Lush in Lace Read Online Free PDF Page B

seat, as far
away from one another as possible, though our thighs still touched
in the crowded space.
    “All we’re asking from you boys is a
truce.”
    “At least until the wedding is over,” my mom
added, knowing it’d be unrealistic to ask for anything longer.
    “Please,” both women pleaded in unison,
giving us their best wounded puppy dog faces.
    “Fine,” I agreed, too easily swayed by their
manipulative show of solidarity.
    “Fine,” Rylan grumbled reluctantly.
    “Wonderful,” my mom cooed, clapping her hands
together in delight. “I knew you were reasonable young men. Now, I
think it would help set the tone for tomorrow if you tried saying
something nice about each other. You go first, Scottie.”
    She knew I hated it when she called me
Scottie. Unfortunately, that never seemed to stop her.
    “Seriously, Mom?” I whined, sounding more
like a ten-year-old boy than a twenty-five-year-old man. To make
matters worse, I could hear Rylan chuckling at my side.
    The look on my mom’s face assured me she
wasn’t joking. I’d already figured out this whole “intervention,”
as Rylan put it, was my mom’s idea. She’d spent a lot of time in
therapy after my biological dad died and considered herself fully
qualified to play therapist when need be.
    “Fine,” I huffed for the second time in less
than a minute. However, it took me another moment to think of
something nice to say about Rylan that wouldn’t give away my true
feelings for him.
    “He’s not short,” I finally managed to offer,
surprising the group with my response.
    “I said a compliment, Scottie!”
    “What? That is a compliment. Most computer
geeks are short. He’s not,” I reasoned. Rylan matched my
six-foot-three frame almost perfectly. It was another reason why he
didn’t fit into the mold of the average geek.
    “ Scott !” my mother scolded.
    “Okay, okay! I was only kidding—sort of,” I
mumbled with a smirk though Rylan no longer looked pleased. “I
guess I’d have to say that Rylan’s down to earth—for a genius.”
    “Go on,” my mom encouraged.
    I shrugged, turning slightly, so I could see
his reaction to my words. “He’s funny and confident. Most smart
guys are too serious and uptight. You’re not like that,” I added,
speaking directly to him now. “You try to see the positive in
people, even when they don’t deserve it, which isn’t always
easy.”
    I noted the faint blush that spread across
Rylan’s cheeks, making him look that much more attractive. At the
rare sight of a smile curling on his lips, I realized I was at risk
of giving away my true feelings.
    “That’s it,” I added with a shrug, trying to
appear casual.
    “See, was that so hard?” my mom offered.
    I followed Rylan’s lead from earlier and
reached for one of the decorative throw pillows, placing it on my
lap. I didn’t need Kate or my mom noticing how Rylan’s reaction
affected me.
    “Now it’s your turn, Rylan,” my mom, Helen,
prompted.
    Unlike me, he didn’t have to think before he
answered. “He’s a good brother,” Rylan offered immediately.
    When his declaration was met with three
curious faces, he continued.
    “He’s not always the sharpest tool in the
shed, but…”
    “Ry,” his mom warned.
    He turned to look directly at me. “You had
the guts to show up Friday night when most other straight guys
wouldn’t. You came for BJ because you’re a good brother. You’ve
always had his back and Jamie’s too. It’s refreshing.”
    I could only imagine that my cheeks were as
red as Rylan’s had been a moment ago. He was right, however, the
only reason I was at the stag was for BJ. I wanted his wedding to
go off without a hitch. That meant avoiding any unnecessary
arguments or guilt over something gone awry during Jamie’s bachelor
party.
    “They’re family,” I replied honestly in
response to Rylan’s statement.
    I couldn’t love BJ anymore if he was my full
brother. We had a connection that true siblings