Tame Me (The Macintyre Brothers 3)

"Just be your sweet smart self and they'll be eating out of your hand."

* * *

Our trip to California was unremarkable, except for the crowds at the airports both at JFK and LAX. Our drive to the mansion was quite emotional as Josh talked about the accident and how David was doing. David managed to get the EP finished and ready for mixing, so that was good. David had been able to overcome his sadness over the death of his friend, and they'd lucked into finding a new band member to replace Terry.

By the time we arrived, it was late, and we were both tired. I was excited, however, and a bit anxious to meet all the brothers. Hopefully, most of them would be in bed and I'd get away with just meeting David.

No such luck. Everyone was still up and standing around in the kitchen when we pulled up. David must have been waiting for us because he was there, waiting at the door for us, even coming down to open my door for me before I could get my seat belt off.

"There you are, future sis-in-law!" he said and grabbed me when I got out of the car. "Give me a big hug."

I laughed and we hugged, then he pulled back and looked me over. "You're as pretty as the picture Josh showed me. You have to come inside and meet everyone else. We're all dying to meet you, see who snagged our big brother."

"Hey, give the poor woman a chance to get her coat off."

David led me inside and helped me get my coat off while Josh brought in our suitcases. The house was out of th

is world. The circular entry was a full two stories high and as big as my entire dorm room back in New Hampshire. It was marble and glass with a beautiful water treatment by the door, the water falling and making a pleasant sound.

"Wow," I said and glanced around, waiting for Josh to join me. "This is amazing."

"It's a bit ostentatious, but that's what LA is all about, isn't it?" David said and gave Josh a big hug, the two men looking in each other's eyes meaningfully. "How are you, bro?"

"I'm fine," Josh replied. "The question is, how are you?"

The way Josh said it suggested he was worried about David and by the expression on his face, I knew he was.

"I'm great," David said, his tone dismissive of Josh's obvious concern. "Couldn't be better, in fact. We finished up the EP, and my manager is busy working on a schedule for our world tour starting in July. It's going to be a great year."

He patted Josh on the back as if to assuage Josh's fears for him, and then grabbed each of us by one arm, escorting us into the mansion. I could hear sound coming from a distant part of the building, and we emerged into a large living room, with three different sitting areas, and huge glass doors leading out onto a massive patio with large lights and a pool.

"Here they are!" David said, his voice ebullient. "The happy bride-and-groom-t0-be!"

We went over to the small group of whom I assumed were Josh's siblings and they were a very handsome and well-turned out group. I felt a bit self-conscious as the only woman there, but I took in a deep breath and smiled, preparing to meet each one.

I was still a bit in awe of David, for he was perhaps the best known of the brothers because of his success as the singer for the metal band Ranger. Tall, longish dark hair and blue eyes, a goatee and tattoos all down his arms, he was handsome in a dangerous way. There was a gleam in his eye, and you expected that he'd tease you at any moment. He was also muscular in contrast to what I usually expected from musicians, who I tended to think were lean instead of built. But everything else was what I expected for a metal front man -- leather jeans, a tight black t-shirt with the logo for Ranger on it and the figure of a tall man in a long coat — the symbol for the band.

Named after Aragorn, in Lord of the Rings, who was a Ranger, the band was a mix of prog rock and metal and influenced by the classic prog rock bands from the 70s and beyond as well as Metallica and classic metal bands. It wasn't my cup of tea when it came to music, but I could recognize that they were good -- very good -- at what they did. They had a big fan base.

"Hey, brother," one of the men said and embraced Josh. "Good to see you."

He hugged each brother in turn and then when he was finished, he turned to me, smiling.

"And this," Josh said and pulled me closer to him, one arm going around my shoulder. "This is the love of my life, my wife-to-be, Ella Carlson. Ella, I present to you my brothers."

Then he introduced the other brothers to me, and there wasn't a better-looking group of men around. Each one was handsome in his own right, from Nash, the former fighter pilot who now ran a small airline with his dark hair and amber-brown eyes, to Christian, whose hair was lighter and who looked like a model on some Armani runway, to Michael, who had very stylish short black hair and intense blue eyes, a well-trimmed beard. All were tall, and all were well-built, dressed in expensive but casual clothes.

It could have been a meeting of male models, instead of a family get together.

By the time introductions were over, I felt a need to escape but instead, I spent the next hour sitting in the middle of them all on the patio, the lights of LA spread out beneath us, and listened to them talk. They kept asking me questions and ribbing Josh about him always being the first to do everything -- to join the military, to graduate with a degree, to be engaged -- twice.

"We hope this one sticks," David said and smiled at Josh. Beside him, Nash punched David's shoulder.

"David," he said. "For God's sake. Don't mention it."

"Aw come on," David said with a laugh. "I was just lightening the mood. I know Josh is in love. I could tell back when he talked to me on the phone about coming out here to open the new office of MBS."

David smiled at me. "Glad to have you here sis. Welcome to the family."