My One And Only (Very Irresistible Bachelors 5)

“Liam, this is Isabelle, my cousin’s sister-in-law and one of my favorite people.”

“Nice to meet you, Liam. Thanks for making my girl so happy and being such a sight for sore eyes. When I looked you up online, I rated you ten out of ten, but in real life, you’re like twenty out of ten.”

Liam’s eyes bulged, and I laughed. I was used to Isabelle’s balls-to-the-wall ways and sometimes forgot that others weren’t.

“I just have to make sure my brothers don’t scare him away. Then I’ll get on with Operation Dylan,” I whispered to Isabelle once Mom had Liam and Ellen engaged in conversation. We weren’t even out of earshot, but the constant chatter was loud enough to cover my whisper.

She grimaced. “Right... You know what? I think that can wait. I totally forgot that hottie here might get eaten alive.”

“I heard that,” Liam said, turning around.

I blushed. Isabelle held her chin high. “And yet you’re not cowering or even hesitating. Hmmm...can’t decide if you’re exceptionally brave or clueless.”

“I guess we’ll find out,” Liam said, full of cocky swagger.

Aww, I loved him so much.

The chatter quieted down as we entered the living room.

My brothers, and even my cousin, were a bit of a wild card when it came to this. They were all welcoming with Rob, though they might have given him the talk behind Skye’s and my back. That was always a possibility.

“Liam, good to see you, man,” Ryker said, clapping one hand on his back.

Cole shook Liam’s hand, and then Hunter did the same. I was eyeing the two closely, trying to gauge their thoughts, but it was impossible. When had they perfected their poker faces?

At any rate, they were silent, which I took as a good sign. Neither of them was glaring at my boyfriend—also a good sign.

“The turkey’s going to be ready in about half an hour,” Mom announced from the other side of the room. “In case anyone’s hungry already, there are some snacks on the table.”

I wasn’t hungry, but I was so looking forward to Mom’s cheese crates. They were my favorites. I headed straight to the table, along with Avery, Ryker and Heather’s daughter. She and I had similar taste in food.

“How are you, Avery?”

“I’m so excited about my sister. I can’t wait to meet her.” Avery motioned to the couch, where a visibly pregnant Heather was sitting, hands crossed over her belly.

I winked at Avery. “I was very excited too when I was waiting for my siblings to be born.”

She loaded her plate with a dozen crackers.

“You’re going to eat all those cheese crackers by yourself?” I asked, not wanting her to get sick or ruin her dinner.

“No. I’m taking them to Mommy. If she eats a lot, maybe my sister will grow faster and come out sooner. She won’t fit anymore.”

Avery’s tone was very serious. Clearly, she’d given this a lot of thought, and I was fighting laughter with all I had.

When she ran toward Heather, I put two crackers on my own plate. Mom had this amazing recipe where she mixed raisins, almonds, and three types of cheese. I hummed on my first bite. It was just as delicious as I remembered. As soon as I swallowed it down, I became aware that Liam wasn’t next to me.

Turning around, I saw him surrounded by my brothers and Hunter, who seemed very chatty. Really? They’d been waiting for me to leave?

Mick came up to me, taking a few crackers for himself and laughing when he saw me watching the guys.

“It’s just a sign that they take him seriously,” he said. “After all, they gave me the talk too when I first started dating Amelia.”

“Yeah, but I think I’m gonna go play referee anyway.”

With a sigh, I put down my plate, tiptoeing toward the group. I was hoping to eavesdrop on their conversation before they noticed me.

No such luck.