Page 11 of To Have and To Hold
“I can,” he said, looking at his sisters, who were currently sitting around the table in the breakfast nook. “Who invited y’all?”
Sadie flashed a smile, Tori rolled her eyes, and Bryn flipped him off, careful to keep her hand hidden from their father, who was getting up from his spot in front of the television just a few feet away in the den.
“You,” Brantley said, pointing at April, his brother Cal’s fiancée. “You were invited.”
She flashed an amused smile. “Thanks.”
“Who’s playin’?” Brantley asked the group holding down the furniture in the den.
“Bills and the Rams,” Killian answered without looking away from the television. “First game of the season.”
“Who’re we rootin’ for?” he asked, though he honestly didn’t care.
“Never the Bills,” Devon shouted back.
Thatwas why he’d asked. He loved getting his brother-in-law riled. The guy was a die-hard Cowboys fan, like most of the family.
“Reese,” Frank said, patting Reese on the shoulder. “You hangin’ in there?”
“I am.”
“Glad to hear it.” Frank’s gaze shifted to Brantley. “And you, boy? You keepin’ on the straight and narrow?”
“Always,” he lied.
“He doesn’t do straight, Pop. Remember?” Bryn teased, causing some chuckles from the peanut gallery.
“Have you heard from Trey?” Tori asked.
Brantley looked at his sister. “No. Should I have?”
She shrugged.
“He said he’s bringin’ some people,” Bryn supplied. “Do you know who?”
Brantley glanced at Reese and lifted his eyebrows. He didn’t miss the way Reese looked away as though he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing.
He should’ve expected it, considering they were at his parents’ house for dinner on a Thursday night. That never happened. On the off-chance they could all get together, it was always on the weekend.
“Uncle Trey’s here!” Meghan hollered. “He brought people! Pretty people!”
Brantley looked at Sadie and raised his eyebrows. “Pretty people?”
Sadie shrugged it off. “She thinks everyone’s pretty these days. Even you.”
“And we don’t knowwhyshe’d think that,” Tori chimed in.
Brantley moved over to lean against the wall when he heard the front door open. He waited patiently for his brother to come in and introduce hispeople.
When Trey stepped into the kitchen, he stopped short, frowning at all the faces staring back at him. “What?”
“Nothin’,” Brantley told him, grinning as Ava March and Magnus Storme followed him into the room.
To Brantley’s surprise, his mother came around the counter and immediately greeted Ava and Magnus with hugs. His father did something similar, shaking Magnus’s hand and hugging Ava.
“So you’ve met?” Brantley mused.
Iris frowned. “Of course, we’ve met. Haven’t you?”
