“But not dead. Nothing wrong with looking,” Beth said. “Julie’s worse than I am.”
“Hell. They’re the only couple our age that I know who are still together after ten years,” Aaron pointed out. “Cut her a break.”
“But it doesn’t help that numbnuts is trying to make her stray.” Nat glared at James. A little boy in a big man’s body.
So unlike Rex.
She still couldn’t get over how understanding he’d been about everything. He hadn’t begged or whined about her leaving. Instead, he’d been there to support her. Strong but not imposing. Solid, dependable, and with a smile that made her whole world brighter.
“I think I love him,” she blurted, needing to hear the words out loud.
Everyone looked at her.
Beth smiled with satisfaction. “About time you admitted it. I want to meet him.”
James and Aaron frowned. “Me too,” they said together.
Despite the fact she’d always been the one to take care of her older siblings, they now pulled together to rally around her. None of them had even blinked at the supposed rumors about their baby sister—not that she’d gone into great detail. James hadn’t even asked if they were true. To her astonishment, they seemed to be handling the curves life had thrown at her better than she was.
“This is a surprise. You all being here, no drama for once. So surreal.”
Beth sighed. “It’s been a long time coming, but guess what, Nat? The boys and I have grown up. We don’t need our baby sister telling us what to do anymore. Just like you don’t need us telling you what to do.”
“Um, okay.”
James scowled. “I don’t think I ever listened to Nat anyway. I’m older than all of you idiots.”
“Idiots? Pot calling kettle. Hello?” Aaron smirked. “Dude, you’re still playing the field and getting nowhere. Beth is married. I have a girlfriend.”
“What?”
“And apparently little Nat has a boyfriend. The thing I want to know is, where is the guy when you’re having trouble?”
She bit her lip. “Well, he wanted to help me, but I had to handle this on my own.”
“Ha. And you said I’m an idiot?” James shook his head.
“What does that mean?” Nat asked.
“Just that you always think you know what’s best for everyone. You’ve been a control freak since you came out of the womb,” James said plainly.
That stung. “Someone had to be. Between Mom and Dad fighting, and you guys always getting into trouble, I had to step in and keep the peace.”
“Which you did. The rest of us took our time maturing, I’ll admit,” Beth agreed. “But, honey, we’ve been doing just fine for years now. Well, most of us.” She shot James a look.
“Witch,” he muttered. “But she’s right. We’re big kids now. How about we take care of you for a change? This guy. Let’s see how great he is. Invite him to meet us.”
She jumped on the excuse to see Rex again. Yes, she wanted him here, but she had willpower. Control. Focus. Her family, however, would need to be reassured for her. It made sense to ask him to come. For them. Not for her. Not exactly.
“Well, if you’re sure you don’t mind him here,” she said to Beth.
“Are you kidding me? I want to meet this paragon who can tolerate your many idiosyncrasies.”
“Beth.”
“What? You’re a little OCD, honey. I love you, but you are a control freak, as James aptly stated.”
“No shit,” James said.
Aaron nodded. “We all love you, but you’re like Commandant Natalie when it comes to doing things the ‘right way’—the ‘Nat way’.”
“Oh shut up.” Yet she grinned. They could say what they wanted, but being a take-charge girl had gotten her what she deserved in life. At least, it had until the sex scandal. God, I’m involved in a sex scandal.
Both amused and horrified, she concentrated on Rex instead. She pulled out her cell and dialed him. He picked up right away, and her entire being lifted at the sound of his voice. “Rex?”
“Hey, sexy. I miss you.”
She wanted to melt into her chair. “Me too.” Conscious of her siblings’ gazes on her, she spoke quickly. “So I was wondering if you might have some free time. I’m in Charlotte, and I’d love for you to come and meet my brothers and sister.”
“Sure thing, sugar. When and where?”
Just like that, he’d come to her. Not because he was whipped or a pussy, as he’d once called himself. But because he cared. How could she not love the guy?
She gave him directions, and he promised to show up the next afternoon, after tying up some business. She hung up feeling quivery with excitement.
“So this guy, what’s his name and what does he do?” James asked, crossing his arms over his chest like a tough guy. As if. When it came to mean, no one could out-glare Nat.
“His name is Rex Samson. He owns S&F Microbrewery. And you will be nice, or I’ll purple-nurple you until you turn blue.”
Her brothers gaped.
“S&F? Are you kidding me?” Aaron asked. “I love that stuff.”
“Yeah, me too.” James grinned. “Oh man, we have an in with a beer guy. I love you, Nat. Beth was my favorite, but now it’s you.”
“For sure,” Aaron pledged.
Beth rolled her eyes. “For the love of… You morons better behave when he gets here.” She then whispered to Nat, “Can you get me some of that Feather Gold stuff? Julie loves it.”
The following afternoon, Rex pulled into the driveway of a sprawling ranch-style house on the outskirts of Charlotte. A small pocket of rural countryside on a property that appeared to have its own barn behind the house.
He’d been beyond thrilled to get a call to come visit Nat. Her family wanted to meet him, she’d said. Which meant, obviously, that she’d told them about him.
He felt important. He also knew better than to screw up his introduction, so he vowed to be on his best behavior. Nat had said little about her family, just the bare facts about them all being older and her being the responsible one.
Eager to once again be around his woman, he parked the car and got out. Before he took two steps, Nat left the house to meet him, followed by a woman and two men who all looked enough alike to be siblings.
Nat’s eyes sparkled as she drew closer. Then she stopped and gave him a casual wave. “Hi.”
He blinked, nonplused at his reception. To hell with that. So much for making a good impression. He yanked her into his arms and laid a deep kiss on her. When they both came up for air, he heard applause.
“Now that’s how you kiss a woman,” the taller of the two guys said. “Take a note, Aaron.”
“Shut up, jackass. That’s our sister he’s mauling.”
Nat pulled back, her lips slick and full. “Wow. Guess you missed me, huh?”
He held her close, uncomfortably aware of his hardening dick. “Give me a minute,” he said. After a moment, he let her pull away. “Yeah, you could say I missed you. A little.” He winked, then felt her hand entwine with his.
She squeezed, and he squeezed back, his heart full.
“Guys, this is Rex Samson, my boyfriend. Rex, my sister, Beth. The big doofus is James, the other one, Aaron.”
“Why am I just ‘the other one’?” Aaron whined.
Her brothers and sister teased each other while giving him a thorough onceover. It didn’t take them long to mention they knew about S&F. But unlike many people bowled over by his success, they didn’t fawn over him or make a big deal about it. Though he did have to promise some free samples down the road.
Nat hadn’t let go of his hand, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw her watching him with a dopey smile. God, he’d been waiting for this, to see her regarding him with more than confusion or lust, but real affection.