Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
LUKE
Today is Gran’s birthday party. The last two months since the fight has been hectic, crazy, and wonderful.
I've spent every day with Andi, either training at the gym, chilling at her house or my apartment, or just going out somewhere to spend time together. Somehow, she talked me into being part of her karaoke skit at the club tomorrow night, so we’ve been practicing that for the past two weeks, too. Thankfully, she didn’t ask me to sing.
We’re still in the “friends” stage because she’s still giving me time to define what “this” is between us.
She is stubborn and won’t be the one to name our thing.
She's making me face it, and she won't budge an inch until I do.
I can't even count how many times I've tried to kiss her. She turns her face so my kiss lands on her cheek. Then she smiles like it’s no big deal.
She’s making me crazy.
And I wouldn’t trade one minute of my time with her for all the one-night stands in the world.
She’s excited about meeting all my family, even though I’ve tried to tell her they aren’t all that much to get excited over.
She’s never spoken about her family, outside Mack and Shane, but they're not her blood relatives.
I've tried casually to bring the conversation around to her family, but she's a master at “dodge and avoid.” She’s somehow distracted me every time, so I get that she’s not ready to talk about it.
I understand how complicated families are, so I let it slide. We have plenty of time.
We’re in my truck, heading to my parents’ house, and she’s fidgeting in the seat beside me.
She won’t let me kiss her, but she will let me hold her hand, so I have it firmly grasped in mine.
I would never admit this to any living soul, but I’m so tied up in knots over her I’ll gladly take the handholding.
At least I get to touch her that way. I’ve taken punches harder than this, but her fingers threaded through mine undo me.
It’s what I do to myself by delaying telling her I want a committed relationship.
“You’re not getting nervous, are you?” I playfully ask her.
“Maybe a little,” she laughs. “But I’ll be fine.”
“My parents already want to adopt you and disown me. My whole family will love you. Just watch out for my brother. He’ll try to steal you from me.” I mean this literally. Brandon will fall in love with her, too.
Did I just infer that I’m in love with her?
“You can never have too many friends, Luke,” she declares without a hint of sarcasm. I worry that she only sees me as a friend.
“I'd better not catch you alone with him, Andi.” I use my stern voice, the one that says I’m not even kidding. Not that it has ever worked on this woman.
She says, “Fine, Luke,” and I feel my racing heart slowing down until she finishes her sentence. “I won’t let you catch me.”
I snap my head to look at her, ready to fight tooth and nail for my place in her life, and I see the gleam of outright mockery in the twinkling of her eyes.
She is enjoying this so much. She will probably flirt with Brandon just to get to me.
I should’ve kept my mouth shut because she will so use this little tidbit against me. Wench.
“We’re celebrating Gran’s birthday today, but you haven’t told me when yours is.” I glance over at her as I drive and note how she pulls her lower lip between her teeth for a second.
“I don’t really celebrate my birthday. When is yours?”
“Andi, when is your birthday? I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”
“Fine. It’s October 28. Now spill it. When’s yours?”
“January 4.”
We arrive at my parents' house a few minutes early, but it looks like the entire gang is already here. Andi looks perfect in her form-fitting black capris, her sky-blue flowing shirt that would be baggy if not for the white scarf/belt thing she has tied around her tiny waist. Her little toenails, painted the same color as her shirt, are peeking out from her black sandals. My God, she is more than I’ve ever imagined a woman could be.
My sister, Alicia, is younger than I am, but she married early and had two rugrats that I love with all my heart.
Being Uncle Luke has been kind of cool. My nephew Jacob is five, my niece Callie is three, and they are both so much fun.
They both know my truck, and as soon as Andi and I step out of it, the front door opens, and they come flying out to meet us.
I hug them both and lift them up in the air, playing our usual game of airplanes while Andi watches and laughs along with us.
I introduce Jacob and Callie to Andi, who kneels to be eye to eye with them, and she charms the kids just like she did my parents.
