8. Lexi
LEXI
"So, what exactly is the family gathering about today? Something special going on?" I asked.
"It's a cookout," Paisley replied.
"Everyone brings something, and we throw it all on the grill," Tate explained.
It sounded so normal. They were one of the most influential families in Chicago, but they spent their weekends having a cookout.
"Gran is coming too," Reese said.
"Your parents too?" I asked, looking at Tate.
"No, they're traveling. But trust me, there's going to be plenty of people to confuse you."
“I’ll do the introductions,” Reese offered.
“Three of his brothers are coming. Travis and Sam will be the ones missing. And my sister is in Paris, so she won’t be here either.
But like Tate says, there’s gonna be plenty of people.
Between all of us, you should get a good picture of Tate here so you don’t have any surprises down the road. ”
She wiggled her eyebrows at Tate, who shook his head. “Keep it up and I’m revoking your breakfast invitation.”
Reese pouted. “You can’t do that. You love me too much. And besides, I’m in a bad place: heart crushed, shitty ex-fiancé, and all that.”
Reese spoke with ease, like it was all a big joke, but there was no mistaking the emotion in her eyes.
Tate pointed at her. “Stop it. That’s where Paisley is learning all her emotional blackmail techniques.”
“I’m an excellent teacher,” Reese replied with a grin.
Tate shook his head, snorting. “Not everyone’s like Reese, I promise.”
I grinned. "Hey, I like Reese. She’s fun.”
The rest of his family arrived a short while later, and everyone gathered in the kitchen. His brothers Declan and Tyler came first, then Luke. His grandmother, Beatrice, arrived last.
All the guys were tall, towering over me by at least a head. They had slender yet strong builds, with muscular but lean bodies.
Tyler was the tallest, and his frame was bulkier than the rest of his brothers.
He revealed that he was a hockey player, which made sense.
Declan resembled Tyler a lot. I suspected he was a professional athlete of some sort, but he was a lawyer, to my surprise.
I could imagine those blue eyes and impressive stature coming in handy in the courtroom.
He also seemed to be the direct opposite of Tyler, who had smiles for everyone.
Declan was more serious. Luke seemed more sedate as well, but I wasn’t sure if it was because he’d just met me or if that was his personality.
Physically, he resembled Tate with his dark hair, but he had green eyes like Paisley and Reese.
Tate introduced me to all of them.
Tyler grinned. "He's already making you work on weekends? Please don't quit because my brother is insensitive.” He turned to his brother, saying, “Tate, that is not the way to make people stick around."
"That's okay. I volunteered to stay, and anyway, since I slept here, it wasn't an inconvenience." The second I said the words out loud, the room went silent.
"You slept here?" Declan asked before I could cover my faux pas. He was looking straight at Tate and not at me.
"Yes. With the blackout last night, the elevator in my building wasn't working, and I live on the twentieth floor," I said quickly. Perhaps a bit too fast. Even Tyler looked at me suspiciously with a knowing smile. Declan cocked a brow at Tate.
"What did I miss?" Luke asked, walking into the kitchen. He’d gone to his car to bring a box of fresh veggies.
"Nothing much," Tyler said. "We’re giving Tate here advice on how not to run Lexi off after only a few weeks."
"Oh. How should we prepare her best?" Luke said in a teasing tone. "That's right. When he looks like this," he said with an exaggerated frown, "it's best to stay out of his way. You never know when he's going to lash out."
Ha! I’d pegged him all wrong. He was more like Tyler than Declan. The razzing between these brothers was hilarious.
“Yeah. I think as a rule of thumb, it's best to stay out of his way entirely," Tyler said.
I liked their dynamic. Tate was taking it all in stride.
"Does anyone have any input that’s proactive?" I asked.
"Oh, she's a brave one," Luke said. "I like you, Lexi."
"Thank you. And yes, I like to think of myself as being brave."
"Well, my brother does like good conversation. And wine, of course," Tyler offered.
“Duly noted," I said, glancing at Tate, who was looking at me with amusement in his eyes. I searched his features for any sign that I was overstepping boundaries. Instead of playing with Paisley outside, I was here with him and his brothers. But he seemed to be enjoying this.
"I think I'm a better source," he said. "Anything you want to know, just ask me."
I glanced at Luke, schooling my features to look serious. "Do you think he means it, or will he bite my head off if I ask him things?"
