Chapter 12
KATHERINE
The Council of Bros
Kingston: so where are you taking Katherine on your date?
Gabe: are you really texting me from downstairs?
Kingston: I invited you to come work out
Gabe: I worked out last night smiling face with horns emoji
KATHERINE
Memorial Day turns out warm, with a perfect mix of brilliant blue sky and puffy white clouds. I’m poolside, camped on a lounge chair in a new bikini, lathered in sunscreen, soaking up some vitamin D.
The official start of summer feels more like the beginning of the rest of my life. Idyllic, full, joyous, with a reminder in the air of just how hot things can get, both in New York and beneath the spotlight that comes with wealth.
“What are you thinking about?” Shon asks, head lolling along the back of the lounger next to mine. She studies me from behind her sunglasses.
I know everyone’s here to check on me, including her, even though we’ve texted daily since I left with Kingston. It was sweet of her to cancel her plans on the Cape to spend the weekend with us, although I’m pretty sure she’s here for more quality time with my bathtub.
Dad’s Hamptons house overflows with people.
Laughter drifts on the breeze along with mouth-watering scents from the grill.
My aunt and uncle are up for the long weekend with my favorite cousin, Emma.
She’s a little older, but we grew up together, or as together as two girls can be when separated by five states.
My guys are in the pool, looking hotter than should be allowed and currently embroiled in a fierce game of volleyball with Sutton and two of Emma’s brothers, Hayes and Beau.
“How much I missed this.” I wave a finger around in a circle, encompassing the property and everyone on it.
Seeing everyone in their little groups, chatting away, making plans, is a stark reminder once again of just how far removed I’d gotten.
But as happy as the day is on the surface, I feel the concerned gazes.
So far, this weekend is going much better than last. That whole day feels like a bad dream.
Except for the part where King and I flew to Greece.
I hide my smile behind my peach sangria.
To my left, Emma makes a sound of agreement. My cousin hides from the sun beneath a wide-brimmed hat and a layer of SPF 50. “Aww. Me too. We miss you guys.”
Her Southern accent is soft and dreamy as she shoots me an easygoing smile. Not to make me feel guilty but to remind me I’m loved.
Gabe’s right. When the people you care about most are under one roof, it’s a peace unlike any other.
“Then we’ll come to your place next weekend,” Shon teases, then jerks a thumb my way. “It’s been years since I’ve been to Charleston. And I’ve never seen this one suck the brain out of a crawfish before.”
I fake like I’m gagging. Emma got me to try them once, and I know she still thinks of me as the uptight city girl. I mean, she’s not wrong, but now I’ve eaten escargot. A mini lobster soaked in spicy water with lemon is no big deal.
Of course, Alex immediately notices my grimace, faux or not, and shoots me a questioning look. I purse my lips and give a slight shake of my head to let him know I’m fine.
Emma doesn’t miss a beat. “I’d love that. I’ll tell GG to get out the big pot.”
Happiness bursts through me, a shower of effervescent champagne bubbles. Being surrounded by my friends and favorite family members, teasing, daydreaming about future get-togethers… It’s exactly what my soul needed.
My grandfather is gone. My mother’s in prison awaiting trial, but honestly, I’ve barely thought of her. Maybe my mind’s protecting me from the trauma, but I keep that day and the chaos following locked away.
Gabe and Kingston are back into the thick of renovations on Gabe’s house. They spent quite a few hours over there yesterday hashing out their plans, King drawing up sketches. Is there anything sexier than your tech geek with a smear of sawdust across his forehead? I don’t think so.
I didn’t realize how much I missed the big, loud gatherings until right now.
Uncle Patrick is always throwing a party.
As the owner of a professional football team, he and that whole side of the Montgomery family are a family of extroverts.
Except for Emma, who only really comes out of her shell around people she likes and is used to.
Otherwise, she’s more reserved than her siblings, always with her nose in a book, happily cooking with her grandmother in the kitchen or shopping alongside her mom.
The two of them have made charitable giving a sport.
I’m not sure what Uncle Patrick spends more money on: his team or Emma’s philanthropy.
King’s family sort of supplemented the fun I missed with my cousins as my mother carved out more of a place for me within the company and her side of the family.
But when I was little, we’d hang out down south during the summers.
Emma’s grandmother is so warm and down-to-earth.
Straight shooting, Emma calls it. And I went camping with them a few times.
