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We don’t say anything for a few beats, although the silence screams to be filled.

“We should get going,” I finally say, realizing we’ve been messing around and making out for way longer than we should have and it’s at least a half hour from here to Mum and Jon’s.

“Do you think they’ll like me?” Kendra asks, still planted firmly in my lap.

“My family?” I ask, shocked at her doubt.

She nods and plays with the hairs at the nape of my neck.

“What makes you think they wouldn’t?”

She twists her lips. “I don’t think Tyler’s parents liked me that much. He’s an only child, and I guess they thought their golden boy could do better.”

I bite the inside of my cheek, suppressing amusement at how fucking ridiculous the Bennetts clearly are. “You know what I think? People don’t like what they’re afraid of. You threatened him, Kendra. You were so far out of his fucking league, and he was way out of his depth with you. Powerful women who do awesome things don’t belong with guys like Tyler Bennett.Youdon’t belong with Tyler Bennett …”

You belong with me.

I shove down the thought and take a breath.

“And they knew that. My family knows when they have a good thing. And they are going to love you.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

JACK

The second the elevator pings and the door opens into the apartment, like moths to a flame, Darcy and Mum come crashing toward us.

Scratch that. They completely ignore me and make a beeline for Kendra.

“Oh my God!” Darcy announces as she launches herself at my girl.

“Give her some space, Darce,” Mum instructs, momentarily making me think she’s got ahold of herself, but then she does the exact same when my sister steps back.

“Happy birthday! Wow … you smell so good,” Mum announces, reaching up to wrap her arms around Kendra’s taller frame. “Doesn’t she smell good, Jack? And oh-so pretty!” She braces her hands on Kendra’s shoulders to get a better look at her.

I swipe a hand across my face and groan. Kendra is the first girl I’ve ever brought home. Aside from Darcy’s boyfriend, Liam, Mum has been starved of in-law potential.

“Hi,” Kendra squeaks out, unsurprisingly overwhelmed at the reception.

And to think she was nervous they wouldn’t like her.

Bennett pricks.

“Okay, so I’m Darcy, Jack’s sister. This is our mum, Felicity.” My sister moves around the group like it isn’t obvious who we all are, her honey-colored hair swishing and blue eyes dancing with excitement. “Jon!” she shouts. “Get your arse in here. Kendra and Jack have arrived.”

“And I’m Jack.” I turn to Kendra and point at myself.

Darcy swats me in the chest and proceeds to wrap herself around me, burying her face in my neck. “It’s been too damn long,” she whispers, only wanting me to hear what she’s saying.

It’s been almost four months since I last saw my baby sister. Growing up, we fought like regular siblings, but since our family split across the Atlantic, we realized not only how in tune we were, but how we weren’t really built to be apart for long periods.

“Missed you, Bug,” I reply.

“Jack”—inconspicuously, Darcy tips her head in Kendra’s direction—“I’m twenty-two, I thought you dropped the nickname you gave me when we were five and you chased me with earthworms?”

I shrug and glance over at Kendra as she stares back at us, a vacant kind of look on her face.

“Okay, so dinner should be ready in, like, twenty minutes.” Mum claps her hands together. “Jon is just prepping the gravy.” She then looks at me. “Jack, why don’t you show Kendra the place and then get seated at the table?”