Luke turned to Tyler and Declan. "What do you guys think? Should she go for it, or should she hedge her bets?"
Tyler crossed his arms over his chest. "Always hedge your bets."
"Okay, everyone, let's move outside," Luke said, "before Gran hands us our asses for not starting the grill."
There was a bit of commotion in the kitchen as everyone walked outside. I stayed behind, helping Tate put everything he'd taken out on the counter on a tray. There were a gazillion sauces: ketchup, barbecue, mustard, and whatnot.
"I like your brothers,” I said after a while.
"I meant what I said, Lexi. You can ask me anything you want. But a word of warning. You might not be ready for the answer."
I sucked in a breath, a million questions playing on my lips. But I didn’t get a chance to ask anything, because Declan said loudly, “Move your ass out here, Tate.”
I didn't have a lot of nanny duties because Grandma Beatrice was glued to Paisley. I spoke to Reese, who confided in me that she was excited to work at Beatrice’s bookstore starting Monday.
“I didn’t know she still had a bookstore,” I exclaimed.
“It’s because she couldn’t keep the original name.
This one is called The Happy Place. Gran insisted on keeping it because it was the first store they had, and they lived above it for many years.
She owns the whole building. She doesn’t actually run it, of course.
She’s got a manager. Anyway, I’ve helped out there since I was in high school.
I’ve always loved the place. It was one of the reasons why I wanted to turn the upper levels into a spa with my shitty ex, Malcolm.
It’s sitting empty, and will continue to stay that way, unless my ex gets his way. ”
“Why don’t you open it on your own?”
“I might, at some point. Right now, though, I’m honestly not in the right frame of mind to start a business. I need something to ground me now.”
She seemed so disheartened that I wanted to hug her. I’d had my fair share of heartbreak over the years.
“Do you want to talk about what happened?” I asked her, then added, “Sometimes talking with someone unfamiliar with the situation can be helpful.”
She nodded, then blurted out, “He slept with my best friend.”
I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.
Reese sighed. “Man, I’ve said that out loud a million times and I still want to drink a shot of tequila whenever I repeat it.”
“Oh, Reese. I’m so sorry. That sucks. If you need a partner to spray-paint his car or something, I’m your girl. If that’s not your style, forget I said anything.”
Reese started laughing, inching closer to me. “I’ve already had that offer from my sister and several of my cousins. Don’t tell Declan or he’ll behead us.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“You’re a lot of fun, Lexi. I’m glad Tate hired you. Now, let’s see what goodies we’re having for lunch.”
Once the brothers started the grill, the food just kept coming.
After I filled my plate, Beatrice waved at me and patted the spot next to her on the rattan sofa.
I looked around for Paisley, but she was with Tate.
The sight made something twist in my chest. I went straight to Beatrice, sitting down.
"Do you need anything?" I asked. "Something to drink?"
She was already holding a plate of food.
"No, no, I'm fine. Tyler handed me this, and it’s more than I’ll ever eat," she said. "I’m glad you stayed today. I told Tate I wanted to meet you."
"You did?"
"Yes. I speak to Paisley every evening, and she’s talked my ear off about you. That's a good sign. I think she likes you more than anyone who's ever watched her."
"Really?" My heart swelled. I was already starting to care about Paisley too, and I was happy that she liked me.
"It's a pity you can only stay until the summer ends."
My smile faded a bit. "Yes, Tate and I talked about that, but I’ll help him find someone else."
"I told him I can watch Paisley, but he insists this old bag of bones can't keep up."
I glanced from Tate to Beatrice, searching for the right words. I needed to put it delicately, but I was with Tate on this one. "Well, Paisley is very active. We bike a few miles every day."
Gran shuddered. "Good Lord. What is it with kids these days? They have more energy than I ever remember."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"You know what? I don't think it's just Paisley who's happier since you came around.” She leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper. “Tate is too."
"Oh?" I asked, hoping I sounded innocent and that my face wasn't red, though it felt suspiciously warm.
"Yes, he's cheerier. I can’t explain it. Maybe he’s at ease that he finally found someone who knows how to interact with Paisley so well. Ever since Nora left, he's closed himself off," she added.
"A divorce does leave scars," I murmured. “I’ve seen the results on the kids I teach, and it does have its impact.”
"It's not that. He blames himself for the marriage ending."
"Oh no! Why?" I shook my head, realizing what I'd asked. "Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."