were flushed.
“Whoa, big brother, I was just trying to lighten up the situation.”
“That’s your problem, Hunter. You never take anything seriously.”
“No, I take what I need to seriously and nothing more. Life’s too short to live inside the tiny box society has set up for us.
That’s your stick, not mine.”
“No, your deal is avoiding dealing with anything. I may be a perfectionist, but at least I’m not afraid to try.”
“Right, cause look where that’s gotten you.”
“You son of a bitch!” Randy jumped from the couch, and Colton followed. He placed his body between them, grateful he towered above both of them at six-foot, four.
“That’s enough, both of you. We’re all in this together. There’s no need to point fingers or be at each other’s throats.
Hunter, you’re the baby, and it’s always made you a little more immature than the rest of us, which is fine, because growing up isn’t a competition. You know that’s not how Randy operates, so stop provoking him. Randy, no one looks down on you for trying with Lisa or Susan. They’re both wonderful women, and I can see why you didn’t want to let them get away. We all know why we’ve had shit luck in love. I’m hoping to change that now. Let’s keep it together for a bit longer.” He clapped his hand on Randy’s shoulder, relieved when his brother’s muscles relaxed.
Randy took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right, Colton.”
Colton glanced over at Hunter, who shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right, I’m sorry bro, I didn’t mean to be so harsh. I just…” His voice trailed off, and he shrugged.
There was something going on there, but right now, Colton didn’t have the time to pry the secret out of them. He remained standing as Randy and Hunter took their seats. Once their gazes were fixed on him, he continued, “While I figure this thing out with Avalyn, I need to have everyone behind me. It won’t be easy to get her to go against her family. That has to happen and not just because of the curse. “He swallowed as his anxiety spiked through the roof. “I like this woman. She’s funny, smart, down-to-earth, and possibly the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.”
He felt like a teenager gushing about his crush, but he couldn’t stop the warmth that spread through his body when he thought of her. It was more than lust; it was potential. It was the first time he’d ever experienced anything like this with a woman. Every other time he’d entered into relationships before, he’d been watching the clock, wondering how long he could stick it out before the sensation to leave became too much. With her, there was no end in sight. He couldn’t believe it was a coincidence that the woman who caused this was the relative of the one who had cursed them. It had to be destiny at work. It was time to close the rift separating their families and bury the proverbial hatchet. He just hoped it wouldn’t be in someone’s skull.
“It’s fitting. No one in this family ever could make things easier on themselves,” his grandpa said.
Grandpa shook his head as a wry smile formed.
“We’ll be behind you if it’s what you want to do.”
‘It is.”
“All right then, let’s get this thing figured out. Edgeworths can woo women; we just can’t keep them.”
Colton gave a snort of amusement as he shook his head. His family might be a little crazy, but he could always count on them to have his back.
Chapter Four
He’d been watching the store long enough to know Betty Voiles was in the store by herself and would be alone for an hour or so while Avalyn, and the other woman he figured was her mother, had lunch. Willie frowned. It was hard to imagine the tiny, white-haired woman had chased Colton out of the shop at broom point. Don’t forget she has magical mojo going. A smarter man would’ve been too scared to approach her, but he was an Edgeworth, and they didn’t back down. He