Page 22 of Darn Knit All

“Awesome, brilliant, wonderful, intelligent, successful, witty, kind, generous, a wonderful human?” I prompted.

“Conflicted. She deserves so much more than she allows herself to have.” Ren held my gaze. “I don’t want to see her hurt.”

“You think I’d hurt her?” I asked lightly. “I didn’t realize I was the devil.”

It hurt to know your best friend thought you weren’t good enough for his sister. Sure, it was all hypothetical since Mai and I were just friends. But still, it hurt.

“No.” Ren scrubbed a hand over his face. “Shit, I’m fucking this up.”

“Yeah, you are.” I crossed my arms over my chest, my foot tapping under the table. “Don’t mince words trying to search for the right ones. Just spit out the imperfect and we’ll work out what you mean.”

He grinned, shaking his fork at me. “See? That’s what I mean. You’d be easy to fall in love with, Theo. You’re far too charming and good-looking for any one woman.”

I tilted my head to one side. “You hitting on me, Sakamoto? ’Cause I can safely say, you’re not my type.”

He snorted. “You wish.” He ran a hand over his chest. “This is more than you could ever handle.” He sobered. “But seriously, Theo. I know my sister—perhaps better than she knows herself sometimes. Be careful with her. Okay?”

I nodded, hiding my frustration. I understood he was the big brother swooping in to ensure that Mai was looked after—but fuck it. We both deserved better. Mai could look after herself, and he’d known me for long enough to know I’d rather be hit in the face with a baseball bat than hurt her.

We returned to our lunch, chewing quietly as we enjoyed the late summer sun. Autumn would be here soon, and with it the quiet fall of leaves and changing of the seasons. But for now, the park burst with activity as families enjoyed the warm weather.

“Why the interrogation?” I asked, breaking our silence. “It’s not like Mai and me are anything new. If you had concerns, why not raise them years ago?”

Ren hesitated. “You’ve become a big part of her life. Call me a remiss brother for not having spoken to you earlier about taking care with her.”

I didn’t buy that for a minute. The guy could be called a lot of things, but an absent brother wasn’t one of them. I thought about defending myself but shrugged off the impulse. Either he trusted me or he didn’t. Nothing I said would change that.

“Was this all you wanted to talk about?” I asked, tilting my head back to catch more rays on my skin. “You could have texted.”

“No.” Ren began to pack up his lunchbox. “You also owe me a hundred bucks.”

“For what?”

He stood, brushing down his jeans. “For losing our bet.”

I racked my brains trying to remember what foolish thing I’d agreed to this time.

“Nope, can’t remember any bets.”

Ren pulled a bedraggled scrap of paper from his jean pocket, tossing it down on the table.

I picked up the worn sheet, unfolding it to find my messy handwriting scrawled across the face.

I, Theodore “Theo” Garrett, owe Ren Sakamoto $100 if I am not married by my thirty-third birthday.

God damn it.

We’d all filled out these stupid slips after Annie and Linc’s wedding. We’d been drunk and high on endorphins. I couldn’t remember why we’d done it or what anyone had committed to, but it appeared that Ren hadn’t forgotten.

“The fact you’ve kept this from an event that occurred three years ago is disturbing.”

“No, it’s a testament to my commitment to winning a bet.”

I wadded up the slip and tossed it at him. “Joke’s on you, my birthday’s not for another two months.”

Ren laughed, shoving his containers into his bag. “Brother, with your dating history? I’m a shoo-in for this cash. Short of a quickie wedding to a mail-order bride, I’m about to be a hundred bucks richer.”

I threw him a haughty look. “Says the man who hasn’t had a date in five years. How’s that hand going?”

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