Your Captivating Love (The Bennett Family 2)

“Don’t be a dick,” Blake says.

“I’m not.”

“I meant Daniel,” Blake continues, winking at his twin before addressing him directly. “Nadine must be very special to him if he made us all bust our asses on a Sunday.”

“She is,” I reply.

Daniel shakes his head, moving on to patching up a portion of the floor a few feet away from Blake and me.

Nadine’s with my sister on the opposite side of the room. I smile, seeing how well she blends with my family. I knew they would embrace her, but I wasn’t sure how she’d react. I remember Sylvia scrunching her nose every time I mentioned my family, coming up with excuses to slip out of family gatherings. Thankfully, Nadine is nothing like her. In fact, she’s unlike any woman I’ve dated. When I passed her and Summer earlier, my sister was telling Nadine how stressful the next gallery show would be. Instead of politely giving her sympathy, Nadine offered to help her in any way she could, even though she has a lot on her plate.

During our second date, she didn’t hesitate to try to cheer up Pippa with a girls’ night. Nadine always puts everyone else first. That’s why that bastard ex of hers took advantage of her, but she didn’t become bitter or hateful, which makes me admire her even more. Finding out about her childhood made many things click. This woman is a fighter, but even fighters need to rest. It’s time someone took care of her, and I’m up to the challenge.

Right now, watching her from across the room, I know my relationship with her will not be like the ones I’ve had since Sylvia. I don’t want superficial, and I’m not so sure about putting an expiration date on it. That last part scares the crap out of me.

Blake’s staring at me.

“What?” I ask aggressively.

“I know that look,” Blake says. “I patented it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That look says, ‘I feel too close to this woman. It’s time to panic and do something stupid.’”

“That might be your way, but not mine.”

“Maybe. But you’ve still got that look,” Blake continues with a proud smirk. “If you screw things up with Nadine, I’d be happy to take your place.”

“Did you just make a pass at my woman?” A vein pulses in my neck as I grip the cloth in my hand tighter. “’Cause brother or not, I’ll rearrange your face.”

Blake breaks into laughter. “Relax, man. I wanted to prove a point.”

“If I were you, I’d make that point quicker, or I’ll punch you. So you realize I’m serious.”

“You always were all ‘shoot first, ask questions later.’”

“Point, Blake.”

“The point is if you find a woman, and you can’t stand the thought of losing her, keep her.”

I loosen my grip on the cloth. “If you’re an expert, why aren’t you fighting for a woman?”

He shrugs. “’Cause I haven’t found that woman yet.”

I swallow a sardonic remark. Maybe I can learn something from my little brother, just this once.

***

Nadine

After Summer finishes cleaning the back room, Ava and I take over.

“This place will be beautiful once it’s finished,” Ava says.

“I can’t believe this is finally happening.”

“I’m so proud of you for sticking with your dream, even with all that happened.”