Page 34 of Never Dance with the Devils (Never Say Never #6)

“Same difference,” he says, glancing at his phone again.

“Dinner’s on Friday. Mom’s super-excited,” he informs us gleefully, but then frowns.

“In hindsight, she probably thinks I’m announcing me and Dani getting engaged, which isn’t happening.

Yet.” He holds up finger, warning Kayla not to start shit about that, despite riling her up in countless ways and continuing to press his luck. “Want me to give Mom the headcount?”

Kayla’s voice is tighter than her clenched teeth as she says, “I’ll do it.”

“Oh, and I already texted the sibling chat too. So your phone’s probably blowing up… wherever it is.” He makes a show of looking from one side of the living room to the other, remembering that Riggs and I went different directions for clothes.

“Thanks for that,” she says icily.

“No problem, Sis. Really glad to help after everything you’ve done for me.

” His grin is cocky as fuck as he throws her own words back at her.

“I can’t wait to hear the whole meet-cute story of this, but I should probably do the pool check.

I’ve got a schedule to keep.” His brows knit.

“Speaking of, shouldn’t you be at work too? ”

“I told Angeline I was working from home today.”

Kyle seems as surprised by that as he does by everything else, which speaks to Kayla’s usual work-first, play-never mentality. “Playing hooky too? Dayyyyum, you’re really going all in on the Bad Girl thing. I approve.” He throws her two thumbs up as he steps back through the sliding door.

All three of us watch as he goes over to the pool, whistling the whole way like this is the best day of his life.

“So, that’s my brother Kyle,” Kayla mutters, weary defeat turning her mouth down.

But only for a split second. Almost instantly, she schools her face into something more composed as she tap dances her way out of the uncomfortable situation.

“Look, don’t worry about dinner. I’ll tell Mom that Kyle was kidding, or pranking me, or on drugs, and it’ll be fine.

She’ll believe whatever I tell her, especially about Kyle.

” This time, when she says his name, it’s with an exasperation that speaks to whatever black sheep history he was talking about.

“So no panic or gentle letdown needed.” It seems like she’s already accepted that we’re going to bail on her, as though the dinner is too much, or the situation is too much, or like… she’s too much.

I bet she’s been told that her whole life.

She doesn’t try to make people comfortable, nor does she make things easy for them.

Instead, Kayla shines so blindingly brightly that it highlights where most people are lacking comparatively.

And where they should rise to her level, I bet many take the cowardly way out, leaving her over and over again .

I won’t be one of those people. Kayla deserves someone who shows up for her, and with her, no matter what.

I instantly decide to lean into the nitro-boost Kyle dropped into the middle of this thing we’re doing and see what happens.

Letting an easygoing smile steal my lips, I say, “It’s fine.

What time Friday?” I keep it casual, sounding more like I’m asking when a movie starts than when we should show up to meet her whole family for some Hunger Games version of Judgment Day .

“And should we dress nicely, or is it a casual thing?”

“What?”

Riggs stiffens, his more than surprised eyes locking on mine, but he mostly gets it together quickly and moves behind her, sandwiching her between us.

“We’ve faced down scarier things than your family, Kayla.

We’ve got you. We can handle this.” His voice is steady, but I’d bet my favorite hockey stick his heart is racing and he’s on the verge of a full-blown, panic-induced shutdown.

A flash goes off, immediately grabbing all of our attention, and when I look over, Kyle is standing at the back door, his phone up after having just taken a picture of the three of us.

“Great shot,” he says, looking damn pleased with himself.

“And send. Sibling chat. Not Mom. I’m not that much of a bastard.

Well, I am, but I didn’t.” He winks and strides off once again, an extra pep in his step.

“I deserved that,” Kayla sighs as her head falls back onto Riggs’s shoulder. I don’t know why she thinks that, but she seems resigned that the cat is out of the bag, at least with her siblings.

Leading her toward the kitchen, and out of sight, I ask, “Want me to help him accidentally fall into the pool and stay under for an indeterminate length of time?” I’m mostly joking. Unless she says yes, then I’m totally serious. “Or at the least, drown his phone so deep that rice can’t save it?”

She huffs out a laugh. “No, it’s fine. He’s actually better than he used to be.”

“ That was better?” Riggs sneers.

“He’s had some difficult times. He’s the youngest of us, but he definitely didn’t get the typical baby preferential treatment. He did what he had to do to survive.” She makes it sound like being in her family is akin to fighting on the front-line of a war.

Hell, maybe it is. I understand ‘all that glitters isn’t gold’, but for the most part, Kayla talks about her family fondly, often smiling when she tells stories about them. So it couldn’t have been that bad, right? “What about you? What did you have to do?”

