Page 23 of Making It Up

My older brother is not just smart, he also knows me very well. All three of my brothers do. It’s very annoying. His gaze takes in the canvas bag I’m carrying. “I’ll tell you what I do with Mia, if you tell me what’s in the bag,” Charlie says.

“So you do something with Mia?” I hate the way my gut clenches. Though this would solve the problem of my attraction to Scott Hansen’s daughter. If my brother has something going on with her, I am definitely out.

“I do,” Charlie says. He tucks his hands into the pockets of his khaki slacks. “We do it about three nights a week.”

Charlie knew her first. He knows her better. He has more in common with her.

I tell myself all of these things, and my rational brain says they make sense.

The knot in my gut doesn’t care.

“How long has it been going on?” I ask.

My brothers and I don’t sit around and talk about our feelings all the time, but we do share a lot about our lives with one another. Losing our parents so young and everything we’ve been through has made us very close.

Our youngest brother, Jack, just lost his wife and has moved back to Sapphire Falls with his two young kids. It fucking sucks to watch him go through more loss, and we’ve all rallied around him.

So, it’s hard to believe that Charlie might be serious about a woman and not tell us, but possibly he’s keeping it to himself for now with everything Jack’s going through.

“Oh geez,” Charlie says, thinking about my question. “Over a year.”

I frown and step closer to him. “You’ve been seeing Mia for over a year, and you haven’t said anything to any of us?”

Charlie gets an aha look on his face. “I’m not dating Mia, David. Don’t worry. You’re free to ask her out.”

Thank fuck.

But I quickly shake my head. “I’m not going to ask her out.”

“Don’t you think you should? Considering how much you hate the idea of anyone else doing that?”

I sigh. Dammit. This will not be the last time Charlie brings this up. And I’m certain the next time—or the next three times—one or more of our brothers will be there. “I can’t date Mia. You know how I feel about Scott.”

“Then why are you here and feeling the urge to punch me thinking I’m dating her?”

That is a very good question. I blow out a breath. “I ran into her the other night. She was out at the river, trying to find animal tracks. I found some for her and brought the molds in. It will keep her from going out there alone again.”

“Ah, just helping her out. Like the good, noble conservation officer you are.”

I narrow my eyes at his sarcastic tone. “Exactly.”

“And do you think that scaring off other men from asking her out is helpful to her too?”

“That’s not what I’m doing.”

Charlie chuckles. “Okay.” He claps me on the shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”

I slap my hand over his, holding him in place. “Charlie.”

“Yeah?”

“You haven’t told me what you and Mia do together three nights a week.”

Charlie grins. “Does it matter? You don’t want to ask her out.”

I do want to ask her out. I’m just not going to.

But I really wish the answer to Charlie’s question was no. I nod. “Yeah. It does.”