Page 169 of One Big Little Secret

“She means it, too,” Dexter says flatly.

“Of course I do. She’s a nice girl, Pat. Behave yourself.” Junie wags her finger again.

“Goddamn. What’s a guy gotta do around here to convince you I’m serious about her?”

“We know you’re serious. She’s here, isn’t she?” Dexter slides an arm around his wife’s waist, pulling her close. She smiles like he hung the damn stars. “You’ve never brought a girl home before. Not since high school.”

“I didn’t bring Vanessa over for a date,” I say. “Not to meet Mom, anyway.”

“No, you brought her over to fuck in your room—only Mom came home too soon.” Archer doesn’t laugh much, but tonight he makes an exception.

Junie clucks her tongue with disapproval, but her lips quirk up.

“Are you boys going back to being crude before I even leave?”

“Sweetheart, we have to start early,” Dexter says with his married man shit-eating grin. She slaps his shoulder and makes her way back inside, leaving the cupcakes with us on a small metal end table.

Sometimes I don’t know how he ever poached a girl who can meet him head-onandcook. I used to think it wasn’t fair.

Now, with Salem in the mix, I’m not begrudging my own luck.

Archer leans over and flicks me between the eyes.

I swing at him and barely miss.

“What the hell was that for?”

“Stop thinking about her. You get the wolfiest look on your face,” Archer says, rolling his eyes. He’s the only one of us left still fanatically single.

For the first time, Dexter doesn’t join in beyond chortling.

Probably because he’s also guilty of having stupid looks on his face whenever he thinks about Junie.

I take an angry bite of my cupcake—strawberry and chocolate today—grateful for the burst of flavor to drown out their bullshit.

It’s almost obscenely sweet, and that’s how I like it.

“I should check on Mom,” I growl, taking Junie’s exit as an escape opportunity.

My brothers shrug and go back to talking about new real estate prospects around town as I head inside.

All shit flinging aside, I think I got lucky.

When I showed up with Salem and Arlo in tow, Mom could’ve made this hard.

In fact, I expected her to say something—or at least have me introduce Salem as my girlfriend—but Mom just pulled her into a big, silent hug and that was that.

Maybe it was the dress.

It’s nice enough for the occasion, but it still accents my woman so well I can’t wait to rip it right off her. Especially after that ridiculous call with her so-called friend, but we were pressed for time and Arlo was already bouncing off the walls.

I hear voices and head through to the sunroom at the end of the house.

Outside, it’s still so cool this place feels drafty, but Mom doesn’t believe in practicality. She worshipsatmosphere.

For a second, I linger in the doorway, just watching them.

My family.

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