I change the subject, angling her way. “Tell us about your latest project. I know you’ve got one,” I say and pluck an orange slice from the rim of my glass.
Emma sits up, criss-cross-apple-sauce style, and lifts her chin so she can see from beneath the brim of her hat. “We’re doing another calendar to support service dogs. Daddy asked the team for volunteers.”
That’s her other interest. Animals. Dogs, more specifically. Last I heard, Uncle Patrick and Aunt Corinne have three.
“I bet they were tripping over themselves to help you out,” Shon says, a gleeful note in her voice.
There’s a pause, and I swear Emma blushes. Her lips part, but then she snaps them closed, as if thinking better of what she was going to say. Something tells me there’s a story there. Does she have the hots for one of the men on her dad’s football team? Did something happen?
“We had quite a few players show up,” Emma admits.
“Are they shirtless again?” I ask. Not that I’d ever tell a soul, but the star quarterback is easy on the eyes.
Emma gives a sheepish shrug, which is all the confirmation I need.
“I’m using a different photographer this year.
There’s a gal in North Charleston who does a lot of animal photography and some newborn stuff.
But she volunteers with a couple of the local rescues, too.
Anyway, we’ve become good friends, and I’m so excited to see it come together.
Is there anything cuter than a hunky guy holding a puppy? ” she gushes.
My attention immediately deviates toward Gabe, King, and Alex. They’re cuter. Each sporting dark sunglasses, flushed from the exertion.
I’m so freaking lucky.
Shon snickers. “I bet Kay can think of something.” Then, under her breath and behind the protection of a piece of pineapple, “or some ones.”
My cousin has always been observant and detail-oriented.
Which is why when I heard she was coming, I immediately discussed with the guys how to tell her the truth. She would totally notice something was going on between the four of us. It’s not like they can keep a straight face where I’m concerned. And I’m not much better.
Honestly, next to my dad, I was most nervous about her reaction.
Ford and Sutton, I could handle. If they didn’t take it well, they’d come around once they see how happy I am.
I give zero fucks what my mother and her lot would think.
Shon’s on board. Plus, it’s not like we’re making a public announcement.
It’s not really anyone’s business, but I don’t want to keep secrets from Emma.
The amazing part is, Emma took the news super well. A bit of mild ribbing, as you’d expect. Some teasing about me not getting much sleep. A sweet admission of jealousy. And zero interest in Alex, Gabe, or King.
She smirks, attention darting to the pool, then back to Shon and me. “Yeah, but now imagine them holding puppies.”
“You’ve got a point,” I agree, desire curling through me. Those three would be endlessly hotter in protective daddy mode.
“Heads up!” Beau calls as a white blur zooms between Emma and me, spraying us with water.
“I got it,” she says, hopping up from her lounger.
“Catch.” Emma chucks the ball back at her brother.
“Good arm,” he calls and gets right back into the game. Sutton serves the ball. Across the net, Gabe, Alex and King form a triangle, ready for the ball.
I try not to watch them too closely. Doing so fills my mind with too many X-rated memories, and I don’t need to be thinking about that during a family gathering.
So I focus on how nice it is to see the three of them working together, developing a strategy, and executing the plan like a well-oiled team.
On the other end of the patio, Dad and Uncle Patrick chat away in the shade. They’ve always loved the outdoors, and it shows because they’re both tan. Time in nature was a big sticking point with my mom when I was young. I don’t remember her ever going with us.
I guess they’d been separated long before their divorce. I hope I never get to a point where I’m not interested in what’s going on with my guys. Mentally, I gulp. There are three of them. Three times the amount of interests. But I’m flexible. I’ll make it work. And they will too.
Anytime I feel a moment of hesitation, because let’s face it, I’m a child of divorce, I can look to my aunt and uncle. Happily married for over thirty-five years and still hopelessly in love.
Draining my glass, I watch my dad’s hands move while he talks. Does he ever look at his brother and sister-in-law and want that for himself? For a while, we thought he’d found it with Sutton’s mom. But he’s been alone since her death.
“Do you need more sunscreen?” Shon asks.
I swear she’s taking the Mother Hen thing to the extreme. It’s like she expects me to melt down at any moment. And who’s to say she’s wrong? But right now, I’m enjoying myself so much.
“I think I’m good. But I’m going to get us a refill. You guys in?”