Page 8

“Oh, nothing.”
“Quick, someone change the subject,” Maddox said.
Thankfully, I could always count on him to have my back, because I knew where this was going.
“Oh, nonsense. Why are you so defensive, you boys?”
“Were you or were you not looking for signs that Nick is ready for you to matchmake him?” Leo asked.
Gran just shook her head. “He hasn’t been ready for years now. But I have a theory about that.”
“And what is it?” I asked. I was genuinely curious.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned after all my experience with your brothers, it’s that no one is truly ready. You just get ready when you meet the right person.”
“There is some merit to that theory,” Colton said, frowning.
“So, I’ve learned that everything happens when it’s supposed to. There’s no reason to start pushing and setting you up with granddaughters of my friends,” Gran concluded.
Leo whistled. “Dude, that’s one of the finer advantages of being the last one to find someone. You don’t have to go through any matchmaking attempts.”
I opened my mouth to say,“Thank fuck,”but then Gran added, “Make no mistake. Iwilltry as soon as I get a whiff that he’s ready.”
Wait, what just happened?
My brothers all started to laugh.
Gran winked, then went to the kitchen. She, Penny, and Ben returned almost immediately with the crispy bits I’d set aside especially for him. I was still in a bit of a daze as I went to the table and loaded some food on my plate.
My grandparents came up to me. “Son, how is that girl coping with Jim’s kids?” Granddad asked.
He’d met Jim a few times when we went together to watch baseball games.
“She’s got a lot on her plate.”
“I’ll say. She’s doing so well after all that sorrow,” Gran said, affection in her voice. “She must be a wonderful girl.”
“Yeah, she is. But she’s got some issues with Jim’s parents. They’ve recently hinted that they want custody.”
“What the hell?” Leo asked, putting some boiled eggs on his plate. I hadn’t realized he was within earshot.
Gabe and Maddox were right next to him. They’d met Jim’s parents a few times. No love lost there either.
“My reaction exactly,” I told him. “So I’ve spoken to Hugo.”
“That’s good. He’s excellent at family law,” Maddox said.
We’d gone to college with him, but he went on to law school. He was one of the best in his field.
“You’ve been stopping by regularly, haven’t you?” Gabe asked.
I glanced at Maddox, who held up his hands in self-defense. Even though I considered all seven to be my brothers, there was, of course, no denying that I was closest to Maddox and Leo. They’d been the only ones I’d told about my comings and goings to Allison’s house. Out of the two of them, Maddox was most likely to blab to Gabe. The look of guilt on his face confirmed as much.
“I try. Twice a week. We have dinner, and I play with the kids. I’m not sure how much help I’m being, though.”
“I’m sure Allison appreciates it,” Gran said. She was looking at me intently with an odd expression that I couldn’t decipher. Maybe it was best if I didn’t.
“What’s everyone doing today?” I asked, deciding to change the topic because I felt like I was on thin ice.