Page 44 of My Fiancé's Brother 2

They set up Jackson’s furniture. I didn’t even look at it. I was too nervous. I was freaking out more and more by the second. What was I doing here? Why was Jackson so distant? Was it because his buddies were here? Everything felt slightly off.

And then Chris leaned over the counter, cell phone in hand. “What kind of pizza do you like?”

“Ham and pineapple?” My voice sounded like a tiny chirp. I cleared my throat.

“Forbes!” he bellowed, a smile on his face.

“What?” a voice called from the other room.

“We got another Hawaiian lover in the house.”

A huge guy with the bluest eyes I have ever seen popped his head around the corner. He grinned at me. “You realize that you married the wrong man.”

Despite my fears and my nerves, I laughed.

He pointed at himself. “I have a truly refined taste in pizza. Unlike Mr. Meat Lover over there.”

Jackson and I shared a look. He watched the exchange with another one of his hard to read expressions.

Forbes leaned his arm on the counter between us and said in a sultry voice. “So, what do you say? Want to share a pizza?”

CHAPTER 15

In record time,they unloaded the trucks and set up the furniture. I watched as a beer cooler was carried out to the deck and then we all moved outside. The beer was passed around. These men were huge. They all were so easy going, but they had the same intensity as Jackson. There was a vibe that pulsed beneath the surface of this group that indicated a tight camaraderie. Even though things were weird between Jackson and myself, I still gravitated to his side.

“Dude, you gonna give us a proper introduction?” Chris asked.

Jackson and I faced the other five men who had gathered in a half circle in front of us. These huge men openly studied me. All of them had that direct, fierce energy that I associated with Jackson.

Jackson lifted his beer can and went around the circle. “Chris, Alfie, Guinness, Forbes, and Typhoon. Don’t ask me what their real names are because besides Chris, I have no idea.”

They all laughed.

He looked down at me. Green eyes held my gaze. “This is my wife, Emily.”

My face burned hot under his careful inspection. Jackson called me his wife. I felt like a two-bit actress on some set. None of thisseemed real. I was waiting for someone to step on the scene and yell “cut.”

“Well,” Chris raised his beer to me. “Although I never thought I would see this punk ever get married, I must say that this is a welcomed surprise. On behalf of the guys here, we’d like to welcome you to the family.”

The rest of the men lifted their beers and in unison said, “Hooyah.”

I blushed even harder as they all drank to that toast and then they were pulling Jackson into their group. They slapped his shoulders and did the half-man hug that men seemed to do. I squeaked when Chris came over and picked me up in a huge bear hug.

“Jesus, you're a tiny little thing aren’t you,” he set me back down on my feet. “You need to eat a few more pieces of pizza.”

The doorbell rang, and Chris and I went inside to get the door. It was the pizza guy. Chris gave me the look of death when I tried to get my purse. “Don’t even think about it, little lady.”

We ate pizza together.They ribbed Forbes and me endlessly about our pineapple pizza. They took turns chasing Chloe around the backyard until she panted with desperate joy. And they drank beer like frat boys.

These men were different. I can’t explain it, but I knew they all held themselves to the same impossible standards that Jackson held himself to. I instinctively knew that they all had the same integrity, discipline and mental toughness that Jackson had. There was a bond between them. They were one of the tightest knit group of men I had ever met. They would die for each other. That I knew.

I loved watching them interact with Jackson. It almost felt like I was getting a glimpse into his secret world. They joked around. Razzed each other. Mocked each other. And enjoyed each other.

I had been the mistaken one. This entire time I had worried thatJackson didn’t have a real family, but the truth of the matter was I was the one without a family. Jackson, on the other hand, had five of the greatest brothers a guy could ask for.

I thought Jackson was the most observant man in the world, but 15 seconds after I discretely yawned, without saying a word, they picked up their empties, put the leftover pizza in the fridge and made their way out with a casual slap on Jackson’s shoulders and a wink in my direction. Then they were gone.

I saton the steps of the deck and watched as the fireflies came out to play in the dark. Chloe lay on the grass. Jackson walked over and came and sat down beside me.

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