Page 5 of Good Time Boyfriend
Andy had a temper. It had cooled somewhat when he married Kendra, but it was a temper. Of course, Maureen’s icy temper was usually the one I had to worry about. Elizabeth, Paige, and Lee were sometimes more reasonable.
Except for the fact that I was their baby sister, maybe not by blood, but no matter what, they would always take care of me, even if that meant being overbearing, radical, and never leaving me alone.
They were the reason I had to tell a tiny white lie, one that had steamrolled itself into a full-blown fantasy. I had nearly sent myself flowers to make the fake relationship look real, and only stopped myself when I realized the delusion had gotten a little scary.
A tiny little lie that was now going to not only embarrass me, but possibly hurt a man I didn’t even know. I only knew his name because of the one time I’d met him at the opening of this very bar.
And here he stood, gaze locked on my five stepsiblings, and I stood between them, hands outstretched, trying to keep them safe. I felt like I was in that dinosaur movie where Chris Pratt was trying to keep the velociraptors away by holding out his hands, but I knew that one minute, if I wasn’t careful, these dinosaurs would bite. I didn’t know if it would be Heath, or my five siblings who snapped their jaws first. I was just grateful that my younger half-siblings, all five of them, weren’t old enough to actually be in a bar.
Yes, I had ten siblings. Five of them I gained by marriage, the other five were born after my mother married my stepfather.
It was weird, being the middle child of two distinct and yet connected families. Yet here I was, standing between the steps and Heath, like I always did between the house and the steps.
Not that we used labels when it came to family. We were all siblings, all brothers and sisters.
It was just easier when I was categorizing them to add the titles. I still had no idea how my mother dealt with eleven children.
I could barely keep up with one tiny lie that was no longer tiny.
I turned to Heath, my eyes a little wide, and I was really hoping that he couldn’t see the panic there.
“Excuse me?” Heath asked. I didn’t really have answers for this. Other than burying my soul and saying that I was a complete liar and a chicken shit when it came to trying to get out of my siblings’ shadows.
I just hadn’t wanted to be set up on dates. I didn’t want them to worry about “little old me” and the fact that I didn’t have anybody.
Lee cleared his throat. “He hurt you. Of course, we’re going to protect you, Devney.”
I held back a wince as I looked at Heath over my shoulder. I didn’t know how to fix this. There was no way Icouldfix this. Other than telling the truth, and dealing with the consequences. That was the best option.
I opened my mouth and knew that if I told the truth right now, it would be over quicker. And then I could go home and hide under my blankets and never leave again.
But then Heath leaned forward and sighed. He put his arms on the bar top and looked at me with such genuine concern, I was truly afraid that I had entered an alternate dimension where there was no right or wrong or up and down. Just insanity.
“I’m so sorry, Devney. So damn sorry.”
I blinked at him, confusion etching my features, as my siblings all began talking at once. They spoke over each other as usual, and while I could understand them because I lived with them long enough that I knew all their ins and outs, I had a feeling that Heath had no idea what these five were saying. But then again, I wasn’t really listening to them. It was an echo chamber where they were talking to one another, and I just stared at Heath. Had he just lied for me? This stranger?
How many women came up to him in bars with their family screaming behind them wondering why he had broken up with them?
Or was this an alternate dimension where I actually had dated him?
“Devney and I are just on a break. We wanted to make sure we figured out how to be friends first. You know how it is.” He was saying things. His voice was so rough and sexy, and yet it didn’t actually feel real.
No, it couldn’t be real.
But with those bright blue eyes and dark hair, he made it hard for me to think of anything else.
His hair was longer on top and brushed back and cut short on the sides. He had a big beard that went well past his chin, but it was structured, as if he actually cared for it. And that just made me think of what else he could care for.
I held back a groan, wondering what was wrong with me. Just because he had been my imaginary boyfriend for so long, didn’t mean I was allowed to ogle him like this.
Right?
“What?” Andy asked, his gaze narrowing.
I held my hands up between them once again. “This is really none of y’all’s business.”
“You’re our baby sister. Of course, it’s our business,” Maureen said.
