Page 78 of Guarding My Love

Surprisingly, Foster wasn’t pissed off.

No, it felt more like it did when they were kids and goofing around.

When Charlotte smiled, he realized maybe his big brother knew enough to act like a normal sibling and not a fancy billionaire.

“Charlotte, this is my brother, West, and his wife, Abby.”

“It’s so nice to meet you both,” she said, shaking their hands. “I can’t say I’ve heard a lot about you because Foster doesn’t talk much. And I think we all know I didn’t know his last name until recently.”

West shook her hand. “I like her already,” West said. “She’s giving you shit.”

Charlotte looked embarrassed over that. “Sorry,” she mouthed. “I really wasn’t.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “Everyone does in our family. It’s as I told you before. We all come from similar backgrounds.”

An hour later, the night was going much smoother than he’d thought it would.

Or maybe he hoped it’d be like this and it was.

How many times in his life had he been dating someone and they met West and acted like an idiot?

Foster always gave them a pass if they were intimidated, but it wasn’t often that.

Then he remembered that Charlotte was used to rubbing elbows with wealthy people. Not just in her personal life but in her job as well.

“How are you doing?” she asked as she leaned into his ear. Appetizers had been taken away and they were sitting at a large round table, everyone talking and the conversation going fairly smoothly.

Nelson had come in late and was going to eat and then go into the bar. He imagined his single younger brother would rather try to find a woman for himself, even if it was for the night.

Nelson wouldn’t say he was here with his siblings, but he might say who he was if he thought it’d get him some action.

His brother would have to learn those things on his own.

“I’m fine,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

“Because you’ve said before that you tend to get overwhelmed being around family after a period of time. I appreciate being introduced to everyone, but I don’t want you to feel like we’ve got to stay if you need a break.”

“She is the sweetest thing,” Laken said. “That she knows that about you and is willing to leave.”

“I don’t believe that was meant for your ears, nosy,” he said to his sister who had walked by and stopped to hear most of the conversation.

“No,” Charlotte said. “Sorry if I got you in trouble.”

“Foster is always in trouble,” Laken said. “Right, Braylon?”

“Always,” Braylon said. “Well, not anymore. He was as a kid, but he didn’t always start it.”

“That’s right,” he said. “Sometimes it was Elias or Rowen.”

“Rarely Elias if it had to do with you,” West said. “You two were glued at the hip even though he’s closer in age to Rowan.”

“I think it’s great you are all so close,” Charlotte said. “I didn’t have that. I have one sister and we are close now, but she lives on Amore Island.”

“We heard,” Braylon said. “Or more like we’ve heard about your sister.”

“I told you that West knows your sister’s father-in-law,” he said.

“In passing,” West said. “Nice family.”

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