Before we make it across the front lawn, both kids are attached to her like little leeches.
Alicia meets us at the door, and within minutes, she and Andi are like long-lost sisters.
I roll my eyes at the thought of what my brother will do when he meets her.
Here we go.
Brandon just arrived and is making his rounds.
I know the second his eyes land on Andi because his big mouth stops yapping.
Brandon is two years older than I am, and we look a lot alike.
We’ve frequently competed for the same thing, including girls.
But there’s no way I’m letting him put the moves on this one.
I try to head him off at the pass, but he just pats my shoulder as his "hello" and makes a beeline for my girl, who's now sitting with my sister and Gran.
“And who is this beautiful lady? Alicia, you said you didn’t have any friends you could set me up with that I’d be interested in. I can promise you, I’m interested in this one.” Brandon is really laying it on thick.
“Brandon! We can’t take you anywhere!” Alicia is laughing, knowing that Brandon is naturally a flirt. “This is Andi, and she’s Luke’s date.”
Gran is watching me with those all-knowing, all-seeing eyes of hers and an unmistakable smirk on her face. She knows Andi is more than a friend to me, even if I haven’t said it to anyone.
“Oh, Luke and I aren’t dating. We're just friends.” Andi declares to Alicia, but the entire room full of people stops buzzing, and every eye is boring into me, telling me I'm crazy. All eyes, that is, except Brandon’s, which are still glued to Andi.
I’m pretty sure I just growled out loud at her revelation.
“You do not know how happy I am to hear that, Andi,” Brandon moves to sit beside Andi on the loveseat, even though my sister already occupies the other seat. Brandon will just sit on her if she doesn’t move fast enough. My brother is openly ignoring me and eating Andi up with his eyes.
I cut through the room full of people who are looking at me as if I’ve suddenly sprouted a few extra heads.
I take Andi by the hand before Alicia has time to get out of Brandon’s way, thus preventing Brandon from getting close to my girl.
I pull Andi up to stand beside me and wrap my arm around her waist, being intentionally and blatantly possessive, especially in front of Brandon.
“Not a snowball’s chance in hell, Brandon. Go find your own girl.”
My brother knows me all too well. His smug smile tells me he knows he’s pushing my buttons as he says, “I think it would be more appropriate if you go find your own girl. You and Andi are just friends, after all.”
I could say it right now. One sentence. Three words. And everything would change.
But I’m not doing this in front of everyone.
"Andi, let me introduce you to the rest of my family and show you around the house." With that, I lead her away from my brother, who is now openly laughing behind me. I feel somewhat better when Andi settles her hand in mine and gives it a slight squeeze.
ANDI
I absolutely love Luke’s family—every one of them.
They have all taken me in with open arms and made me feel like one of them.
It's been so long since I've had a family.
My emotions threaten to get away from me, and I have to find something to take my mind off it before I cry and make a fool out of myself.
For all their problems, and every family has problems, not one of them can really understand what it would mean to lose everything and be totally alone in this world.
I understand it all too well. And that makes being here with Luke’s parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins even more bittersweet.
I’ve talked at length with every single person here, even with his brother Brandon, who is just a big softie, even though he gives Luke a hard time.
I think everyone asked me exactly what Luke was doing at the gym.
When I explained boxing as a professional career, what it takes to make a boxer, how much determination and grit a man must have even to step into the ring, I could see them look at Luke entirely differently.
After I explained it to Luke's dad, Sam, I think he was fighting back tears, and he looked so proud of Luke.
It makes me wonder whether they've discussed it before, but Luke couldn’t express his feelings or fully explain what's involved.
In any case, I think Sam and everyone else here understand now.
Luke didn't like it when I talked to Brandon, but I made sure Luke was by my side and included in the conversation. Though I teased Luke about not getting caught with his brother, I would never actually betray him like that, even if “this” wasn’t going on between us.
Whatever “this” is. For all of Brandon's flirting, I don't think he would betray Luke like that either.
But I'm not sure Luke is convinced of that.