I know all your music by heart!
Your songs are the soundtrack to my life!
I have the lyrics from Ice Princess tattooed on my ass!
It’s one of the reasons I dread bringing anyone to meet my parents. Apparently, it can be easy to forget they’re human, just like the rest of us.
To her credit, Mina keeps it together. “It’s a genuine pleasure to meet you both,” she says, then lets out a shuddering breath, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear then crossing and uncrossing her arms before letting them fall uselessly to her side. “I grew up listening to you guys and have heard such wonderful things about you from Nathan. You have a lovely home, by the way.”
Fidgeting notwithstanding, she’s cool. Calm. Collected. The perfect blend of recognition, admiration, and levelheadedness. Nothing like the Hot Mess I’ve come to know and dread. The four of us chat easily for a few minutes until my cousins Angela, Micah, and Nick join us. The men run big in my family, and Micah, Nick, and I prove that rule. Micah is physically the biggest, with a personality to match. His dark hair and eyes make him look more imposing than he actually is—though he does run into burning buildings for a living, so what do I know.
“I didn’t know you were bringing a date,” he says, tossing an arm around my shoulder in that way that used to signal an incoming noogie.
I duck out of reach, glaring to remind him I outgrew that more than a decade ago. “I thought I’d surprise you. Mina and I…we’re…”
And this is the part where I lie to the people I love most in the world. Oddly enough, deceit does not roll off my tongue.
Thankfully, Mina doesn’t share my crisis of conscience.
“We’re having a lot of fun together.” She lays her head on my shoulder and grins like she’s infatuated.
According to the chain reaction of worried glances passing around us like some psychic game of telephone, the statement doesn’t sit well with my family. Given that they think I’m fucking a new woman every night, she could have said she’s using me for money and it would have gone over better.
“How did you two meet?” Angela asks with a careful smile my way.
“I’m Nathan’s interior designer,” Mina replies, helpful as ever. “We just clicked from the moment we met, didn’t we, Sweet Prince?” She beams adoringly into my eyes.
“We sure did.” I cup her cheek while I fight the urge to growl. She’s enjoying this too much. “The chemistry between us was immediate.”
And by chemistry, I mean hatred and loathing.
“And normally I wouldn’t date a client, but Nathan insisted.” Mina giggles and I narrow my eyes.
“Now don’t make me out to be the villain here, Hot...Mehh…Hot Stuff.” I wrap an arm around her shoulder and give a little shake to shut her the hell up. “I distinctly remember a phone call where you begged me to go out with you.”
“I mean…” Mina pats my chest a tad too hard, “with charm like this, who could blame me?”
I force a laugh while my family looks uncomfortable. “Let’s hit the bar and get a drink,” I say before we make matters worse. “Anyone want anything?”
I glance at my cousins and parents, each of them with drinks in hand and confusion on faces. They shake their heads and everyone, myself included, visibly sags in relief as we move away.
As soon as we’re out of earshot, Mina turns to me with a raised eyebrow. “Really?” She hisses. “I begged you to go out with me?”
“You’re saying you didn’t? Because my memory of that night is crystal clear…” The glint in my eyes sends a spark of fury down her spine.
“Maybe the next time the topic comes up, I’ll share the part where you were so eager to date me you offered to pay for the privilege.”
I scoff, then give in to the growl I’ve been holding back. “I didn’t offer to pay you.”
She forced me to.
“Hmm. You sure?” Mina laughs like I said something hilarious before leaning close to whisper, “Because that’s the way I remember it...”
“Fucking hell. It’s going to be a long night.” I scrub my face in frustration, then snatch her hand and storm off in the direction of the bar.
TWELVE
Mina
I just met Collin and Harlow West. I’m in their house. I’m drinking their booze and holding hands with their son. And I just stood in front of them and had the most awkward conversation of my life like it was no big deal.
Me in my red dress and heels and them in jeans.
How is this real?
Nathan and I each down a drink at the bar while side-eyeing each other, order another, then find our way back to the clump of cousins he never actually introduced me to. I hold out my hand to a pretty redhead with a smile that lights up the room. She wears a loose-fitting, sleeveless linen blouse in a soothing pastel pink. Paired with high-waisted shorts in a light floral pattern, the outfit exudes both style and comfort—and makes me look downright slutty in comparison.
“I’m sorry,” I say, with a pointed glance Nathan’s way. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Angela Cooper, at your service. I’m Nathan’s oldest cousin.”
“But only by a day!” A tall man with a military-straight spine bumps her shoulder. Strength and confidence emanate from him and a head of dark, neatly cropped hair complements his chiseled features. His piercing gaze and well-defined jawline speak to a determined and disciplined spirit.
“I’m Nick Hutton, Nathan’s second oldest cousin,” he says to me. “But only by a day,” he reiterates, giving Angela a playful grin.
With a physique that belongs on a fitness inspiration video, Nick carries himself with authority. Despite his rugged exterior, his friendly demeanor and warm smile make me feel like we’ve known each other for years. How is it that Nathan’s entire family feels like sunshine while he’s…him?
“Nick’s always felt like being born second meant he had something to prove. Hence his dedication to the Marine Corps and all that protecting freedom nonsense. Micah Hutton, by the way.” A tall man with dark, tousled hair offers his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Says the firefighter.” Nick scoffs then rolls his eyes, leaning close to whisper conspiratorially, “If you ask me, he’s the one trying to prove something.”
“My dad’s a Marine,” I blurt, before I remember Dad’s not a story for strangers. “Or, he was…”
Nick crosses beefy arms over a proud chest. “I wouldn’t say that around him. They say ‘once a Marine, always a Marine’ for a reason.”
“My dad is the exception that proves the rule. He was injured in the line of duty—”
“So was my dad!” Angela grins like we just discovered we’re long-lost sisters, then points to a striking man across the room. Broad shoulders. Imposing presence. The man has military written all over him. “He still has shrapnel in his hip,” continues Angela. “The airports love him! He was clinically dead for a couple minutes, but then he met my mom, and she brought him back to life.”
“I think the doctors had more to do with that part,” quips Nick.
“There’s a difference between surviving and living, thank you very much.” Angela rolls her eyes and takes a long drink. “Mom is the one who actually brought him back to life.”
“My dad never really recovered. I mean, his body healed, but his mind…” I shrug, wondering how to bring the conversation back to safer ground. “He was medically discharged then made it two more years before he hit the skids and left me and my mom to fend for ourselves.”
I try to present the information like it has no weight. Like it’s a piece of data and nothing more. But I still hear my parents fighting in those awful years leading up to his disappearance.
“My mother raised me alone,” I continue, going for nonchalant and failing, “working crazy hours to make sure I had the life she thought I deserved. I mean, right up until I was old enough to get a job, then I insisted she let me contribute, much to her dismay.” I swallow a lump in my throat and force a smile. “And now I’m doing everything I can to return the favor.”
