Page 12

OSCAR

“ H ow’s your salmon?” Alex asks, halfway through the second course.

“It’s fantastic,” I tell him.

He stares at my plate with a mixture of doubt and confusion. Not that I can blame him. Molecular gastronomy plays with textures and flavors alike, so my dish doesn’t look anything like salmon except its characteristic pink hue.

“You sure that’s salmon, brother?” Alex asks.

“My taste buds don’t lie.”

I know he’s teasing, and the mood around the table is relaxed, but I’m still uncomfortable—and it feels like everyone knows it.

Kellan and Alex keep shooting me sidelong glances—ones I do my best to ignore.

While I am aware of the insane chemistry between us and Makayla, I need to make sure that my brothers want her for the long term.

Our relationship history doesn’t speak in our favor, and I don’t want Makayla to suffer later down the road.

“My cream soup is incredible,” Makayla says, savoring every spoonful. She offers me a spoonful. “Want to try?”

“It might muddle what the chef’s doing with this salmon,” I say, shaking my head.

“Let me try,” Kellan says to her, giving me a sideways look.

I ignore him, spearing a toasted rice cup harder than necessary.

“Honestly, I had my doubts about the Jamón Ibérico element, but they nailed it,” Makayla says, licking honey glaze from the tip of her fork.

I swallow heavily. Watching her tongue flick out to chase that glaze sends tingles skittering down my spine. I don’t know if she’s doing it on purpose, but my mind plunges straight into the gutter. I can’t tear my gaze away until Kellan nudges my knee under the table.

Looking up, I find him grinning like the devil.

He caught me.

Bryan’s watch pings and he glances down at it. “Oh, shoot.”

“What is it?” Callie asks.

“Jan is flying to Ottawa tomorrow. We can’t reschedule this afternoon. Looks like I’ll have to hold the meeting, after all.”

“Can’t you postpone it for next week, at least? You could do it on Zoom or something,” Callie protests.

“No, I’m sorry, I can’t. But it’s okay,” he assures her, kissing her cheek. “You go on without me.”

“I couldn’t,” she objects.

“You should have fun here,” he insists. “Go down the slopes a couple times for me, and we’ll meet up later.”

“We can both go to the meeting. I’ll take notes so that the Andersons can read up on it later,” Callie offers.

“I may not know all the technical terms you guys sling at each other on a daily basis, but I can still take minutes. Good minutes, might I add. Besides, that way, we get to spend more time together.”

Bryan looks at me, as if asking for my permission.

He doesn’t need it, and I can’t exactly put pressure on him to blow off work.

Actually, I wish I could come along with him instead of Callie, but I know exactly what would happen if I did.

Alex, Kellan, and Makayla might find an excuse to stay in the hotel suite alone together to finish what they started.

They’ll say they couldn’t help it, that one thing led to another. I know that story all too well.

“Does that work for you?” Bryan asks me.

“Of course,” I respond. “I’m looking forward to getting out on the slopes, and what better way to do it than with all of my brothers and our lovely Makayla here?”

I look across the table and find both Kellan and Alex smiling broadly. The pair of them have no scruples. They’re just going to turn the screws until I finally give in. Joke’s on them though, I’m made of steel.

“Will you stay with us, though?” Makayla asks. “You know, instead of going off on the steep slope by yourself.”

I open my mouth, but no words come out. Of course I can’t leave her alone with my brothers. I’m too selfish where she’s concerned. But if I stay and watch her glide around in that tight snowsuit, I’ll end up wanting to peel it off just to feel her skin against mine.

“Yes,” I manage.

“Fantastic! I consider this excellent progress. It puts us on the right track,” Kellan declares.

“The right track?” Bryan asks, understandably confused.

“The right slope, I mean,” Kellan chuckles.

Out of the three of us, he’s always been the most impulsive.

He’s also gotten his heart broken one too many times, but that hasn’t stopped him, either.

His blood runs hot, and I know that nothing makes him sizzle hotter than Makayla.

I share the sentiment. He doesn’t share the long-term projections.

Kellan lives more in the moment. Perhaps I live too much in the future.

We should find the middle ground where Makayla is concerned.

“I should remind you,” Makayla says, “that I only skied a few times. I am incredibly clumsy and prone to disaster, as my brother can testify.”

“We’ll keep you alive,” Alex assures her. “There’s three of us and only one of you, Kay.”

Bryan laughs. “I remember… When we were kids… I mean, I was old enough to walk on my own, but Kay was still learning how to run without tumbling over. One time, our parents bought into that kiddie harness trend. They put Kay in one.”

