9. Miles
CHAPTER NINE
Miles
After washing my face, I glance at my reflection in the mirror. There are several black smudges streaked across my cheeks and forehead.
I spent the morning fixing the joints on the metal framework we use to store all the lumber outside the store. Whenever I get to weld, it always makes my day better.
I have an associate’s degree in welding. I tried working other jobs outside of my family, but I quickly realized working with my family is where I belong. Welding is still a part of the job from time to time, and I get to spend the days with my brothers.
Win-win…
If I wasn’t convinced before Liv got sick, her passing cemented my decision. Losing her made all of us pull our circle in a little more. In part it was to be there for Lyla when she needed us the most, but it was also what all of us adults needed, too.
Wetting a few paper towels, I do my best to wipe my face clean. It’ll have to do until I can take a shower later.
Turning down the hallway, I hear Will’s voice through his office door that’s not fully closed.
“Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. I set up automatic deposits that will go in monthly for the after-school program through the school year,” he says.
There’s silence for a minute.
“I know it’s more. I trust you to do what’s best for the kids,” Will says. He must be talking to Marlene who works in conjunction with the school district and the rec center to run the after-school that our family predominantly funds.
Will chuckles. “Marlene, you’ve been doing this for long enough. You know I trust you. I don’t need you to run everything by me.” He laughs some more. “Yeah, yeah, you too. Talk to you later.”
I run my hand over my face. Will shouldn’t have to shoulder so much of the burden with running things. He naturally takes on the role of the big brother, but the burden isn’t on him alone. I make a mental note to take some of the work off his hands.
If it weren’t for the positive things we’re able to do with it, I would probably be resentful of the wealth my parents have.
It has felt strange to have always had the safety net of our parents’ money, when so many people never have that security. The inequity has always made me feel uneasy.
It isn’t that we were raised to be spoiled brats. That wasn’t the case at all.
Mom and Dad were both firm in their belief that we needed to work for what we wanted in this life, but it doesn’t mean some level of privilege didn’t present itself, even if it was unintentional.
A familiar laugh carries from the front of the store. Lyla. With one more glance at Will’s door, I walk through the aisles until I reach the front of the store.
“Uncle Miles,” Lyla yelps, running toward me. I crouch down, barely getting my arms out in time before she crashes into me.
I don’t know how much longer she’ll be giving these kinds of hugs, so I soak up every second of it.
My heart already hurts a little bit for the day when she no longer wants to be my little buddy anymore. I want her to have her independence and be the brave girl she is, but I also want to hold onto my little Lyla girl who had me wrapped her finger since the day she was born.
I can still remember holding her in the hospital room hours after Liv gave birth. Lyla’s eyes fluttered open, blue eyes peering up at me. That was it. I melted onto the tile beneath my feet.
I hold onto her until she starts to pull back. “What are you doing here?”
“We were at the park and wanted to say hi,” Lyla says, pointing over her shoulder.
My eyes track up, landing on Avery. She’s standing there in a pair of athletic shorts, an oversized T-shirt, and tennis shoes. Her hair is in a messy bun, and her face is free of any traces of make-up.
It doesn’t matter, though. She’s still the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.
Lyla mumbles something about flowers before skipping off toward the greenhouse that’s attached to the side of the store. It’s hands down her favorite thing here.
Pressing my hands on my knees, I stand up. My eyes stay trained on Avery. Without saying a word, we both start walking in the same direction Lyla fled.
“You’re really great with her,” she says.
I give her a look over my shoulder as we weave our way through the aisles.
“With Lyla,” she clarifies.
I don’t think she knows how much those words mean. I’ve loved Lyla dearly since the moment she was born, but taking on more of a parental role in her life was difficult. It took some time for the four of us to settle into things.
It was all worth it, though, because we’re here now. The life we have all built together is what Liv wanted for her daughter. I think she knew it was what her three brothers needed, too.
“Wow,” Avery says, stepping into the greenhouse’s entrance.
I can’t keep my eyes off her as she wanders through the rows of plants and flowers. Some of them we grow here. Other we have shipped in.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Lyla sitting on the bench in the far corner of the space with her back to us. When Avery walks behind a taller wall of vined plants, I follow her into the tiny alcove.
There’s barely enough space for both of us, so when she turns around, there’s hardly anything separating us.
Her quiet gasp has me running the back of my fingers over her jaw. “Sorry, gorgeous, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You’re always scaring me,” she says quietly.
“I guess I’ll have to work on that.”
She gives me a look like she knows with absolute certainty that’s never going to happen.
She’s probably right.
I can feel her pulse hamming beneath my fingertips, which are now resting against her throat. She drags her eyes up from my chest to my face. Pools of desire and wariness stare back at me.
Fuck, I want to kiss her right now.
Unable to control myself, I swipe my thumb over her plump lower lip. The desire in her eyes starts to overtake the wariness.
“This is such a bad idea,” she groans.
“What is?” I say, smirking down at her because even though I’m not quite as tall as my middle brother, she’s still much shorter than me. “Because I’m kind of the master of bad ideas. They’re usually the ones that lead to the most fun.”
She bites her lip, indecision written all over her face.
“What is it?” I ask her again.
Her eyes clear, shoulders straightening. She surges up onto her tiptoes, arms wrapping around my neck. Her lips slam against mine. It takes my brain a few seconds to catch up to what’s happening, but once it does, I’m all in.
I might have had a delayed start to this kiss, but I’m determined to give her just as much as she’s giving me. My arms wrap around her, pulling her flush against me. Her toned yet curvy body feels perfect.
She nips at my bottom lip, and I can’t help the half laugh, half groan that slips from my mouth. Her head tilts back, smirking up at me. The lightness surrounding her is there for a few more seconds before it fades away.
“Fuck,” she says, slamming her eyes closed. “Why the hell did I do that?”
I stroked my hand up and down her back. “You aren’t going to see me complaining over here,” I say, trying to bring her back to the happy bubble we were both in a moment ago.
“You’re basically my boss, though, and I’m leaving,” she says.
“I’m not really your boss.”
She gives me a look like, yeah, you kind of are .
Okay, maybe she has a point.
I shrug. “I couldn’t care less. It’s not like you asked me to marry you.”
She snorts, and for some reason I find it incredibly attractive.
“It was just a kiss,” I say.
Her eyes narrow on me. “A damn good kiss,” she snaps.
Damn straight.
I press a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth. “You aren’t wrong about that, gorgeous.” She seems to be relaxing a little in my arms. “It doesn’t need to mean anything. It was just fun.”
She lets out a heavy exhale.
“I can’t say I would be opposed to having it happen again,” I say, giving her a flirty smile.
Her grin is like a lure latching on my heart, drawing me closer.
What the hell is this girl doing to me?