Page 54 of Always Be Mine

She fit in so easily, that it was easy for Craig to forget that Lucy had only been part of his life for such a short time. It felt like she’d always been there.

He leaned against the wall and watched as Lucy helped Charli and Annie in the kitchen. The three women worked together effortlessly, as if they’d made the family dinner together many times before, and hadn’t just met. A smile crept over his face when Charli said something he couldn’t quite hear that made Lucy laugh. She had the sweetest, most honest laugh he’d ever heard.

“It’s about time you brought a woman home.”

Asher jabbed Craig in the rib cage, startling him from his thoughts. He glared at his brother, who was only trying to stir things up. “Lucy’s not a woman.” He caught himself with a shake of his head and took three steps out of the room before the women could overhear their conversation.

“Oh, she’s most definitely a woman.” Asher didn’t even bother hiding the look of admiration he shot in Lucy’s direction.

Craig worked hard to swallow down the sudden anger toward his brother. “That’s not how I meant it.”

Asher chuckled, but before Craig could get too worked up, he held up his hand. “I know what you meant.”

“She’s Meri’s nanny.”

Asher nodded. “Uh huh.”

“She is.”

“I know.”

He looked incredulous, and Craig felt his fingers twitch into a fist at his side. His brother had a very special talent for making him crazy.

“And she’s a very attractive nanny, don’t you think?”

“I’m warning you. Back off, Asher.”

As if their eldest brother could sense trouble brewing, Chase appeared in the living room, a bottle of wine in his hand. He took one look at his brothers and stepped between them. “Whoa. What’s the issue, guys?”

Asher shrugged innocently. “I was just commenting on how it was nice that Craig brought Lucy over for dinner.”

Chase eyed him suspiciously while Craig took the opportunity to pull himself together. He couldn’t let Asher get under his skin. He was only trying to stir things up, the way he always did. Asher had a special version of middle child syndrome where, in an effort to combat the tendency to be invisible, he made it his personal mission to drive the rest of them crazy. A classicany attention is good attentionkind of situation that he never seemed to quite grow out of.

“Don’t make me regret inviting her for dinner.” Craig glared in Asher’s direction. “And don’t do anything to ruin this situation, Asher. I mean it.”

“By situation, you mean having a sexy woman living under your roof for the first time in?—”

He didn’t think; he only reacted. Craig lunged at his brother. He grabbed a fistful of his sweater by his throat and shoved him up against the wall. “I mean it, Asher. Do not go anywhere near Lucy. Meri loves her, and I?—”

“You have the hots for her.”

Craig growled and tightened his grip. “I need her.”

“I bet you do.”

That was it. He could only take so much. Craig wasn’t a violent man and hadn’t been in a physical fight since the school yard when he was a kid. Come to think of it, that fight likely involved his brother, then, too.

His right hand tightened into a fist, his arm cocked when Chase grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“Whoa. Since when is there fighting at family dinner night?”

“Since Asher is determined to be an ass.” He yanked himself free from Chase’s grip and stepped away. His breath came quickly. He gritted his teeth and looked down, forcing himself to calm down.

“Asher, can you go find the kids and tell them to wash up? Dinner is almost ready.”

Craig didn’t look up until he was sure he’d heard Asher leave the room.

“Are you going to tell me what that was all about?” Chase watched him carefully. “Because I can’t remember ever seeing you lose your temper like that.”

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