Page 7 of Can't Get Over You
He might’ve stopped being reckless a while ago, but people in small towns had long memories.
It was different with Finlay. She got all bright and shiny when she looked at him. Made him feel like…well, like the man he wanted to be.
As he picked up the comb, he noticed a slight tremble in his hand.
It only took a second to figure out why.
Hope.
No matter how hard he tried to smash it, hope pulsed in his gut. It had him leaving his friends after school to go find a pretty girl in the village.
And, you know, why can’t I be the man she sees?
She’d gotten into UCLA, so he’d figured they’d never see each other again. But if he went to Los Angeles with her, he could build a brand-new reputation.
After trimming his beard, he shaved. Then he dragged a wet comb through his hair.
In his tuxedo, clean-shaven, hair tamed, he looked…all right.
Like a man who could be with a woman like Finlay O’Neill.
Feeling lighter than he had in years, he came downstairs to find two of his brothers in the living room with Ava and his dad. Wyatt wasn’t around, but then, that wasn’t a big surprise. That dude was always holed up in his room.
But Jude didn’t want them to make a big deal about his date, so he breezed right past the lineup. “I’m out of here.”
Boone, the youngest—and his polar opposite, with blond hair and blue eyes—stepped in front of him, shoving something into his pocket. “Wrap it up.” He burst out laughing.
Jude pulled it out. “What do you know about condoms?” He gave him a shove. “You’re twelve.”
Boone just laughed. “I took ’em from your drawer.”
“Stay out of my room,” Jude said.
“Know what else I found?” Boone’s eyes glittered.
God only knew what his friends had left there. Probably a joint. Jude rushed him. “Shut your mouth.”
“Boys.” Ava clapped her hands. “Game on.”
The two of them froze. Decker tensed.
“You’ve got three minutes to grab anything that starts with the letter C,” Ava said. “The one who collects the most gets a tank full of gas. Go.”
The three brothers scattered. Jude didn’t have time for this shit, so he headed into the kitchen and got an entire bag of carrots. He’d argue that each one was a separate C, but just in case, he grabbed cauliflower, half a cake, and as many packets of his dad’s hot cocoa as he could carry.
“Time,” Ava called.
Jude stopped, just as he knew his brothers had done. The McKennas might be competitive, but they were honorable.
“Bring everything to the table.” She stood there with her hands on her hips.
Boone came downstairs at the same time Decker came up from the basement. When Ava saw Jude’s pile, she just shook her head.
“Grand slam,” Jude said. “Am I right?”
Ava laughed and lifted his arm. “Winner. Now, go on.” She waved him away. “Get out of here. I owe you a tank of gas.”
As he crossed the living room, the front door opened, and the fourth brother walked in.
