Page 35 of Love Restored

“The ones you mentioned last night?” Owen asked as he made his way to the group. Graham loved when all four brothers were on the site at once. His siblings might annoy the hell out of him as all younger brothers were prone to do, but he wouldn’t take their presence for granted.

“Wait,” Graham said once Owen’s words registered. “You already knew about this?”

Owen raised his brow at him. He didn’t have the piercing in, just the spacer, so it didn’t have the same effect. “Yeah, Murphy was over to play Call of Duty. Got a problem with that?”

Graham shook his head. Considering he’d had Blake in his bed during the evening, he couldn’t really complain.

“Tell me about the changes,” he grumbled.

“There he is, our big brother, the softie,” Jake said before ducking Graham’s punch. “Too slow. Shit!” He cursed again as he rubbed his shoulder where Graham had hit him not too hard, but hard enough.

“Too slow my ass.”

He grinned as his brothers punched at each other, joining in when he felt like it, then got back to work. They had a job to do, and when a Gallagher went to work, shit got done.

Though he’d rather have had dinner with Blake that night—something that worried him since he didn’t want to rely on a relationship now or ever—he ended up eating at home with his brothers. Since he’d had pizza the night before, he’d opted to let Owen cook them up a meal.

All the brothers could cook reasonably well since their mother hadn’t raised fools, but Owen was the only one who was any good at it. Tonight, they were having stir-fry with rice and pot stickers. The fact that Owen had made the damn appetizers himself didn’t surprise Graham in the least.

Jake had done the grocery shopping since there was no way Graham would have had the ingredients at home. Murphy had brought the beer and chosen the movie to watch afterward if they were up for it. Therefore, Graham just had to make sure the place was clean. Considering he’d been halfway cleaning the house every day for the past week before things had popped up, it didn’t take long.

By the time they were seated in his living room and gorging themselves on Owen’s creation, Graham was feeling more like himself. He was still a little off because of what he’d revealed to Blake and how they were getting closer to the anniversary, plus how Blake had left the night before, but he would be okay. He always was. He had his brothers, and that’s all that mattered.

“Anyway, it’s Border and Maya’s turn to go on a date. And while I’d have been fine in the guest room tonight while those two enjoyed each other, I figured I might as well see what you guys were up to. I don’t spend enough time with you anymore.”

Graham turned his attention from his thoughts to Jake and his brother’s words. Though Graham had partaken in a threesome a couple of times in college, he’d never been in an actual relationship like Jake. He didn’t quite understand how his brother could make it work with two other people. He knew it took a hell of a lot more communication than it did with just a couple. But considering Graham couldn’t even figure things out with one woman, he couldn’t imagine being with another woman or man besides. But his brother, Maya, and Border seemed to be making things work, so more power to them.

“Earth to Graham,” Murphy said as he threw a carrot piece at him.

Graham clenched his jaw and picked up the carrot from the floor, setting it on the coffee table in front of him. “Don’t throw food, dipshit. You’re how old now?”

“Not as old as you,” Murphy said with a grin before stuffing his mouth full of another bite.

“Jesus, Murph,” Owen groaned. “Who taught you manners?”

“Mom did, but they didn’t stick.” Murphy smiled, though there was sadness in his eyes at the comment.

After spending so many years keeping her youngest son alive, their mother had died from a brain aneurysm soon after Murphy’s clear diagnosis. Their father had died soon after from complications of the flu. Graham always figured they’d just wrung themselves out after taking care of Murphy for so long. Cynthia had died right after that, and Graham had lost himself in his work and grief. If he hadn’t had his brothers with him, he wasn’t sure what he would have done.

“Use a napkin,” Graham said as he tossed a few at him. “I’m not going to clean up after you.”

“You will, but it’s because you love me.” Murphy wiped himself up and took another big bite. “Tell us why you’re all surly.”

Graham clenched his jaw. “I’m fine.”

“You’re lying,” Owen said as he took a bite himself. His brother chewed and swallowed before speaking again, unlike dear old Murphy. “Is it Blake? Because I think it’s Blake. If it were the other thing, we’d have seen you go into your cave like you usually do. Instead, you’re mean. So it’s got to be Blake.”

“I’m with Owen on this one,” Jake said.

“Yeah,” Murphy added.

Graham sighed. Now he remembered why he didn’t have his brothers over as much anymore. They saw too damn much. “Just drop it.”

“So there’s something to drop,” Murphy said.

“Of course, there is,” Owen added. “He slept with her, I can tell that much. But why he’s acting like a bear with a thorn in his paw, I don’t know.”

“Will you stop fucking comparing me to a bear?”

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