Sweet (Landry Family 6)

Shaye disappears just as the bra propels out of my hand and smacks the back of the door. I collapse into my chair and sigh.

Paige’s stuff is everywhere. Clothes, strands of hair, her perfume—it’s like I’ve walked into her closet and not The Gold Room’s business office.

“This is going to be so much fun.”

I shake my head at Shaye’s words.

“Yeah, it’s gonna be something like that.”

TWO

PAIGE

“Excuse me,” I say. “I’m sorry.”

The man I nearly take out like a linebacker gives me a dirty look. He gives me a wide berth. Oh, come on. I don’t have a disease. I’m just late.

I dart across the street in front of Picante, a fancy hotel near the ocean, and see the word Paddy’s written in bold green letters on the building.

Tucking my purse under my arm, I enter the restaurant.

The interior is stunning in an understated way. Large dark beams crisscross the ceiling, and pale-lavender walls are accented with gold details. The light fixtures create a soft, hazy vibe that makes my shoulders relax as soon as I walk in. It’s a nice change from the keyed-up energy I’ve felt since I left Nate’s office.

Nate. I grin.

I look around until I spot my brother at the bar.

Hollis has a glass in his hand. His attention is focused on the large television above the alcohol bottles. It gives me a minute to gather myself.

Looking at my sole biological sibling, the only person I know who shares the same blood as me, is like looking into a mirror. We share the same dark hair—except I bleached mine blond in a hasty moment fueled by vodka and self-pity last week. Hollis’s eyes are the exact shade as mine. They’re a warm brown with flecks of green that nearly turn gold under the right conditions. He also wears a lopsided smile that I’ve always owned.

“Hey,” I say, sliding onto the barstool beside him.

He twists to me and grins. “Hey.”

We hug one another in an only slightly awkward embrace. Progress.

“Larissa didn’t come?” I ask, setting my purse on the counter.

“No. She’s at a jewelry show today with her aunt.”

“Fancy.”

He shrugs as if he doesn’t know what to say. A sheepish smile slides across his face.

“Can I get you a drink?” A woman with a tag bearing the name Gina smiles at me. “A sandwich?”

“Um, yeah.” I grab the menu she set in front of me and scan it quickly. “Cherry Coke and a burger for me. No veggies. Just meat, cheese, and the bun. Please.”

“I’ll take the same,” Hollis says.

Gina laughs. “Easy enough. I’ll be right back with two Cherry Cokes.” She winks at Hollis before scurrying off to put in our order.

I sink back in the leather chair and exhale, releasing more into the world than just carbon dioxide. The stress from the morning and the eviction —all dissipate from my body.

The silence between us is comfortable. It hasn’t always been so easy since he walked into The Gold Room a month ago—when I thought I was seeing a ghost. But we’re working on it slowly.

I’ve thought about my big brother every day since we were separated by Child Protective Services. Our case workers arranged a very brief visit, and at the time, I had no idea it would be the last time I saw him for nearly ten years. I’ve carried around his smile and penchant for music my entire life, wondering what happened to him.

“How are you?” I ask. “What have you been up to?”

“Same shit, different day. I’m heading to Nashville this weekend with Coy to try to nail down a couple of songs for his new album.”

I laugh. “I still can’t believe you write music for Kelvin McCoy—the biggest name in country music. That’s so cool.”

He grins. “It is pretty cool.” A little laugh escapes him. “I’m really lucky that Larissa’s family and I get along so well.”

“My mother is determined to make you love her like Larissa’s family loves you,” I say with a laugh. “You’ve been warned.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Every time I talk to her, she pesters me about when the two of you will get to meet, and I’m pretty sure I’ve lost part of my inheritance for making her wait.”

Hollis folds his hand on the bar top. “She sounds great.”

“She is. They all are. They’re just … a lot. Lots of big personalities and they can swamp you if you don’t watch it.”

“Was that hard for you? Not getting swamped by them?”

I take a deep breath. I hate talking about this. Lying would be an option that would definitely make me come across as a better human. But the act of lying would make me a shitty person, so I don’t have much of a choice but to tell the truth and hope it comes out right.

“I can’t say it without sounding like a brat.”