“Everything,” she says instantly, taking the fresh cup of coffee I hand her.

“If you drew a Venn diagram of every member of my family, do you know who’d be at the center?

” She only pauses for a second before answering her own question.

“Me. And I know that sounds stupid, but I’m the one who always kept track of my brothers’ grades, dates, poor choices, and bad behaviors, guiding them when they needed it, usually from the shadows without their even realizing it until they were doing right.

And keeping them on the right path was really fucking hard to do because stubbornness runs in the family.

” She’s obviously including herself in that, but it doesn’t feel like a self-deprecating assessment.

More like she considers it a positive family trait.

“And it didn’t stop when we were grown. It might’ve even been worse as the stakes have gotten higher.

” She stares into her mug like she’s analyzing that.

“I show up before they know they need me, address issues before they become problems, and make sure they don’t fuck up when it’s important.

Yet, I don’t think they even know what all I’ve done to get them to where they are.

” When she looks up once again, the weight of the responsibility she’s carried is visible in the tiredness hiding in her eyes, and though she would staunchly deny it, I think Kyle’s actions, and his reaction, hurt her. Deeply.

“Where were your parents?” I ask carefully. Not having siblings (and having amazing parents), I don’t want to inadvertently step on a landmine, especially having been thrown into a warzone unexpectedly by Kyle’s appearance.

“Busy,” she says, taking a sip of her coffee.

“I’ve always been Mom’s backup and Dad’s left hand—Cameron’s obviously the right.

” She sets the cup down suddenly, her brow furrowed as she rushes to clarify.

“I don’t mean to make it sound like I was some martyr, putting everyone else above my own needs.

I definitely prioritized myself. I had to or I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am.

” She pauses, as though she expects us to give her shit for that, but I get it.

You’ll never reach a goal if you don’t do the hard work yourself, something hours of early morning rink time have taught me.

“Taking care of everyone, yourself included, shows how amazing you are,” Riggs praises, tilting her chin up to bring her eyes to his. “It’s your turn. Not in the way Kyle said, like you have some penance to pay, but your turn to let us do for you what you’ve done for them.”

Her nose crinkles as though that sounds awful. It’s honestly adorable, though I would never tell her that. Mostly because I think she’d recoil at anything about her being described as something so ridiculous as ‘adorable’.

“Let us take care of you,” I say, piling on to Riggs’s strategy.

“That makes me sound weak.”

Riggs and I both chuckle immediately. The idea of Kayla being even the slightest bit weak is preposterous.

“You are a force to be reckoned with, woman. What you just did with your brother? Badass. But being tough doesn’t mean you don’t deserve—” Riggs cuts off suddenly, and only because I know him so well do I know that he was about to say love but caught himself.

Thank fuck. Even if he’s thinking it, it’s way too soon to throw that word out, especially for Kayla, who I think would outright panic.

“Care,” he finally says, his voice rough and low.

“Still don’t like it,” she says, glaring at him from beneath an arched brow and not budging in her self-assessment.

Trying another angle, I ask, “Did you think your brothers were weak when you had to step in to help them?”

“I thought they were dumbasses, usually. But I wouldn’t exactly say weak.”

“Well, there you go,” I conclude cheerfully. “Strong people need care too.”

Her eyes ping-pong from me to Riggs and back as she mulls over our presentation. It might not have included anything fancy like PowerPoint slides or animation, but I think it’s pretty solid. She takes a deep breath, her spine straightening and her fierceness reappearing. “Okay.”

I’m smiling at the victory even though I don’t have a fucking clue what she’s actually agreeing to. “So, we’re going to dinner?” I ask hesitantly.

“Oh, God no!” she exclaims, looking horrified.

“I only let Kyle think that because it was easier than arguing with him. Plus, he’ll show up to dinner thinking he’s gotten one over on me, but no one outmaneuvers me.

” She beams with pride at that. “Besides, I wouldn’t do that to you.

I appreciate your being willing to face the wolves with me, but there is no way we are going to that dinner. ” She shakes her head vehemently.

“You sure?” Riggs asks. “If there’s more than two forks, I’ll make a complete ass of myself, but for you, I’ll go.” I’ve seen him at team dinners, and he’s not exaggerating. Fancy-schmancy, multi-course meals with a lineup of silverware are not his forte. Give Riggs a buffet and beer bar any time.

“I could teach him how to fork before Friday,” I offer, though that’s probably not as reassuring as I’d like it to be.

“Let me think about it,” Kayla says.

But I’m pretty sure she’s already made her decision. And while I should feel relieved, I feel… disappointed?