Page 46 of One and Only

“And you believe him?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation. “I told him everything. It felt … easier, I guess.”

I swiped a hand over my mouth as I studied her.

“What about your other siblings?”

“Adaline called me the other day,” Greer said. “She was shocked, of course. But when I told her about you and Olive, she …” Greer paused, giving a slight shake of her head. “She won’t question it.”

“This is the sister who lives in Seattle?”

Greer nodded. “She’s engaged, but she and Emmett decided on a long engagement while they build their house.” She laughed. “Isn’t that the biggest irony of all? My parents have a daughter with a ring on her finger, but she’s in no rush to go down the aisle.”

“I’m gonna need a flow chart to memorize your family tree,” I told her.

“I know,” Greer groaned. “It’s nuts. We’re not normal in any way. And what’s even weirder is how normal it feels to us to have so many kids and so many stories of why we’re like this. Why we get in each other’s business and worry ourselves sick over what’s going on in each other’s lives.”

Every time she talked about her family, love and affection coloring every single syllable of every single word, I felt the oddest sense of disquiet under my skin. Something that itched in a place where I couldn’t scratch.

I wanted to understand her, understand her world and why all of this made sense to her, but the truth was that I couldn’t.

“If you trust your brother with this, then I do too,” I told her.

I had no other choice.

“Thank you,” she said on a relieved exhale. “Maybe it’ll help to have someone on our side.”

“Our side?” I asked. “It’s not a competition.”

She conceded that with a nod. “Wrong choice of words.” Greer leaned forward like she wanted to take my hand or lay her hands on my arm.

She didn’t, though, and settled back in her seated position without doing anything.

Those simple touches felt different underneath the watchful eyes of her family than they did now in my quiet, empty kitchen.

We’d have to navigate this, and so many other things, in only a week.

“Dealing with a big family is …” I paused. “It’s not something I’m familiar with. So I’m going to have to take your lead.”

Greer scrubbed her hands over her face. “I think this’ll be the biggest hurdle. Erik has been away long enough. He won’t bat an eye that I’m jumping into something a little …” She waved her hands by her face, and I wasn’t entirely sure what it was supposed to mean. “Ian has been gone in London even longer than that, but he can’t come home for the wedding. He might be an issue because he’s the biggest dick in our entire family.” At my incredulous expression, she laughed. “You know what I mean. He has no filter. And he challenges anyone who tries to come into our family.” She shrugged. “His total distrust of anyone new is his love language, I suppose.”

It was slowly becoming clear to me why Greer was almost impossible to intimidate.

I’d never thought of that as a trait I’d find attractive in a woman, but there was something about her, knowing that no matter who came up against her, she’d never back down easily.

It made me wonder, just for a moment, what she was like in submission.

My hands tightened into fists, and I ruthlessly shoved that thought to the back of my head.

“You have a lot of brothers. Is it too late to back out?”

I didn’t mean it as a joke, but she took it as one, laughing delightedly.

“Yes.” She tilted her head. “You’re not really intimidated by my brothers, are you? You face down linebackers who want to rip your arms off if it would stop you from catching the ball.”

I chose my answer carefully. “I’m worried that Cameron knowing would affect you,” I said honestly. “Might affect your choice to move forward.”

Greer watched me, her eyes taking on a soft, understanding glow that had my skin itching uncomfortably.

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