Chapter 23
GRIFFIN
I liked my house best in the morning. The position of the sun warmed up the patio, but it wasn’t so hot that you couldn’t enjoy the outdoors.
I made a point of going outside every morning to drink my coffee.
Today was no different, except I didn’t have a coffee.
Phoebe was still sleeping, so I didn’t even start the coffee machine because it was too loud.
One big minus of the house was the open floor plan.
I liked it, but you could hear everything from afar.
My phone rang at exactly eight o’clock. I wondered who it could be at this hour. Then I noticed that Mom had sent a message twenty minutes ago.
Mom: Do you need us to bring anything?
I frowned, not really understanding what she meant.
Mom: Before you say no, I’ve made muffins this morning. Everyone loves them.
Fuck. Fuck! I’d completely forgotten that I’d asked my family for breakfast this morning. How the hell did that happen? I’d planned to tell Phoebe yesterday, ask her if she was okay with that. And then I got completely lost in her.
I headed back inside and hurried upstairs, happy when I heard the shower. My family was going to be here in less than an hour. I knocked at the door of the bathroom before stepping in so I wouldn’t startle her. She turned around, grinning.
“Turn off the water,” I said. “I need to tell you something.”
“Huh?”
I leaned in to turn off the water, getting my arm wet. “Listen, I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?” Her smile faded.
“I forgot that I asked my family to drop by for breakfast today.”.”
“Oh my God. Um, okay. I wouldn’t have washed my hair if I knew that because drying it will take forever.” Her eyes widened. “Shit, we came in your car. Can you drop me off somewhere?”
“Phoebe,” I said sternly.
“Huh? Yeah?”
“Has it occurred to you that I might want you to stay?”
She straightened up, lowering her hands by her sides. She must be cold without the water running, because her nipples were perked up.
Or maybe it was her reaction to me.
Her smile was back. “Wait, your family knows who I am?”
I cleared my throat. “Get dressed and we’ll talk later,” I said, looking anywhere but at her nipples.
“Why? Am I too distracting?”
“Fuck yes, you are. I’m close to mauling you right here in the shower, and we don’t have time for that.”
“Whoops, okay. Then shoo, shoo,” she said.
“You’re dismissing me?”
“This goes both ways, you know? You look very delectable standing there in your white T-shirt. I’m having all sorts of ideas, like turning on the water and pulling you under it. It’s best if you wait for me downstairs.”
I chuckled. “Sure.”
I headed out of the bathroom, leaving her to get dressed.
Descending the steps, I tried to anticipate how the day would go.
It wasn’t really possible, though. I could predict my family’s individual reactions, but when we were all together, things could escalate quickly and in ways I couldn’t foresee.
The dynamics changed according to what mood everyone woke up in.
Since the entire family would be here today, this could go all sorts of ways.
I should have probably warned everyone, but it was too late now. If I wrote to my parents to give them a heads-up, they’d immediately call and question me about what was going on. And my brothers were better off without a heads-up anyway.
I checked the contents of my fridge. It was fully stocked. I had everything I needed for breakfast, but I knew it made Mom happy to contribute.
Griffin: Sure, bring whatever you want.
While I took food out of the fridge, I heard steps coming down the staircase, and then Phoebe walked in shyly with a towel wrapped around her.
“Um, my clothes are here,” she said, pointing to the guest bedroom.
“Sure. I forgot, or I would have brought them upstairs.”
She went into the bedroom. I was fighting all my instincts not to go after her. She was irresistible to me, even wrapped in a towel.
She came out a few seconds later, sighing.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I was going to just turn my panties inside out, but they’re ripped.”
I grinned, remembering last night. “That’s all my fault, sorry. But I can’t wait to be alone with you for the rest of the day. Unless you have plans?”
“Not at all.” She fidgeted, pulling at the bottom hem of her dress. “Thank God it’s long enough. I’ll make sure to sit cross-legged.”
The thought of her going commando was not helping my self-control.
She looked at everything I’d laid out on the dining table. “How many people are coming?”
“My parents, that’s two. Then all of my brothers, which is another five. And then Hannah and Riley, too, plus Jeremy. So ten.”
She jerked her head back, laughing nervously. “I’m meeting your entire family, and I’ve got no panties on!” She covered her face with her hands. “All right. I need coffee before they arrive.”
“If you’re hungry, help yourself to whatever you want.”
“I’m not much of a breakfast person,” she admitted. “I just run on coffee in the morning, and then sometime around eleven, I usually have a hunger attack.”
I made coffee for both of us, and we drank it at the breakfast table.
Phoebe was completely silent at first, but after a few sips, she asked, “How is your family going to react when they see me?”
