Page 8 of Christmas with Brother's Best Friends
“Oh, boy,” Max sighs under his breath.
Emma looks so stunned and confused that she can’t speak. I don’t even blame her.
“This is Emma. She’s working on a project with us,” Josh replies as he pitches Emma a friendly smile.
Stacy looks away from Emma so fast that her black hair nearly hits Emma in the face. “Come on, Josh. I need to talk to you about something. My dad has this thing coming up that I think you’ll be interested in.”
Before Josh can protest, Stacy grabs his arm and physically drags him off the bar stool. She may be a skinny girl, but her nails are like daggers, and she loves sinking them into people. Literally and metaphorically.
Emma quietly sips on her drink, still reeling from that trainwreck of a social interaction.
Max sighs and rolls his eyes. “Dude needs to grow a spine around her.”
“Who was that?” Emma finally asks.
“Stacy King. She’s pretty much a socialite around here. Rich father and all who gets her whatever she wants,” I tell her. “Dumbass dated her a while ago.”
“But he did break up with her,” Max replies, coming to Josh’s defense.
“Doesn’t seem like she got the hint,” Emma says as she fluffs her hair behind her shoulders, her nose wrinkling a little. She kind of seems jealous.
There’s no reason for her to be, though. There is only one angel in this bar, and she’s seated right next to me.
“You’re not wrong,” Max mutters before downing the rest of his drink and putting some money on the bar. “But she holds her father’s power, money, and connections over his head. That seems to work well enough.”
Emma frowns. “Are you leaving?”
“I’m pretty tired, sweetheart,” Max replies before pulling her in for a tight hug. “Glad you’re back. Be ready to get down to it tomorrow.”
“I will,” Emma promises him before he slips away and leaves the bar. “I guess we shouldn’t be out too late either.”
“Where are you staying?” I ask her.
Emma takes one last sip of her drink, dragging her tongue along the crease of her lips to lick up every last drop. She’s going to be the damn death of me. This shouldn’t be happening.I can’t keep staring at her mouth. I should be remembering how she used to doodle in her notebook and fall asleep on the couch at her brothers’ house.But she’s not that girl anymore. And this isn’t safe territory. “A one bedroom at The Heights. A girl is subletting to me right now.”
I tilt my head curiously. “You’re not staying at your parents’ place?”
Emma lets out a dry laugh and shakes her head. “Oh, no. I think that would drive all of us insane.”
From what I remember, her relationship with her parents has always been a touch rocky. I figured all of that was in the past, though.
“The Heights isn’t too far away from here. I’ll walk you,” I tell her before putting some money down and standing up, not giving her an opportunity to argue. It’s dark outside, and I don’t want her roaming around by herself.
“How are your parents?” Emma asks me as she follows me out of the bar.
Cold wind gusts past us, making the light amount of snow fall at an angle. Christmas lights adorn the front of stores and restaurants, and I can hear Christmas music playing from somewhere in the distance.
Honestly, this time of year just isn’t my favorite for many reasons.
“I haven’t talked to them in a while. I’m sure they’re fine,” I reply. “Have you seen your parents yet?”
“I saw them for a little while when I first came back,” Emma says as she loops her arm with mine, sticking close to my side as my larger body blocks her from the wind. “They’re happy that I’m back, but…”
When she trails off, I glance down at her. “But what?”
Emma shrugs. “Well, you know that my brothers are perfect to them. Of course, one is a doctor and another is a lawyer. Then, there’s me. A graphic designer.”
I nudge her. “You shouldn’t compare yourself to them. You’re still successful in your own field.”
