Page 14 of Burning Love (Looking For Love #7)
BEING GREAT
“ I t’s so good to see you, Jace,” Lauren said to him on Sunday. He was the last to arrive as always.
“Thanks for the invite.”
“You’re always welcome and you know it.”
He did. As if his father wasn’t one of the most stand-up guys he’d ever met, Lauren was equally the same.
His stepmother could have been bitter and jealous, but she’d done nothing more than accept him into their life. Lauren and his younger sisters decorating the spare room that became his and letting him join their family as if he always belonged.
“Where’s Dad?”
“Talking to Rob and Kelsey in the barn about something. Janey has the boys in the backyard playing.”
“Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Nope,” Lauren said. “Grab a beer and go on the patio. I’ll be right out.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” He went to the fridge and pulled out a can of Fifth Kid. His father must have made a trip there recently since you could only buy the beer at their brewery and not in stores.
“Uncle Jace!” His nephew William, who was five, raced toward him. Jonathan at three tagging behind.
“Hey, guys. Are you abandoning Aunt Janey for me? You know she doesn’t like that.”
He gave his nephews high fives. His youngest stepsister coming to stand next to him.
“You always steal them away.”
“Get your own,” he said.
“At twenty-five?” Janey said. “No, thank you. I’m not my sister.”
Kelsey had married at twenty-four and was pregnant shortly after. She’d met Rob in college and, at thirty, his oldest stepsister seemed to have the perfect life that many dream of.
Not one where she had no parent in her life like he had.
She had a husband who adored her and helped her out around the house and enjoyed spending time with his kids.
Jace supposed if he had to hand pick a husband for Kelsey, Rob would have been it.
Then he wondered why he thought that because he never felt he could voice those thoughts as an older brother. Kelsey was ten when he entered her life, then he went away to college for two years and was home on short breaks.
He lived in the house for a few more years while he worked and put money away, got an apartment with a roommate, then on his own and had stayed that way since he was twenty-five.
Janey still lived at home, though she worked full time.
Shit, Janey was a year older than Talia now that he thought of it. He wasn’t sure how he’d feel if Janey had a boyfriend his age.
“She’s happy enough.”
“I’m barely making ends meet,” Janey said. “And I hate my job. I want to play with the boys when they are here, then send them back to my sister.”
And that was why he’d be upset if Janey dated someone his age. She still hadn’t fully grown up and taken any responsibility.
He’d bet Lauren was still doing Janey’s laundry for her and making all the meals.
Talia had told him that she cooked just as much as her mother so that they took turns.
For someone who’d said that her siblings always said she was immature or had to grow up, she always seemed mature to him.
Except with what she had on when she showed up a few days ago.
Yeah, best not to think of that again.
He was damn lucky he’d only lost control of his body once, and she knew it but didn’t make a comment.
“One day Kelsey might do the same to you.”
“I doubt it. She’s meant to be a mom, just like Mom. I don’t have the patience for it. They are in the barn with Dad.”
“Thanks,” he said and headed that way.
“There he is,” Kelsey said. “And my two rugrats. You always trail after Uncle Jace.”
“What can I say, your kids worship me.”
“You’ve always been good with them,” Rob said, laughing.
“They’re fun to have around.”
He’d watched them a time or two when they needed someone so Rob could take his sister out for a few hours and give her a break.
Or he’d go over with his father to do some work on Kelsey’s house. Rob was a great husband and father, but he barely knew the difference between a Phillips and flat head screwdriver.
“Rob ordered a swingset for the kids,” Kelsey said. “He thinks he can put it together himself.”
Jace took a sip of beer to stop himself from snorting over that statement.
“I can help if you need a hand,” he offered.
“I’d love it,” Rob said visibly breathing a sigh of relief. “I’m going to take a day off this week to do it if you want to let me know your schedule.”
“Please help,” Kelsey said. “I don’t want to have to worry about the kids swinging and the whole thing caving in on them.”
“Do you have so little faith in your husband?” Rob asked Kelsey as he moved closer to put his arm around her shoulder.
“Yes, I do. Jace, I’ll give you food for a week if you help Rob.”
“Sweet. It’s a deal.” He’d never let Rob do it alone because he feared for his nephews’ safety also.
“I’ll try to stop over if you need me,” his father said. “We’ve got a lot going on right now and I’m a man down.”
“I can fill in,” Jace said. “I’m going to take a break on my house. I’m in a good spot.”
“Dad said you finished the first floor,” Kelsey said. “I’d love to see it.”
“I’ve got some pictures.” He pulled his phone out, unlocked it, and handed it over.
Kelsey looked through them. “I love how your half bath came out. That tile is similar to what I wanted in the boys’ bathroom.”
“I can do that,” Rob said.
“Remember the backsplash you tried to install?” Kelsey asked. “Dad had to fix and finish it.”
Jace held back any comment. Rob tried, but as someone who sat behind a desk all day long, home repairs and maintenance weren’t his thing.
“We all can’t be great at everything,” he said.
“Speaking of being great,” Kelsey said. “Nicole asked if you were seeing anyone.”
“Nicole? Who’s that?”
“It’s someone I work with,” Kelsey said. “Sorry. I’ve mentioned her name before but maybe not around you.”
“How does she know me?”
“I have an electronic frame on my desk of the family. There are a few pictures of you in there with the kids. She thinks you’re hot.”
“Nicole is a ho,” Janey said. “Right up your alley, Jace.”
“Hey,” he said.
“Janey,” his father said. “That’s mean and rude.”
“What?” Janey said. “Everyone knows Jace doesn’t want anything but fun from a woman. I’m just saying Nicole is it.”
“I’ll take a hard pass.”
The last thing he wanted was to spend time with someone his sisters knew.
He wouldn’t admit that he hated that they knew this about him. He’d had no clue he had that big of a reputation.
“Your brother is dating someone anyway,” his father said.
“Who?” Kelsey asked.
Just great. “It’s been three dates. Not a big deal.”
“Why can’t you give us her name?” Janey asked.
“Because it’s not anyone you know,” he said.
Though Talia grew up in Fayetteville, there were multiple high schools and they weren’t in the same district.
“Leave your brother alone,” his father said. “He’s entitled to his personal life.”
“How come Jace gets a personal life that is private, but everyone wants to know what is going on in mine?” Janey asked.
“Because I can clean up any mess I get in and you not so much.”
“That’s not fair,” Janey said. “Trey was a dick.”
“And he’s left you alone since, right?”
No one pushed his sister around. Trey insisted he’d never laid a hand on her, but the bruises on Janey’s arm from being yanked said otherwise.
He didn’t care the guy was drunk, you keep your hands off a woman.
“It’s been two years,” Janey said. “Yes. I appreciated you stepping in, but I was going to break up with him anyway.”
“If Jace hadn’t stepped in, I would have broken his fingers,” his father said. “Be lucky it was only your older brother having a talk with him at a bar one night.”
He would have loved to break more than fingers on Trey’s hand, but wouldn’t risk his career either.
“It’s over with,” Janey said. “Moving back to Jace.”
“Nothing to talk about,” he said firmly. “And Lauren is all alone in the kitchen. I’ll see if she needs help.”
He left his family and returned to the house.
“Is my youngest being a pain again?” Lauren asked.
“As always,” he said. “Let me help you.”
“I’m not going to argue. You can carry the plates to the dining room.”
He put his beer down and set the table. If it reminded him of doing this with his mother when he was younger. He pushed that thought away.
There were some memories he didn’t want anymore and wasn’t sure why it was so hard to keep them locked up.