After training, I walk into my condo to find Tee sitting on my couch, my television remote in her hand, and she’s watching one of those Real Housewife shows. I close the door and lock it, “I assumed you’d call first,” I say. When I spin around to face her I realize by the scowl on her face that that was the wrong thing to say.
Tee has a key to my place in case of emergencies. Well, not only that, but I figure when any day could be my last, it’s a good thing that Tee already has a key. She could get a call anytime and that means anything I have will then be hers. But sometimes I regret giving her that key so soon.
Now is one of those times.
I just don’t get women sometimes, and the way they love popping in on people at random.
Tee cuts straight to the point. “We need to talk about yesterday.”
I groan. I really don’t want to talk about yesterday. I’d rather forget that it happened. I change the subject, hoping it might derail the nagging conversation that’s going to ensue in a few minutes. “Where’s Embry?”
“Emerson,” she corrects me with a growl. “His name is Emerson.”
I shrug and plop down next to her. Embry. Emerson. It sounds close enough to me. “Well, where is he?”
“At the hotel,” she snaps. “You scared the shit out of him yesterday.”
“What a pussy,” I chuckle.
Tee slaps my shoulder, hard. “It’s not funny, Seany. You’re my brother. I love you. You don’t even know how excited I was for you to meet him and you completely ruined that meeting.” Her voice drops a level. “All I want is for you to be nice to him. You don’t have to like him. But just be nice to him for my sake. P
lease.” She looks up at me with pleading eyes. Tears glisten in the corners and all of my hard edge drifts into a part of my brain that I don’t use too often.
“That’s what you want, Tee?”
“That’s all I ever wanted, Seany.”
She wipes her eyes with her thumb. Aside from this new Hadlee thing, Tee is my one and only weakness. I can never tell her no. And I’m more pissed at myself than anything for making her cry. “You got it Tee. I’ll be nice to Emb—er—I mean Emerson.” Even though he has a fruity name. “I’ll tell you what, you tell him to text me in the morning and I’ll treat him to breakfast.”
Her red, rimmed eyes glisten with hope. “Really, Sean? You mean that?”
“I do. You’re my family. You mean the world to me. If you want me to get along with him, I’ll do it for you. But,” I hold up my hand, “I’d like to have a man to man chat with him first.”
What I don’t say is that I’m going to let this little punk know exactly what he’s in store for if he ever hurts Teagan. There’s a black trash bag and gun involved with that mental threat.
Tee throws her arms around me with a squeal and I relax beneath her embrace. “Thank you so much, Seany,” she gushes. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
I pat her back gently and she pulls out of the hug. “So tell me about how you guys met.”
Tee rambles on, excitement gleaming bright in her green eyes. She fills me in about Emerson and how he’s a pre-law student at Brown. I smile and think about how it might be nice to have a lawyer in the family. You never know when an extra one could come in handy. Tee continues with her story about how they first met in the campus library and they immediately clicked. She tells me that from their first date she felt like she’d met her match, her other half.
“It’s weird how I just knew, Seany,” she says then frowns. “I wish you could know that feeling. I wish you could find someone who makes you feel the way Emerson makes me feel.” She pretzels her legs. “It’s like the connection we have touches my soul and when we make—”
I cut her off with a wave my hand and my other hand bites into the couch cushion, squeezing. I clench my jaw and take deep, calming breaths. Married or not, I do not want to hear about my kid sister’s sex life. “Tee, enough.”
She laughs. “Okay, okay. I get it. TMI.”
TMI doesn’t even begin to cover it.
I think a part of me will always prefer to think of Tee as a nun. I feel safer thinking, no man has ever touched her in that way. Even if I know that’s far from the truth. “I wish you guys would have let me throw you a wedding or something,” I mention, leaning back into the couch. I think Tee deserves to have a special day. I imagine most women dream about that day. The white dress. The reception. I’m the man of this family and I feel like it should have been my duty to do at least that.
Tee shrugs. “Honestly, Emerson’s parents have passed away too. He has a few relatives in Columbus, but other than that, it wouldn’t have been a very big one. We just thought it would be easier if it was just him and me.”
“I didn’t even have the chance to get you two a wedding present.”
Tee smiles. Her fingers brush against my shoulder, “Aww, Seany. Your support is the best wedding present I could ever receive.” She grips my hand and squeezes. “Ma would be proud.”
I get a little choked up when she mentions our Ma. I know Ma would have liked me to give Tee the wedding of her dreams. She would have liked to have been there to see it. I can see her vibrant smile in my mind and I let out a long breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. I don’t want my kid sister to see me falling apart, so I clear my throat, and sit back.