Page 56 of My Brother's Best Friends

“I’ve already got a project in development,” I tell Melanie with a confident smile. “On another note, we’re going to hit the slopes again tomorrow. Will you be joining us? Have you ever been skiing?” I ask diplomatically.

“Of course,” she replies, laughing at my naivete. “The first time I went on a slope was in middle school. Our parents took us out of school so that we could go on a week-long vacation in Aspen.”

“That’s cool,” I mutter, thinking of my own humble attempt at the ski slope just that afternoon. “Well, I’ve yet to master the skisbut I think we’re getting there. Hopefully, my ass will take fewer fails tomorrow,” I add with a light laugh.

“It’s a great workout if you’re looking to slim down a bit,” Melanie says, her meaning clear.

I ignore the jab and give Callie a reassuring smile. My brother is marrying into her family which means that Melanie and I are bound to cross paths again. It shouldn’t lead to anything unpleasant or adversarial.

“Here, you should try this wine,” I say and pour a glass for Melanie.

“Kay here is somewhat of a sommelier,” Callie adds.

Her sister gives me a slight nod and swirls the ruby red liquid around in its glass before taking a sip. “Not bad. I’ve had better, but I’ve never been crazy about Cabernet.”

“Oh, really?” I ask. “What are you into?”

“Bordeaux is more my style.”

“Equally distinguished, not as heavy on the palate. Yes, I get it,” I reply.

A stir behind me draws my attention; the three Anderson men and Bryan stride toward us. My heart melts. All the anxiety over dealing with Melanie gets washed away, though I’m not sure that tonight will go as smoothly as any of us might’ve hoped. Especially Bryan, whose facial expression already speaks volumes.

“Uh-oh,” Callie mumbles. “Here they come…”

“Makayla was right,” Melanie whispers. “Just blame me. I decided to pop in and see what the fuss is about this Swedish resort. Plain and simple.”

“Okay…”

But then Melanie’s lips curl into a slow, sultry smile, like a cat eyeing a canary. A chill slides through me—darkness lurks beneath her polish, layers I may regret uncovering.

“Melanie!” Bryan exclaims, clearly not excited to see her but working hard to be pleasantly surprised. “I certainly didn’t expect to see you here!”

My gaze flicks between them, and I notice the Anderson brothers have gone pale. They mask their emotions well, but I’m no stranger to their body language. Bryan isn’t the only one who dislikes Melanie. But they keep quiet.

“Honey, I had no idea,” Callie chimes in with an apologetic smile.

Melanie waves a manicured hand. “Callie kept going on about how wonderful this place is, I figured I had a week off, anyway. Might as well visit Sweden and see for myself. Bryan, I do hope you won’t mind. Of course, I’ll stay out of your way, if that’s what you want.”

“Nonsense,” Bryan replies. “It would be rude and, besides, we’re quite the group here, already. Please, join us. Callie’s sister is always welcome at our table.” He gives Alex, Oscar, and Kellan a brief, curious glance.

Oscar lowers his gaze but replies with a subtle nod. He’s got the triplets’ approval, I guess. The more I observe, the morebothered I am. There is something going on here, but this also isn’t the right time or the right place to push for answers.

“Good, I’m glad,” Melanie says, giving my brother a hug. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” Bryan says, coming around to kiss Callie on the cheek.

Melanie stands up to make room for him, offering her hand to Kellan. I stand up too, because I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her take the spotlight. Kellan shakes her hand briefly. I watch carefully for signs of any interest on his part, but there are none.

“Hi,” Oscar mutters.

She gives him a warm smile. “Hey…”

Oh, the familiarity between them unnerves me and then some. Yet I notice the interest comes mostly from her. None from my guys.

Kellan looks over at me, his eyes sparkling. He’s not even looking at Melanie at the moment, and I hope that means she can just fade into the wallpaper. Oscar comes up to pull my chair out for me. He doesn’t even bother to shake Melanie’s hand. Alex offers the requisite handshake but is just as uninterested in her as his brothers.

“How was the whiskey lounge, then?” I ask.

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