Page 38 of Accidentally Checked By My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter Seventeen

Duncan

It’sabeautifulcrispmorning when I pull into David’s driveway, and park next to his truck. It’s not quite seven-thirty yet so I have a chance to visit with Scarlett before I travel to North Carolina. I haven’t been able to stop by over the past two days and I miss that pipsqueak when I don’t see her.

Reaching out I grab the rearview mirror and turn it in my direction, giving myself a quick once over. Running my fingers through my hair I work to flatten it a bit from the drive over with an open window.

“Uncle Dunky!” Scarlett yells from the door, and I quickly put the mirror back in place. “Are you fixing your hair?”

“So much for being subtle,” I mumble, rolling my eyes. Pushing open the door, I climb out of the car. “Hey, Red!”

A blur of auburn hair and bright colors runs down the stairs before the sixty pounds of my eight-year-old niece lands in my arms.

“Are you straightening up for Aunt Ava?” Scarlett stage whispers in my ear, as I walk toward the house. Heat creeps up my neck. “She was fixing herself for you, too. Make sure you tell her how pretty she looks, okay?”

A soft chuckle escapes, and she turns and places a hand on each cheek and pins me with her I-mean-business-stare.

“I’m serious!” She chastises. I just can’t with her! Her following words, however, nearly have me tripping. “If you want the two of you to be real, you need to be extra nice to her. Show her you appreciate her.”

“Red, me and Aunt Ava are pretending—” A small hand covers my mouth and squeezes my lips together. I can’t stop my eyebrows from shooting to my hairline.

“Why do you insist on lying to me?” She says, her nose pushed up against mine. God help the man who falls in love with this girl; they’re going to have their hands full. “Just. Be. Nice.”

“Yes, ma-am,” I mumble through my squished-together lips and give a two-finger salute.

A massive grin splits her face, and I chuckle. Kissing her on the cheek, I put her down in front of the steps. The four-foot tyrant looks up at me and points a finger. “Tell her she looks pretty.”

I dutifully nod and follow her up the steps into the house.

“Uncle Dunky is here for you, Aunt Ava!” I catch David’s grin as he picks up his coffee and takes a sip.

“Your daughter is a slave driver,” I whisper to my brother, who shakes his head and snickers.

“To be honest, I’m a bit terrified of what she’s going to be like as a teenager,” he whispers behind his hand, keeping an eye on the third grader attempting to micromanage our lives. “Scarlett, come back to the table and finish your breakfast. We need to leave for school soon!”

Feet scramble across the floor as Scarlett runs to the table and plops back into her seat, quickly scooping up her eggs and chewing. The glint in her eyes and the smirk on her face actually has my stomach swirling.

Swallowing hard, I sit down and pour myself a cup of coffee. Lifting the cup to my lips, Ava walks into the room. My hand stops mid-air, and my open mouth freezes.

My eyes land on brown boots that stop at the knee and travel up the fitted jeans covered by a loose button-down in powder blue. They continue their way up to wavy blonde hair flowing around her shoulders. A tiny smile lines glossy lips. When my gaze finally meets hers, I find them sparkling at me, causing my heart to race.

Ava doesn’t lookprettyas my niece told me; she’sbreathtaking.

I feel the corner of my lip lift just as Scarlett clears her throat and says not so subtly. “Tell her she looks pretty.”

Ava’s giggle carries across the room just as David blows out his coffee, and I feel my face heating.

“You’re looking pretty this morning.” I glance over in Scarlett’s direction to see her beaming at me.

I lift my coffee cup to my mouth and take a sip only to nearly spit it out when Scarlett stage whispers, “Tell him he looks handsome.”

“Scarlett Ava James!” David scolds his daughter.

“What?” she asks innocently, rapidly blinking her eyes at him. Ava and I laugh. “Doesn’t Aunt Ava look pretty? And Uncle Duncan handsome?”

“Are you done with your breakfast?” David asks, trying to be firm but his eyes are dancing. She nods, and he points to her backpack. “Then let's get you off to school. Say goodbye to your Aunt and Uncle.”

I watch as Scarlett obediently follows her dad’s orders and heads over to Ava, giving her a hug and a kiss. When she makes her way over to me, a grin spreads wide across her face, she kisses my cheek and lets me know she’ll be watching the game later.

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