Page 64 of All The Way Under
brody
My brother handsme a bottle of beer, and Grimace lunges to nip his hand from his place on my lap. I smile and pat his head. I missed the little devil more than is reasonable.
“I just can’t believe this story,” Catherine says, taking the fresh beer Nolan extends to her.
He goes back into the house through the open French doors that lead to the lake house kitchen.
“The whole thing sounds crazy. Insanely wealthy family. A kidnapping for ransom. A freaking hit put out on the head of the family after you think everything has resolved.” She shakes her head. “And you go and fall in love with Saylor. That’s the best part,” she says.
A grin tugs at my lips. “I said nothing about love,” I reply.
I miss Saylor. It’s been a few days since I last saw her. Checking my watch, I calculate the minutes until she arrives here. She couldn’t come yesterday because there was a huge investigation happening at her parents’ house, and she had to stay to give her account of the shoot-out at the hotel.
Catherine shakes me off. “No, of course you didn’t say it, but it was implied, and I think we all know it’s true.”
I get along with Nolan’s girlfriend in a way that I would have called unfathomable before. Nolan chose someone who may be more sarcastic and straightforward than I am. Nolan sits next to her on the outdoor sofa.
“And no one got hurt during captivity or the shoot-out?” She raises one brow, and Nolan cackles a little. He’s entertained by how entertained we both are.
I shake my head and take a long swig of my beer.
A light breeze skates across the lake and reaches us, tousling my hair. I still haven’t shaved since I got back to the States. This may be the first vacation I remember since my childhood, and damn it, Nolan was right. This lake house, nestled in the tall trees, with walking trails in the forests surrounding us, is absolutely mind-clearing. I never gave it a chance.
“No one got hurt,” I say, meeting Nolan’s eyes.
Collin did, but I won’t create any ire for my brother right now. Plus, he made a full recovery.
“The last thing my brother wants to hear about is me getting hurt.”
Nolan furrows his brows. “But did you? Other than shrinking a bit, you look healthy.” His gaze trails over my body like he has superhuman vision. “You are healthy.”
Licking the foam off my lips, I grin. “I am healthy, McLan. Cool your anxiety.”
“He cares about you,” Catherine quips, rubbing the back of Nolan’s head. “It’s not anxiety!” Her brown eyes slide over to meet mine and hold. “He is the least anxious person I know, and I work in healthcare, so I know many.”
“Fine, fine,” I say, giving up.
I stroke Grimace, and he sighs, long and contentedly. I missed him so much.
Not that I have anxiety, but this moment is filled with peace. Saylor is on her way here, and she’s spending the night with me.I do have nerves about her meeting Nolan and Catherine. Now that I see firsthand how perfect they are for each other, I want that for myself.
“I think you guys are going to like Saylor. She’s nothing like you’d expect, trust me. I read about her on paper and expected some heiress with a conflated ego and no survival skills.”
Nolan shakes his head. “I need to meet the woman who did this to my brother as soon as possible. Not that you aren’t allowed to change, but she changed you. I’ve been trying to soften you up since the day you began stealing my toys, and she waltzes in and kidnaps your heart without any pain at all.” He drinks his beer and looks at Catherine, then back at me. “It’s almost offensive.”
Catherine turns at the sound of the car pulling up the gravel drive.
“That’s her. It’s not offensive, it just means he found his person. I hated all men before I met you, remember?”
Exactly like me,I think.Just with women.
“I always keep an open mind. You should know that about me. I never prejudge anyone.”
Nolan squeezes her to his side and says to me, “Go get your girl, McBrode. We’ll make ourselves scarce until you’re ready for us to meet her.” He kisses Catherine on her head. “No, she doesn’t prejudge, to confirm. She just judges after.”
“Hey, that’s not fair. Your buddies were doing keg stands on top of a railing, Nolan. That was begging to be labeled negatively, all right? I can’t wait to meet her. I’m a little starstruck after hearing Brody talk about Saylor Wyndham. She’s smart and beautiful. That’s a lethal combination.”
Little does she know the combination is my literal kryptonite.
