“I’ll say it,” Callie says with a smirk. “It’s hot. Almost as hot as Charly’s sex life.”

“You know, I thought it was Simon that was going to get the third degree today. Not me.” I glare at them all. “You’ve betrayed me.”

They simply laugh their pretty little heads off.

“No, this is just new, Char,” Van says and pats me on the shoulder. “You’ve never introduced us to anyone before. You’ve told us stories about men you’ve met or been with, but this is more, and we’re so happy for you.”

Shit, now they’re going to make me cry.

“We just want to know more,” Gabby says, nodding and watching whatever is happening outside.

“All I know for sure is, he’s not like anyone I’ve ever known before. He’s thoughtful, and affectionate, and yes, we’re compatible in bed. But you know what’s even better?”

They’re riveted to me now, listening with wide eyes.

“The conversation. He’s so fucking smart—sorry, Mama—and he makes me think. He listens to me. When he messes up, he apologizes, rather than pinning the blame on me and making me feel guilty. He can admit when he’s wrong, and he does his best to make it up to me.” I bite my lip and twist my fingers together, thinking about the man who’s come to own my heart.

“I don’t know where it’s going to go, or if it’ll go anywhere at all, but I like him. I respect him. I love that it’s his life’s work to help others, and it’s not just for the money. He genuinely wants to make a difference in women’s lives.”

“He’s already made a difference in yours,” Kate says with a watery smile. “I’m so happy for you, Charly.”

“Me too,” Callie says. “I’m sorry I told them about our conversation, but I was so happy for you, I was ready to burst. And this room of people is who we all trust the most.”

I nod and offer Callie a soft smile. She’s only been in our family for a short time, but I don’t remember what we did without her. She fits. And she loves Declan to distraction.

“It’s okay.” I shrug and look around the room. “I’m scared to trust him.”

“That’s the hardest part,” Mama replies gently. “It’s easy to fall in love. But to trust? That takes time. You’ll get there.”

I nod and wipe one tear off my cheek. “What are they doing now?”

Gabby looks outside and gasps. “They’re coming this way!”

“Some lookout you are,” Van says just as Ben walks inside and catches Van’s eye. He grins and pulls his shirt over his head, catching all of our attention. Van clears her throat and turns away to help Mama at the stove.

“Dinner’s just about ready,” Mama says as all the guys file in. “You have good timing.”

“Did anyone get hurt?” I ask as Simon smiles at me.

“No one threw even one punch,” Sam says, totally deflated.

“Hey, I threw a punch at Declan,” Beau says.

“It isn’t the same,” Sam replies. “You didn’t give him a bloody lip or a black eye. My friend Logan at school got a bloody lip.”

“You didn’t throw the punch, did you?” Gabby asks in horror.

“Not that time,” Sam says and ducks his head.

“But you threw a punch another time?” Gabby asks.

“Maybe.”

Gabby looks at Rhys in horror. “Say something.”

“We’ll have a talk tonight, buddy,” Rhys says and puts his son in a headlock. “No throwing punches.”

Simon sidles up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. “You look magnificent,” he whispers in my ear. I lean back and smile up at him.

“Thanks.”

“Didn’t we just talk about this outside?” Beau asks and reaches for a cherry tomato in the salad bowl, only to be slapped by Mama.

“You talked,” Simon replies with a smile. “And I listened.”

Eli sighs. “He makes it hard for me to not like him.”

***

“It wasn’t so bad,” I say later that evening when we return to my house. “Once the girls finished asking me about our sex life, and my brothers were done intimidating you in the backyard—”

“They tried.”

“—it went pretty well, actually.”

“Your mother is an excellent cook.”

“She was pleased that you thought so. She likes you.”

“The feeling is mutual,” he says and reaches for his phone when it pings with a text. “It’s good that I’m going home next week.”

My stomach sinks at the thought of him leaving. I don’t want him to go.

“I’m sorry. I know I’m keeping you here away from work.”

“You’re not forcing me to be here,” he says as he types out a response. “I am not complaining. But I do have some work that needs my personal attention.”

“I completely understand.”

I open the dishwasher and begin unloading it, trying to keep my hands busy. I’ve never been the girl who pined away for a guy, wanting to spend every minute of every day with him. Then again, I’ve never known anyone like Simon.

And that scares me a little.

Or a lot.

A lottle?

I smirk and rinse out a wine glass, then place it in the dishwasher.

“What’s so funny?” Simon asks as he joins me, hugging me from behind the way he did at my mom’s. He tucks his face in my neck and gives it a bite, making me squirm.