So he kept it to himself. Though he knew that his entire family knew. They’d known the before-Paige Mitch and now the with-Paige Mitch. They were two different guys.
Thankfully, she didn’t know that.
“Okay, so you know my Aunt Hannah and Uncle Jerry, Josh and Sawyer and Kennedy’s mom and dad,” he said, pointing at a table across the room. “The people sitting with them are Owen’s mom, Cassie, and my dad, Sean.”
Paige sat up straighter. “That’s your dad?”
“Yep.”
She looked from Sean to Mitch. “You haven’t introduced us.”
“Do you want to meet him?”
Paige frowned slightly and glanced back at his father. “Maybe.”
Well, that wasn’t a yes. But it wasn’t a no.
Mitch’s heart kicked. His dad knew about Paige. The men saw each other at least twice a week at Ellie’s, and Sean had already heard about Paige before Mitch could tell him a thing. But his dad had clapped him on the shoulder over bowls of gumbo and had said, “You know what you’re doin’, havin’ her move in?”
Mitch had nodded. “Sure. She needed a place to stay. That’s what friends are for.”
“Ellie says she doesn’t want to be tied down.”
“That’s right.” Mitch had worked to seem nonchalant. But his dad knew him.
“You gotta respect that.”
Mitch had nodded again.
“You don’t push yourself on people, son. You know that.”
Mitch had swallowed hard but nodded again. “Yes, sir. I know that.” It was what Sean had taught him all his life.
Be helpful. Make yourself useful. Be grateful. Make people happy you’re around.
He’d been brought up to always think about the people around him before he thought about what he wanted. It was why he was a jack-of-all-trades. He wanted to be able to help anyone with anything they needed. He was the guy they all knew they could depend on, and he felt a lot of pride and satisfaction over that.
But that meant being whatever Paige wanted him to be. And nothing more.
“Okay, then,” Sean had nodded and turned back to his gumbo. “You’re a good man, son. You always do the right thing.”
That night Mitch had almost told Paige he loved her while they were swinging in the hammock. But he’d swallowed it as his father’s words came back to him. He wasn’t going to push himself on Paige. He’d said that from the beginning. He’d promised her he wouldn’t push. So, he could keep his feelings to himself.
He pointed again, moving Paige’s—and his—attention away from his father. “That’s Andrew. Tori’s best friend from childhood. The one who was getting married when she and Josh got together.”
Paige’s eyes widened. “I thought he ended up declaring his feelings for Tori and breaking up his wedding.”
“Yep.” Mitch grinned, as he always did when thinking about Tori as a heartbreaker.
She was so sweet and a little awkward and had, evidently, gone through high school and even most of college without a boyfriend or even dating much. But she’d been the cause of his cousin becoming celibate for a year after meeting her, and she had broken up the wedding of the season between Andrew and Senator Darbonne’s daughter Paisley. At the wedding. In front of everyone.
“It’s nice they’re still friends,” Paige said.
“I’m not sure Josh feels the same way,” Mitch said wryly.
“Okay, so who’s the gorgeous blond who asked Griffin to dance?”
“Someone was brave enough to ask Griffin to dance?” Mitch spotted his other roommate leaning against the bar.
“Yep. He said no, but he’s been watching her ever since
“Why are you paying so much attention to Griffin?” Mitch asked, but he was amused. And curious as well.
“Because I think he’s way softer underneath than he wants anyone to know,” she said. “A true grump doesn’t like cats and otters.”
“He claims he doesn’t like the otters.”
“He’s lying.” She gave Mitch a grin that grabbed him in the chest.
Yeah, he was in love with her. And the fact that this place and these people—his place and his people—made her so happy.
“Fred hasn’t slept on my bed since we got down here,” Paige went on. “But I caught him strolling out of Griffin’s room the other morning.”
Mitch chuckled. “I don’t know that his fondness for animals extends to people.”
“Well, he’s feeling something for that girl.”
“Which one?”
She pointed, and Mitch felt his grin grow. “Oh, that’s Charlie.”
“Who’s she?”
“Charlotte Arabella Clementine Landry.”
Paige’s eyes were round. “Wow. That’s a lot of names.”
“It is. And Charlie handles it.” He chuckled. “Of course, only the bayou Landrys get away with calling her Charlie. She is very much Charlotte at home in Shreveport.”
“A city Landry?” Paige teased.
“A couple of ’em got away.” Mitch winked. “Guessin’ Charlie knows which forks to use for what at a fancy restaurant.”
“Too bad Griffin is such a grump,” Paige said.
“I’m not so sure that would get to Charlie,” Mitch said. “She’s super friendly and… sunny.” He decided that was the right word.
Paige laughed. “Oh, God, Griffin’s nightmare. But…” Paige was studying Griffin. “A hot hook-up never hurt anybody.” She grinned at Mitch.
Right. They’d started as a hot hook-up. That’s all it was ever supposed to be. And yet, he was sitting here right now, head over heels.
Griffin should probably stay far away from Charlie.
“And who’s Fletcher dancing with?” Paige asked.
“That’s Jordan.” Mitch couldn’t help but smile.
“They look very friendly.”
“They are. Best friends. Since kindergarten.”
“And more?”
Mitch shook his head. “Nope. She started dating her boyfriend, Jason, when they were fifteen, and they’ve been together ever since.”
“Fifteen?”
“Yep. He asked her to the Valentine’s Day dance, and that was it.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. They’re practically engaged.”
Paige frowned. “Just practically?”
“Well, not everyone moves as fast as the Appleby guys do,” Mitch said. He was teasing, but he couldn’t help the eye roll.
Paige elbowed him. “Okay, okay.”
“They’re not officially engaged. But it’s been ten years.”
“Does Fletcher have bigger feelings for her?”
“If he doesn’t, he’s a dumbass.”
“But he’s never said he does?”
“Nope. Though, his brothers tried to break them up a couple of times, and Fletcher never protested.”
Paige leaned in, clearly interested. “How did they do that?”
“They doused Jason’s car with perfume and left a bra in his backseat so Jordan would think he was cheating.”