Page 57 of Clear Blue Sky

“Less than you.” Nelson saw no reason to lie. “Unless my brothers have been feeding them intel, which is entirely possible.”

“I have to ask.” Chandler leaned forward and snagged a couple of crackers with cheese. “What are your intentions with my baby girl?”

“Stop it.” Brandi bolted upright.

“What?” Chandler lifted his hands. “It’s a legitimate question for a dad to ask any man who’s sleeping with his daughter.”

Nelson pounded his chest. He’d been warned that her parents didn’t often have a filter.

“Dad, that was rude.” Brandi shook her head.

“What’s wrong with your father wanting to know more about your bed partner?” Phoebe asked.

“You people are so embarrassing. This is why I don’t bring boyfriends home,” Brandi mumbled.

“So, this relationshipisserious,” Chandler said.

“It’s new territory for me.” Nelson closed the gap and put his arm around her waist. “Whatever happened to watching me squirm?” he whispered.

She tilted her head and glared.

He couldn’t help it and laughed.

“I don’t see how you can find any of this amusing.” Brandi looped her hand through his arm. “Are we done with the jokes?”

“For now.” Chandler glanced at his watch. “We should get going. Mom wants to spend more time with Maddie before she turns into a holy terror and starts screaming again.”

“I hear Nelson is a bit of a baby whisperer.” Phoebe stood, taking her husband’s hand.

“He is really good with her,” Brandi said.

“All I did was hum in her ear.” For the second time that night, Nelson found himself feeling comfortable in a situation that would normally make him want to run, and run fast. However, he wanted to embrace a world he never thought he wanted. Every minute he spent with Brandi, he fell harder for her and he’d stopped fighting it.

“Well, that trick of yours has made their life so much quieter,” Chandler said. “And hopefully will allow us some sleep. Otherwise, you might have yourself two more houseguests.”

“You’re always welcome.” Nelson made his way to the front door. “I’ll let you know the moment I hear any news about the Marcus situation.”

“I appreciate that.” Chandler squeezed his shoulder. “Take care of my baby girl.”

“I will, sir.” Nelson stood in the doorway with a protective arm around Brandi and watched her parents climb into their rental and drive away. “I like your parents.”

“The feeling is obviously mutual.” She leaned against the door and they locked gazes. “What are we doing?”

He jerked his head back. “What do you mean?”

“We just made this thing between us very real.”

“Because it wasn’t before?”

“I didn’t mean it like that. But we went from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye.”

He took her into his arms and kissed her nose. “I thought we’d already had this conversation and the fact that we care about each other and want to see where this takes us.”

“I know. But taking a leap of faith is one thing. Falling head over heels for you is something else.” She rested her hands on his shoulders. “I’m in over my head.”

He took her chin with his thumb and forefinger. His heart thumped in the center of this throat. “I’m so far gone for you I can’t see straight.” He took her mouth in a hot, passionate kiss. Never before in his life had he felt this connected to another person outside of his immediate family.

Outside of his brothers and parents, he didn’t trust people. That ended the day his military career ended. Deep down, he knew something had gone sideways and he’d been lied to by the people he worked with; he just didn’t know who or why.

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