Page 124 of The Winslow Brothers

Jude

“We’re going to head out, guys. Lexi still has some homework, and I have to be at the stadium early because my boss is a real hard-ass,” Winnie declares and sends teasing eyes my brother-in-law’s way.

Wes just laughs and snags their check from the table.

Everyone follows their lead, my mom, Remy, Flynn, Ty and his random chick, all get ready to leave the restaurant.

“Thanks for coming out tonight to support Lexi,” Winnie says and wraps an arm around my niece’s shoulders.

“Way to kick some serious mathlete ass, Lex,” I tell her, and her face scrunches up in the cutest way.

“That’s a bad word, Uncle Jude.”

“Yeah, but remember what you told me last summer about people who curse a lot?”

“They statistically have a higher intelligence level.”

“Exactly.” I tap her nose with my index finger and am rewarded with her toothy smile.

Winnie, Wes, and my niece make their rounds around the table, saying goodbye to everyone, and when they reach Sophie and me, Lexi goes to Sophie first and gives her a big hug.

“Hey, now,” I tease. “Why does she get hugged first?”

Sophie smiles, and Lexi just giggles.

And when my niece finally decides to give me a hug, I stand up and squeeze her tight enough to lift her little feet off the ground. “Proud of you, Lex. You did awesome today.”

“Thanks, Uncle Jude.”

“Thanks for coming and supporting Lexi today, Sophie,” my sister tells her and gives her a friendly hug. “I hope we’ll be seeing more of you.”

At those words, she glances pointedly in my direction, and I do my best to ignore whatever crazy shit Winnie is trying to communicate to me with her eyes.

“I hope so too,” Sophie agrees. “This was really fun.”

I don’t know what I expected when I brought Sophie to Lexi’s Mathletes competition tonight, but I’m not surprised that my family appears to get along with her. Sophie is incredibly likable. She’s outgoing and beautiful and smart and kind. Her laugh is contagious, and she’s always fun to be around.

So fun to be around that you invited her here, knowing that the threat of prison as a registered sex offender made the possibility of sex less than nothing.

“I’m just going to run to the ladies’ room real quick,” Sophie whispers into my ear, pulling me from my weird-as-fuck thoughts.

“Meet me out front?”

She nods, and for some strange reason, I can’t hold back from leaning forward to press a kiss to her lips before she heads in the direction of the bathrooms at the back of the restaurant.

And I definitely don’t miss the way my brother Flynn eyes me from the other side of the table, but I ignore him and throw a hundred-dollar bill down on Sophie’s and my check—more than enough to pay for our dinner and tip the friendly server named Raymond over thirty percent.

Once I’m out of my seat and heading toward the front of the restaurant, Flynn catches up with me and claps a hand over my shoulder.

“Have a good night?” he asks, and I glance at him out of my periphery as he holds open the door for both of us to step out.

“Yeah…Sure…” I pause, getting the vibe that there’s more he wants to say.

Which there is. Right off the bat, red flags wave all over the place.

Once the door shuts and it’s just me and Flynn standing outside Marco’s, he takes three steps closer, and his eyes are narrowed in skepticism. “What are you doing, man?”

“What do you mean?”

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