My One And Only (Very Irresistible Bachelors 5)

“Tess is behind you,” Ryker told Cole.

I rolled my eyes, putting my hands on my hips. “Really? What is this?”

“We’re just getting to know Liam better,” Cole said nonchalantly.

“And I can’t hear that conversation?” I challenged.

“Well, you can. But then you might kick our ass,” Hunter said.

&nbs

p; I glared at him. “I might do it anyway. Just for fun.”

Ryker winked. “Well, I think we’re about done anyway.”

I looked at Liam, noticing the corners of his mouth tilted up in a smile.

“Really? You didn’t sound done to me. Tess, I think they’re just waiting for you to leave again. They were just explaining to me all the ways they’ll make me pay if I mess up,” he said casually.

I ran a hand through my hair, at a loss for words. My brothers seemed proud of themselves, as did Hunter.

Behind us, someone chuckled. Dylan. He, Ian, and Isabelle were just one foot behind me and had clearly heard everything.

“You guys gave him the talk and he’s not even a little worried? You’re losing your touch,” Ian said.

“Oh no, no. We’ve got enough with Hunter, Cole, and Ryker on his case. No one needs more testosterone,” Isabelle declared.

Ian smirked. “Want us to keep it all for the next guy you introduce to us?”

Dylan grinned. “You don’t want to bottle up the testosterone, Sis.”

Isabelle gave me an apologetic nod. “Sorry. If I’d known they were going to misbehave, I wouldn’t have brought them. Liam, these are my brothers. Don’t pay them attention. They’re all talk, no bite.”

“Is that why you never introduce us to any guy you’re dating?” Dylan replied.

Isabelle rolled her eyes. “Give it a rest.”

“No, I’m quite enjoying it,” Liam said. “The first few times I spoke with Tess, she roasted my ass. I respect that trait. Now I see it runs in the family. Even the extended one.”

Oh wow. I could see my family’s acceptance for him skyrocketing.

Dylan whistled. “Liam, I think you’re okay.”

Before anyone could say anything else, Mom spoke loudly. “Okay, everyone, sit at the table, please. The turkey’s been resting enough. It’ll get cold otherwise.”

There was a lot of noise in the room as everyone headed to the table and pulled out chairs. I made sure Ellen sat between Mom and Liam.

I loaded my plate with a bit of turkey and a lot of cinnamon rice. Mom had experimented one year with half a dozen side dishes, and the rice had won by a decent margin. It was a staple in her Thanksgiving dinners ever since.

Hunter was pouring everyone drinks, except for Josie and Heather, who were sticking with water. I smiled to myself, feeling on pins and needles. Maybe they’d announce the pregnancy today. This was very usual in our family, waiting for the gang to be gathered for spilling important news.

As we all ate, I kept glancing around the table, listening to bits and pieces of conversation. Cole, Laney, and I spoke quite a bit about the wedding. The planner had finally sent decent proposals for the shabby chic theme, and they’d decided on a location. It was a gorgeous restaurant in a nineteenth-century mansion just outside New York.

Afterward, I turned my attention to the rest of the group.

My goal was simple: check how everyone was doing. I knew I couldn’t solve anyone’s problems, of course, but I was very good at listening and also at improving people’s mood.

Half an hour later, I was happy to report that no one was in trouble. Heather was a little tired due to the pregnancy but otherwise perfectly healthy. Ryker seemed to be even more attentive to her than usual, which made my heart happy. He’d always been so adamant that he wanted to be a bachelor for life.