Braydon(100)

“She’s already at the party,” Zane informed him, his head hanging half out the window.

Braydon nodded, feeling like a jackass for just assuming she wouldn’t be there already. “Thanks.”

“No worries,” Zane offered along with a curt wave before he accelerated, kicking up dirt and gravel as he sped off toward Ethan’s.

Well, there went that brilliant idea.

Unable to come up with an excuse as to why he should stall any longer, Braydon climbed back in his truck and followed the trail of dust Zane left in his wake.



TEN MINUTES LATER, Braydon was wandering through the state-of-the-art kitchen at Ethan and Beau’s, looking for a beer. He didn’t have to search far before he came upon a bucket of ice dotted with longnecks. He grabbed one of the bottles, shook off the excess water, and then glanced down at the label. Nope, no twist top for this bad boy. It took him a minute to locate a bottle opener, and by that time, he was pretty much frustrated and ready to head out.

It had nothing to do with the beer; he knew that much.

“Hey, man,” Beau greeted him with a clap on the back. “Glad you could make it. Jess with you?”

Braydon glanced around, trying to locate Jessie before turning back to face Beau. “Zane said she was already here.”

“Huh,” Beau said, mimicking Braydon’s cursory search of the room. “Haven’t seen her yet. Then again, I’ve been busy.”

“Busy doing what? Isn’t this a party? Aren’t you supposed to be mingling with the guests?”

“I’m leaving that to Ethan.”

Braydon roared with laughter. “Ethan? Socializing? That’s a first.”

“Fuck off” came the response from behind him.

Braydon turned to see Ethan coming toward him, a smirk on his face. “I’m quite capable of talking to people, thank you very f*cking much.”

“Oh, I didn’t say you weren’t. You just don’t.”

“New leaf and all that shit,” Ethan answered, glancing over at Beau. “Hey, have you seen the girls? Travis is looking for Kylie.”

“Not in a while, no,” Beau told him.

“Hmm.”

“Hmm, what?” Braydon asked, trying to translate the silent conversation going on between Ethan and Beau.

“Nothing,” Ethan said, another smirk on his face. “I’ve got some people to talk to.”

“Have fun,” Braydon said to Ethan’s back as his younger brother sauntered off.

“I better go check on the food,” Beau told him. “Everyone’s hangin’ out by the pool.”

“I’ll be out there in a minute,” Braydon said, saluting him with his beer.

Yes, he was avoiding going outside, but so what?

When Beau disappeared, Braydon took his time wandering through the main rooms of the house. The main room didn’t look much different since the last time he was there. Or the time before that even. He half expected the house to look like two men lived there; it was still just as pristine as ever. The only differences he noticed were a few personal pictures that now crowded the mantel. As he made his way over, he listened to the people in the room talking, nodding his head in acknowledgment as he passed by.

He was staring at the recent pictures of Ethan and Beau, some from their wedding, some probably from their honeymoon at the beach, and a few random ones of Ethan, likely snapped by Beau when Ethan wasn’t looking.

Something warm and wet licked his ear and Braydon jerked around, coming face-to-face with . . .

“What the f*ck is that?” he asked Sawyer as he stared back at . . . Holy shit. It was quite evident that the thing was of the canine persuasion, but that wasn’t what surprised Braydon. No, his momentary shock had to do with the fact that Sawyer was currently holding—although “cuddling” might be a better word for it—one of the . . . cutest damn dogs Braydon had ever seen. The cuteness factor of the animal didn’t play into his surprise, either. It was the fact that Sawyer had a dog.

A freaking dog.

“This is Buster,” Sawyer told him, scratching the little dog’s head.

“Buster? That’s a . . . boy dog?”

“Yup,” Sawyer answered with a wide grin. “Ain’t he cute?”

“Oh, hell. What the hell have you done with my brother?” Braydon razzed him. “It is cute, but . . . seriously, Bubba? A dog?”

Braydon kept an eye on the blond-haired animal as realization dawned. He began to laugh, looking back at Sawyer. “So it looks like your volunteering at the animal shelter isn’t going the way you thought it would, huh?”

Sawyer had the decency to look sheepish. “I’ve been volunteering since before Christmas and it’s gotten me no-f*cking-where. Well, unless you count my new buddy, Buster.”

Christ. Braydon was pretty sure that Sawyer had hit his head somewhere along the way.

“I’m just not sure that thing suits you?”

“No? Let me let you in on a little secret . . . The ladies love him. I mean L-O-V-E love him.”

“I’m sure they do.” The thing was so freaking pretty, it was hard to look at his rough-and-tumble brother holding a golden-haired cocker spaniel. Named Buster.

Holy shit.

“So he’s helpin’ you pick up women? Just not the woman you’re wantin’ to pick up?”