Nobody But You(22)

Aidan grimaced. “You know what I mean.”

“No,” she said. “I don’t. Maybe we should call it a dickhead game.”

“Kincaids play crickets,” Gray said over the ensuing battle. He stepped past Penny and Aidan, right up close to Hud and Jacob.

Jacob assumed his oldest half brother was going to reach for some darts, but instead he came toe-to-toe with him, eyes swirling with emotion.

“You’re home,” Gray said, voice a little thick.

Jacob managed a nod.

“Hud told us,” Gray said. “But I needed to see you with my own eyes. You staying?”

“I’m on leave,” Jacob said. “I have to finish my stint.”

“So this is what, a onetime thing, then?” Gray asked.

Jacob heard someone suck in a breath. Penny, he thought, because not one of the four of them—the brothers—appeared to be breathing.

Up until Brett died, he’d never allowed himself to imagine coming home and staying. But from the moment he’d set foot on this mountain, he’d wanted nothing else. He shook his head. “Not just a onetime thing.”

Hud’s shoulders fell from his ears, and when that happened, Aidan and Gray relaxed as well.

Not Jacob. He felt like he’d been strung up on tenterhooks and left hanging.

But then Gray stepped up to him, wrapped his arms around him, and lifted him in a huge bear hug, feet hanging off the floor.

The air left Jacob’s lungs forcibly with an “oomph” and he caught a flash of Hud’s grin.

“Jesus,” Gray said, dropping Jacob. “What the hell did they feed you over there? You’re as big as a mountain.”

“That’s what I asked,” Hud said, casually reaching out and giving Jacob a shove that had him bumping into Aidan.

Aidan was solid enough to keep them both upright as he made a show of looking Jacob over. “I don’t know, man,” he said to Gray. “Still looks a bit scrawny to me.”

“I’ll fatten him up!” Penny cried gleefully, jumping up and down. “With my fabulous homemade double-fudge brownies!” Shoving her way through the four big men, she stood in front of Jacob, her hands on her hips. “Hi,” she said. “Remember me?”

“You were my hottie English tutor,” Jacob said. “And Gray used to try to get me to ask you if you liked him. He’d bribe me with whatever cash he had, and I’d promise to do it. Instead, I pocketed the money and told you he was an idiot and that you shouldn’t look at him twice.”

Penny laughed in delight. “I’ll have you know, I married that idiot.” She flashed her diamond at him. “Eight years ago. He’s my idiot now.”

Gray slid his arms around her from behind and kissed her jaw. They all had a groove, a pace. They all knew each other so well and he…didn’t.

That was when Penny flung herself at him.

Jacob barely caught her and let her hug him for what felt like a damn long time. Finally, with a sigh, she pulled back and sniffed, swiping at a tear. She pointed at Jacob, her mascara slightly smudged. “If you leave and don’t come home when you’re finished, I’m coming after you myself, you hear me?”

“I hear you,” he said quietly, his chest feeling tight. For years, his life had depended on his instincts, and they were honed sharp. Survival had been harshly ingrained. Emotions had no place in that life.

He’d gone a whole lot of years purposely feeling nothing. And then Brett had died and had set off a tsunami of all he’d been holding in. He wanted to be here and was gratified Aidan, Gray, and Penny were receptive to that, but Hud hadn’t said a damn word.

And it was Hud he needed to hear from the most. He forced himself to look at his twin.

Hud’s eyes were closed. Once upon a time that wouldn’t have mattered. They’d been able to read each other blind. They’d shared everything. But Jacob couldn’t get a bead on him now to save his own life. “Where’s Kenna?” he asked, hoping to give Hud a minute.

Aidan and Gray exchanged looks.

“What?” Jacob asked.

“She’s got plans,” Aidan said. “She had to leave.”

“Or she’s pissed at me,” Jacob said.

“Or that,” Aidan agreed.

“Don’t sweat it,” Gray said. “She’s always pissed at one of us. She’ll come around.”

Aidan nodded.

Hud still didn’t speak, making it clear that Kenna wasn’t the only one pissed at him. “I’ll go see her in the morning.”

“That’d be good,” Penny said softly, not missing the silent and tense exchange between Hud and Jacob. “She could use some one-on-one time with you, I think.”

Awkward silence while everyone divided a look between Hud and Jacob.

“So we playing darts or standing around holding hands?” Hud finally asked.

Penny sighed. She didn’t say anything, but the sigh spoke volumes, mostly that she thought men were ridiculous.

“Crickets,” Jacob said decisively, and palmed the darts.

“Now, see, that’s what I’m talking about,” Gray said, slinging an arm around Jacob’s neck, hooking him in. “Crickets. Kincaids play crickets.” He jostled Jacob. “Missed you, man.” And with that simple sentence slaying Jacob straight through, Gray let him go, snatched the darts, and stepped up to go first.