Page 125 of Their Greatest Strength

I don’t let his scrutiny affect me. Things are so different fromwhen I came to talk to him the morning after his wedding. I was terrified then, and now I’m just lovesick.

“I’m happier than I’ve ever been,” I admit, holding his stare and letting him see every bit of the truth in my words.

He sits back against the couch a few seconds later, seemingly happy with what he saw. I love my brother, but even if he hated Blakely, I don’t think I’d be able to let her go.

We’d end up in a fistfight instead, and those have never ended well between us. If I win one round, he wins the next, and by the time we’re calling a truce, we’re bloody and bruised, and Mom is having a panic attack.

“Did I tell you that Blakely’s working with the Pythons now? She’s the team’s caterer,” I tell everyone, pride puffing my chest.

Mom gasps, grinning wide. “That’s incredible. How are you liking it? Has Jamie been able to leave you alone long enough to get any work done?”

“Coach has had to come grab him a few times, but I don’t mind his company. It’s been great having so many people enjoy my food. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re all just too hungry after practice to taste what they’re eating before swallowing it.”

“Oh, we’ve been tasting it. Jax has asked approximately five thousand times if he could be invited to dinner just so you’d feed him,” I say, twirling her hair around my finger.

She twists to look at me, her cheeks flushed. “Did you tell him yes?”

“Absolutely not. He sees you enough at work.”

“Awe, are you jealous, Jamie?” Maddox teases with a stupidly smug smirk.

Uncle O scoffs a laugh. “Don’t throw stones, Dox.”

“I remember watching all of you losing your minds over anyone so much as looking at your wives, so yeah, be careful with your glass houses,” I say.

“I think it’s adorable,” Mom sighs, touching her chest. “Jealousy keeps the spark alive.”

Pointing at Dad, Oliver pokes at him, “Hear that, old man? Mom wants you to get jealous more often.”

“Oh, he was jealous enough when we were your age,” Mom says, winking at her husband.

“He nearly beat the shit out of your mom’s neighbour because he saw him in her apartment handing her their mixed-up mail,” Uncle O explains. “Seems more like anger management issues than jealousy.”

Dad scowls at his brother-in-law. “He could have slipped it under the door. Didn’t need to be in her place alone. And watch it. I can still beat your ass now just as well as I did back then, Oakley.”

“I absolutely invited him inside on purpose. You were a real jerk back then. Don’t be mean to my brother,” Mom chirps.

Uncle O swirls the whiskey in his glass and huffs. “As if he stopped being an asshole just because he’s old now. Why did I give you permission to marry my sister again?”

“When did this turn into a beat on Tyler fest? Pay attention to my son and his wife instead,” Dad grunts.

“Speaking of sons and wives,” Oliver starts, stretching his legs out in front of the couch. “When’s Noah marrying Tinsley?”

Blakely brings her mouth to my ear and keeps her voice soft, just for me to hear. “I still can’t believe Noah Hutton is your cousin.”

I nip at her jaw. “Are you trying to make me jealous now?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“What will you do to me if I say yes?” she purrs.

Fingers still in her hair, I tug just enough for her to feel it. “If I get hard right now, I’ll be taking you out of here thrown over my shoulder.”

Her body shakes with a silent laugh as she shifts forward again. I drape my arm over her shoulders and spread my legs, knocking her knee as we tune back in to the conversation happening around us.

“They’ve been busy. I say give it another year and we’ll be planning another wedding,” Mom says.

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