Page 18

18

BEN

“We’re going for a Thanksgiving day walk. Need to enjoy the heck out of this weird warm weather we’ve got going on at the minute, so we could be a while. Anyone wanna join?” Pops asks the room as I look around to take my cue from the rest of them. When they all shake their heads, I politely decline, too.

“Better get some exercise before they slice and dice me.” Hank chuckles, grabbing his coat from Pops’s outstretched hand as Penelope scolds him for being so blunt. She’s next to me again, sitting on the small sofa in the living room while Jameson and his husband are on another sofa and Angie is curled into Jenson’s lap on the armchair. The TV is on—another game—but I’m not paying attention to it. I’m focused on her.

My arm rests along the back of the sofa again, and I desperately want to brush my hand through the strands of her hair like before, but I can’t. Now I get to look at her face without seeming like I’m staring, because she’s facing directly toward me rather than away.

Her eyes dance with happiness and her lips wear a perpetual smile. She’s relaxed and calm. This is what it must be like to be around family. People who accept you, love you, and who you feel safe enough to open up to.

Which makes me wonder if she’s told them what happened at the school? And if she hasn’t, why?

As the parental trio leaves, silence descends, and I look nervously to Penelope, not knowing what’s coming next.

“Now we play.” Jenson rubs his hands together in glee as I gulp down the fear swarming through me.

A soft voice floats into my ears as her body leans against me. “Don’t worry, it’s just Monopoly . The Brady brothers are very competitive.”

I bring my eyes up to meet hers and she's grinning conspiratorially at me like she’s let me in on a family joke. I don’t know what everyone else is doing in the room, not when she’s smiling at me and sitting this close. I want to reach out and touch her face, cup her cheek and bring her lips to mine, but I can’t. I clear my throat and nod to chase the thoughts away.

“Right. Okay, Monopoly I can do.”

Jameson has swiped everything off the coffee table and Jenson places the game on it and casually sits on the floor. The rest of us follow, but Jonathan lays on the sofa and grabs a book from the side table.

“You’re not playing?”

“Nope.” He shakes his head to hit his point home and goes back to his book.

“Jonathan doesn’t like playing games,” Jameson lets me know, and I nod my head, a little confused.

“I like playing games fine. I just don’t like playing with you heathens. Plus, Mama is going to kill you all. You know this game is on the banned list.” The assembled Brady siblings, Penelope included, clutch at their chests, mocking outrage in unison. “You’re all as bad as each other. Ben, Angie, good luck.”

I lean into Penelope’s space and lower my voice so only she can hear. “Should I be worried?”

She laughs softly and shakes her head. “Nope, I’ll go easy on you. Wouldn’t want your precious ego taking another hit. Not after the carnival fiasco.” She winks and I’m a little speechless.

“Oh it’s on, Penelope. I’m going to wipe the floor with you.”

She raises her brow, shrugs, and turns to talk to Angie, while I feel eyes burning into me. I look over the board game at the two Brady brothers sitting opposite me. Both of whom are staring at me with identical grins on their faces.

Fuck.

“You flipped the bloody board. I was winning and you flipped the bloody board.”

My outrage is short lived as Hank and both Brady parents walk back in, taking in the mess in front of them.

“Penny, Jameson, or Jenson this time?” Hank folds his arms over his chest and hits us all with an amused grin.

“It wasn’t me this time. I learned my lesson with the dunce hat. This time Buttercup didn’t like losing to her boyfriend” Jenson singsongs that last word and the room chuckles as a collective.

When I scowl at him, he blows me a kiss and Penelope flips the bird at her Jenson, earning her a smack on the head.

“Ow, Mama. He deserved it.”

“I don’t care. You know the rules. Monopoly was banned a long time ago because of this very reason. Now clean it up, Missy.”

“Yes, Mama.” Her contrite acceptance is quickly replaced by indignance and she shoots a scowl in my direction. “But he was cheating. No one can be that good at Monopoly that quickly into the game. He must’ve been cheating.”

Mama rolls her eyes and leaves the room with Pops and Hank as I hold my hands up in surrender.

“I was not cheating. I have no need to cheat at anything.” I pointedly keep her line of sight, trying to drum home my point, and when she looks away with a pink tinge on her cheeks, I know I’ve succeeded. “I’m a successful businessman, Penelope. This game is child’s play for me.”

“You’re such a douche.” She starts to mock my voice, repeating my words back to me in a juvenile way, but I just shake my head at her. “You can’t be that good at business. I know you own the Spartans, but come on.”

“I own the Spartans, several properties all over the world, a restaurant in England that’s massively successful, and co-own a sports brand plus a few other pies I have my fingers in. I also have a private plane. I can take you for a ride if you really want. Show you just how successful I really am.” I lean back on my palms and stretch my legs out, letting the smugness roll off me.

“Such. A. Douche,” she bites out through gritted teeth.

“Your foreplay is weird, but hey, whatever floats your boat.” Jenson narrowly misses the punch Penelope aims at him, but he doesn’t avoid Angie’s slap to the back of his head. “I didn’t curse. You can’t hit me if I don't curse.”

“I can do what I want to you. I own you, Hotshot. Now go get some drinks for everyone, servant boy.” Angie smirks as he frowns and leans next to her. He whispers into her ear and her cheeks flame red. As she tucks her hair behind her ear, he springs up to standing and strides out of the room, leaving her fanning herself as he goes. The intimacy those two have is on another level.

“And that is why I don’t play games with any of you.” Jonathan’s smug voice rings out as I stand and flop onto the sofa next to him.

“Next time, I’m joining you.” I lay my head back on the sofa as he laughs and places his outstretched legs over my lap.

“Only if you give me a foot rub, tell me I’m pretty, and take me for a ride in your private plane.”

My head shoots up and I narrow my eyes at him. “Are you trying to get me in trouble with your husband? Besides, you're bloody gorgeous and you know it.”

“I heard that. Get your own man.” Jameson nudges my foot as he reaches over to grab a little green house from under the armchair.

“Is this what it feels like to have siblings then?” I ask, speaking quietly so only Jonathan can hear me.

He raises his head and lowers his book. “It’s a little overwhelming, isn’t it? The way they love you right off the bat?” I nod. “It takes a little getting used to. But once you’re accepted into the Brady clan, you’re in. They love hard, play hard, and when everything goes to shiitake mushrooms, they fight even harder for you. Penny’s included in that. She’s got all the qualities of a Brady, but the stubbornness of her dad. She’s also vulnerable and sweet, so don’t hurt her.”

I bring my eyes to his again. “There’s nothing going on. And from what you just saw, I don’t think she likes me all that much.”

He smiles knowingly, looks over to Penelope swiping money off the floor, and reverts his attention back to me. “Hmmmm.”

He brings his book up, his therapist mask fully in play, and leaves me wondering what he’s thinking as the rest of the Bradys clean up the remnants of a Thanksgiving afternoon board game gone sideways.