I laugh. “You are going to get along with my sister.”
“How’s everything going?” Quinn whispers, giving me a hug.
“Pretty good,” I say, unable to keep the smile off my face.
Quinn leans back, eyebrows going up. Damn her and her ability to read me like an open book.
“Not like that. Jackson is happy, and I think I can trust her around him.”
“She’s hot, you know.”
I unzip my coat and shake my head at my sister. “Having you tell me she’s hot doesn’t make me want to date her. She’s Jackson’s nanny. You and Mom need to get off this, okay?” My words come out harsher than I mean to. I’m yelling at myself, not at my well-meaning baby sister. “Sorry. I just—”
“It’s fine,” Quinn says, green eyes flashing. “I want you to be happy, so shoot me.”
Like Dean, Quinn has a flare for dramatics when she’s angry or hurt. “I know,” I say gently. “And thanks. Just…let me find happiness on my own?”
“But playing matchmaker is so fun.”
“Play it for Logan and Owen.”
“I said ‘matchmaker,’ not ‘miracle worker.’ Which is what they need.”
We both laugh, and I turn around to introduce Scarlet to everyone. We’re the last to arrive, and I’m pretty sure the only reason Logan and Owen got here before us is because they knew Scarlet was joining tonight.
“Hi, Quinn,” Scarlet says, bending over to unzip her boots. Oh God, I shouldn’t have looked. The feel of her breasts pressed against my chest is seared into me like muscle memory, and I can’t go down that road right now.
“Hey.” Quinn drops to her knees to hug Jackson. “How are you liking it here so far?”
“So far so good,” Scarlet tells her and flicks her eyes to me. “Everyone has been very welcoming. Though I haven’t seen much of the town yet.”
Quinn eyes me, and I smile guiltily. “It’s supposed to be nice tomorrow. We can walk around downtown in the morning.”
Jackson grabs Scarlet’s hand and pulls her through the foyer. My parents’ house is also historical and fully restored, but on a much bigger level than mine. This place was a dump when we first moved in, and my brothers and I might have had fun teasing Quinn about how haunted it was since it looked like something out a horror movie.
Slowly over the years and in between projects for clients, my dad did most of the renovations himself. He taught us all how to be handy, and there aren’t many home improvement projects I can’t handle myself because of it.
“Your parents’ house is gorgeous,” Scarlet says, looking around with wide eyes. “I feel like I’m going to a dinner party with Chip and Joanna.”
“Who?” I ask, following after her and Jackson.
“I’ll tell you later,” Scarlet says over her shoulder. The whole family is gathered in the kitchen, like always. This place is really the heart of the house, and the custom-built island is always a topic of conversation. It’s huge, long enough for us all to have a seat at, and is the perfect place for everyone to converge, eating, talking, and drinking.
I watch Scarlet’s face as we enter, and she does her little trick again, inhaling and pushing her shoulders back, acting like she’s ready to take on the world. Emma, who’s being held by my mom, coos when she sees Quinn and extends her chubby little arms for her mother.
“Hey, sweet pea,” Quinn says and takes her baby. Jackson runs through the kitchen, excited to see everyone. And then all eyes fall on us. Scarlet stays close to me, holding the bottle of wine so tight in her hands I fear the bottle might break. I’m comfortable around everyone in this room. My siblings, obviously. Archer feels just like another younger brother since he and Dean have had a serious bromance going on since they met their freshman year of college, and Kara’s been part of the family for the last four years.
We don’t bring home dates unless it’s serious, and I need to keep reminding myself that Scarlet isn’t my date. There’s nothing going on between us, and there never will be, even though I very much want it.
“This is Scarlet,” I say, putting my hand on her shoulder. She’s nervous, and her words come back, echoing through my head. She’s never been to a family dinner, and while this doesn’t seem like anything special to the rest of us, it’s probably overwhelming to her.
“Hey, I’m Owen.” My little shit of a brother gets up, flashing her a charming smile, and shakes her hand, taking the wine from her. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” Scarlet returns his smile.
I spread my fingers over her shoulder, and the warmth of her skin through the material of her dress feels like fire. It’s burning me, but I can’t remove my hand.
“And that’s Logan,” I say, pointing to him. “Don’t feel bad if you can’t tell them apart.”
“I’m the better-looking one,” Owen says with a grin as he opens the wine.
Scarlet laughs and looks from Logan to Owen. “Logan’s in the black, and Owen’s in the blue. I’m good for now at least.”
“That’s Dean, his wife Kara, and Archer, Quinn’s fiancé.” We take a few steps forward into the kitchen. “This is my mom, and my dad is somewhere.”
“He’s getting Nana,” Mom tells me, striding over. “It’s nice to meet you, Scarlet.”
“You too,” Scarlet says with a sweet smile.
“Nana?” I question, trying not to grimace. Our Nana has a few screws loose and suffers from what we’ve dubbed Old Lady Syndrome, meaning she’s lost her filter and it’s gotten worse since last year.
“It’s been a while since we had her over,” Mom reminds me. “How are you liking it in Eastwood?” she asks Scarlet. “You’re from Chicago, right?”
“I am,” Scarlet answers. “And it’s nice here. Very quiet.”
“Quinn lived in Chicago for a few years, and I used to enjoy going for a visit. Though a visit is all I could stand. I was born and raised here. I like my yard and my privacy.”
Scarlet laughs, nodding in agreement. “I could see that. I’m used to hearing the L and the constant chatter of people on my street.”
“The L?”
“It’s a train, Mom,” Quinn answers, sitting down next to Archer.
“Oh, right.” Mom nods. “Anyway, welcome to Eastwood.” She looks down at Jackson and smiles. “And I hope this little guy is being a perfect gentleman.”
Jackson giggles. “I always am, Grammy!”
“He has been perfect,” Scarlet agrees.
“Just wait,” I warn her with a wink. “He’s still in the honeymoon phase, trust me.”
Scarlet smiles down at Jackson. “I think I can handle it.”
Owen comes back over with two wine glasses, offering one to Scarlet and keeping the other for himself.
“We got that for Mom,” I deadpan. Owen gives me a look and then gives Mom the glass.
“I prefer beer anyway,” he says.
“What happened to that moonshine you were raving about?”