“Not sure. Last they knew, we were faking being a couple.”
Her eyebrows shot up her forehead. “Holy shit! They knew about that?”
“Yes, and Mom handed me my ass.”
“Wait, what are we now? We’re not in a relationship because neither of us is real—”
“Phoebe, do we have to discuss this now? We’re together, got it? Who cares what we call it?”
She laughed. “You’re right. Just enjoy each other. We’re having fun, only your family doesn’t need to know that.”
That’s the truth.
“Exactly. Otherwise, my mom might beat me up all over again.”
“I can’t imagine anyone doing that.”
“No one usually does except Mom. I let her get away with a lot.” I grinned and noticed Phoebe looking at me with warmth in her eyes.
“So, when exactly are they coming?”
I checked the clock on the oven. “Half an hour, give or take.”
I was wrong. Mom arrived ten minutes later, with Dad, Knox, and Finn—who’d apparently picked everyone up—in tow.
“Darling, I also baked some cookies and—” She stopped midsentence, noticing Phoebe.
Her eyes darted to me. Dad cleared his throat. Knox had a shit-eating grin, but Finn looked absolutely perplexed.
“Griffin, darling, you didn’t tell us you had company,” Mom said.
“Mom, Dad, everyone, this is Phoebe.”
Mom jerked her head back but was polite enough to extend her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Susan, and that’s Bruce,” she said, pointing at Dad.
“And you,” Phoebe said, shaking hands with everyone as they introduced themselves.
Knox was still grinning. “You’ve been holding out on us.”
“Clearly,” Finn said. He even sounded stunned. “Could we have an update? Phoebe, is he blackmailing you somehow to help his sorry ass?”
Phoebe’s eyes bulged. I was used to my brother’s antics and his direct ways, but she wasn’t.
“Finn, behave,” I warned.
“Hey, don’t talk to me like I’m a dog.”
Knox kept looking from me to Phoebe. My parents had the good grace to not say anything.
Then the rest of the family arrived. Chase and Hannah came first, followed by Wyatt.
At least Jeremy wasn’t here yet. I preferred to get this explanation out of the way before he arrived.
I didn’t want him to get wind of my charade with Phoebe, however brief it was. I wanted to be a good example for him.
“Everyone, I want to introduce you to Phoebe.”
Hannah looked at Chase in confusion.
Wyatt cocked a brow. “Is this the next stage in whatever you two are planning? You need feedback from us?”
“Feedback?” I parroted.
“Yeah. Someone to tell you if you have any real chemistry or that you look like puppets in a show or something?” He looked straight at Phoebe.
“And no offense to Griffin, but this is something we never thought him capable of. Sounds more like something I’d do, or these two. ” He pointed at Knox and Finn.
“Yeah,” Finn said lazily. “We’re the ones with crazy ideas.”
“What has gotten into all of you?” I asked.
“Son.” That came from Dad. He sounded very serious. “We’re surprised, that’s all. Phoebe, forgive my boys.”
“They’re a bit much,” Mom supplied.
“And when we’re surprised, we’re a lot much,” Finn finished for her. “Quite frankly, I feel like Knox and I are always on that level. Larger than life.”
I realized that Phoebe had been completely silent since introducing herself. I wanted to explain this as succinctly as possible.
And then a light went on in my head. Wait a fucking second. I don’t have to explain myself. Not even to my family. Things were different, and that’s all they needed to know.
So, I put an arm around Phoebe’s shoulders. “We’re not pretending anymore.”
Mom stared at us intently. Hannah frowned. Chase looked at Wyatt with a questioning glance, clearly feeling like he’d missed something.
“Hell yeah, I called it,” Knox said, turning to Finn. “Told you.”
“Yeah, man, I thought you were just bluffing.”
What the hell are they talking about?
“Um, wonderful. So, that means you two are dating,” Mom said. She looked like I’d just told her Christmas was happening twice this year.
Dad was smiling too.
Phoebe, however, was completely silent.
“Now, before you make Phoebe feel uncomfortable—” I began, but Wyatt interrupted me.
“Oh, that ship has sailed.”
“We’re very sorry, Phoebe. It’s just the way we are,” Knox explained.
“Why don’t we have breakfast?” Mom asked. “Phoebe, you’re the only person here who hasn’t tasted my cookies and muffins. I’d like to know what you think.”
“Sure,” Phoebe said slowly.
Thank fuck for Mom. She seemed to be the only one with a good head on her shoulders.
“Someone text Duncan,” I announced as we headed toward the dining table. “Tell him what’s going on so he doesn’t ambush me too.”