him. Both hot and sweaty, while at the same time using the civilities of the game to go at each other, both giving him very different looks.

Kinsey was in competitive mode and didn’t want to be interrupted. Nothing new. He often irritated her just by breathing. But she also loved him, so she gave him a thumbs-up and then a “go away” gesture.

Brynn was in competitive mode as well, a mode he hadn’t realized she even had, but she didn’t mind the interruption. She didn’t love him, at least not yet, but he hoped to change that.

And that was truly the scariest thought he’d had in a long time.