Restraint (Mason Family 1)

He doesn’t.

“If today was last week, you would’ve already figured out this Landry shit,” he says. “I would’ve been sitting here, twiddling my thumbs, wondering what I’m supposed to do since you do everything.”

“Are you admitting you’re lazy?”

“Ha.”

I look at him and wink. Oliver is the farthest thing from lazy, and we all know it. We also know that I’m ignoring where he’s going with this.

He taps the end of his pen against the table. “I’m just saying that it’s nice to see you doing something other than work for once.”

“Yeah, well, I’m still working, and I will until I get it all figured out.”

He smiles smugly. “Which thing? Blaire or the project?”

I’m about to tell him that he’s walking a fine line and better watch his step when the door opens. The room fills with the scent of lilies as our mother waltzes in the room.

Sigourney Mason has the grace of a ballerina and the smile of a queen. My father said he was scared of her the first time he met her. She was so beautiful and quietly powerful that he never dreamed a girl like Siggy would talk to a man like him.

Her eyes light up as she takes in Oliver and me.

“Well, I didn’t expect to see you both this morning,” she says. “What a treat!”

“Hi, Mom,” Oliver says.

“Hello, Mom.”

Oliver and I get to our feet. She hugs my brother before making her way to me. She wraps her arms around me and kisses my cheek.

“Oops, I left a lipstick mark,” she says, wiping the side of my face with her hand. “What are my boys doing today?”

“Going over this Landry project,” Oliver says.

“Still?” Mom turns around to face him. “Want me to take his mother out for lunch? I just love Vivian Landry.”

I laugh. “No, Mother, we don’t need you to take Vivian Landry out to lunch on our behalf.”

“And why not?” She puts a hand on her hip. “You do know who holds the power, right?”

Oliver chuckles. I fire him a warning glare.

If he segues this conversation into something about Blaire …

“Holt has been demonstrating that point lately,” Oliver cracks.

“Ollie, I’m gonna kill ya.”

All he does is laugh.

My eyes flip to my mother. A knowing look is painted on her face.

“I actually have a lot of work to do today, you two. So if you don’t mind …” I say, sitting back down in my chair.

Mom scoffs. “Don’t think you’re going to throw me out of your office because your brother is irritating you.” She looks at Oliver. “Stop annoying Holt. Be nice.”

“Sorry, Mom,” Oliver says, trying his best to hide his smile. “I forget he’s sensitive now.”

“Oliver …” I warn.

“It’s not a bad thing to be sensitive, sweetie,” Mom says. “You don’t have to be hard as nails all the time.”

Oliver watches me over Mom’s shoulder and taunts me. I can see the words sitting on his lips and the joy he’d get out of projecting them into the world.

And to my mother’s ears.

Please don’t.

“Also,” Mom says, spinning around to face Oliver, “I know what you’re insinuating. I heard all about Blaire.”

My jaw drops to the floor just as Oliver’s brows rise to the ceiling.

The clicks of Mom’s heels clamor through my office as I try to figure out what this means. She stops next to my brother and faces me.

“Boone told me,” she says proudly.

“What the fuck?”

She gives me a look. “He and Larissa were talking about it at dinner last night. I gave them a bottle of wine, and the next thing I know, they’re telling me all about her.”

I rub a hand down my face and wonder how this happened. Why it happened. Why my family thinks my life is fair game.

Because it’s not.

They are so ready to love people and bring them into our world that it makes for uncomfortable situations when you aren’t ready for any of that.

“Were you going to tell me?” Mom asks.

I drop my hand to my side. “You know what? I wasn’t.”

“Holton!”

“Well, I wasn’t. Because it’s just a temporary thing, Mom. I’m not marrying her.”

Oliver sits up. “You know, if you—”

“Shut up.” I glare at him before turning back to my mom. “She’s a friend of the Landrys. We’re just …”

We’re just what?

Fucking? Talking? Eating pizza in the middle of the night?

I don’t even know anymore.

Mom grins. “You are bringing her tonight, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Oliver says. “You totally should.”

I ignore them both and mess with my tie instead.

I’d forgotten that tonight was our family outing. It must’ve slipped my mind. Now that Boone has told my mother all about Blaire, it’s no surprise Mom wants me to bring her. But if I do that, this whole thing between Blaire and me gets trickier.

I think.

Actually, fuck if I know.

“I’m not bringing her,” I say even though I’m not sure. Better to not get her hopes up. “Why do we keep having this conversation?”