“I don’t remember that,” Makayla mumbles, her eyes wide as she looks at her brother.

“Oh, you weren’t even three at the time,” he says. “This was a few years before they… you know. Anyway, we were at Disneyland, in Orlando. And Dad was adamant about keeping you in the harness. Mom had mixed feelings about the whole thing. They bickered at one point.

“And she unclipped the harness, telling Dad, ‘See? She’s sticking by our side. She’s overwhelmed by all these people, so she’s staying close where she knows it’s safe,’” he adds.

“Let me guess, she ran off,” Kellan chuckles.

“Kay bolted!” Bryan laughs. “I will never forget the look on Mom’s face. Luckily, Dad was fast enough. He caught up and brought the little munchkin back, but hearing you guys talk about Kay’s propensity for trouble just now… it made me remember. Sorry.”

“What did Mom say?” Makayla asks. Her pleading tone tells me they don’t talk about their parents much.

It makes sense. They were still little when the Dwyers passed away, but Bryan was old enough to remember most of their time together.

Makayla wasn’t. Bryan once told us he gave her stacks of family photos because she kept forgetting what their parents looked like.

It breaks my heart. It makes me want to reach around and hold her close.

“Mom?” Bryan comes down from a bout of laughter. “Mom was a proud woman, I’ll give her that. She said, and I quote… ‘Okay, the harness stays on, but you hold on to it. I want you to be the one who tells people that stop you that no, they can’t pet her.’”

The whole table bursts into heartfelt laughter, Makayla included. I see the tears glinting in her eyes, and it’s an endearing side she rarely shows. She misses them, she misses the life she would’ve had if her parents had lived.

O nce we’re done and out of the restaurant, we part ways with the power couple, retracing our steps to the elevator.

No one is talking about the elephant in the room. A current of sexual tension hums between us, pulling us tight. I can almost see it—electricity arcing from heart to heart.

Makayla isn’t indifferent to it, either.

“I think I’m going to need sunglasses for this,” she says. “Just looking out at the snow earlier almost gave me temporary blindness.”

Kellan chuckles. “Oh, I agree. Remember the first time we all went skiing and the sun was out?”

“My eyes still burn just remembering,” Alex grumbles, his cheeks slightly flushed.

“What happened?” Makayla asks, looking at each of us.

“Alex was too cool of a skier to wear sunglasses,” I say, the memory still vivid in my mind as I smile. “Perfect 20/20 vision, even in glaring sunlight, he said. I don’t need glasses, he said.”

“By the time we were done and at the bottom of the slope, his eyes were bloodshot,” Kellan adds. “But only the exposed parts. Whenever he looked up or down or to the sides, you could see the white parts clearly.”

“And it stung like hell,” Alex confesses. “Truly a humiliating moment.”

“But a lesson learned,” I chime in. “So, yes, Kay, we’re definitely getting you sunglasses. You may or may not need them. It’ll be up to you.”

“I’m nervous,” she confesses.

“Of falling or making a fool of yourself?” I reply.

“Both,” Makayla giggles. “Also, the possibility of losing control at high speed and going off the slope. Bryan said it’s rocky and jagged down there, and that the thick snow blanket makes it incredibly dangerous. Potentially deadly, even.”

“Your brother has a tendency to exaggerate,” Alex says. “Besides, remember, you’ve got us by your side. We’ll be with you, every step of the way.”

Twirling her hair, she gives us a soft, sweet smile. “I’m lucky, then, to have three courageous and strapping, handsome gentlemen like you watching over me.”

Kellan and Alex simply lean up against the wall, watching her work her magic.

The elevator door opens and we get in. We’re alone in an enclosed space, the only thing stopping us from clinging to each other are my misguided sensibilities.

I can imagine sliding my fingers through her hair, pressing a hand against the small of her back and drawing her to me.

She would melt in my arms and we would give up this losing game, allowing ourselves to be truly free.

My mind wanders. The elevator chimes and the doors open before I realize that any time has passed. Makayla and my brothers get off, leaving me stunned, my crotch painfully swollen. I’m not going to last a second longer if I can’t get a hold of myself.

I stride down the hall, passing the trio by without a word. This is going to be torture; I need to get my head in the game. I reach the room and swipe my keycard, letting myself in.

“Did it take you long to learn how to ski?” Makayla asks Alex.

“Not really, but then again, My coordination’s pretty solid,” he says. “You have good reflexes, though. I’m sure you’ll pick it up quickly, especially since you’ve already skied before.”