Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 37828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 189(@200wpm)___ 151(@250wpm)___ 126(@300wpm)
Autumn pushed the food around on her plate. That trick with the naked photos of Brody on their T-shirts had been genius and a little mean.
She wished she was as confident as these women. While their teasing could get out of hand, it was also clear how much they loved each other. And Brody.
And they seemed to have taken an interest in the Fox.
“So, Fox, you work in security?” Anna asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
“That’s how you met Boo-boo?” Nina asked.
“It is. Mrs McClain, this food is delicious,” the Fox said smoothly.
“Why, thank you, Mr. Foxhill.”
“Please, I insist you call me Fox.”
Autumn turned to gape at him, aware of Brody doing the same thing from her other side.
Who was this? And what happened to the Fox who had no social grace or manners?
“What?” he whispered in her ear. “I read a book on what to do the first time you meet your in-laws. Wasn’t so hard to learn. You think a man who knows a hundred and eighteen ways to kill a person can’t figure out how to get on someone’s good side?”
“I think you’ve never tried to get on someone’s good side.”
“Exactly,” he grinned. “So how do you know I wouldn’t be any good at it? Far as I can tell I’m smashing it. I knew I would. There’s nothing I can’t do.”
Dear Lord.
Brody reached for her hand under the table, squeezing it. She got it.
Who was this version of the Fox?
Then it hit her. The Fox was in disguise, like he always was when he left the house. He often put on a persona around other people, but never when he was with just the two of them. Right now, he was a mix of both. Outwardly, he was Raev Foxhill, a security specialist and investor. Inside, he was still their Fox. He just had a thin veneer of civility. Hopefully, no one would see that most of this was a pretense.
“Eat, baby girl,” he whispered in her ear as Brody’s sisters started to compete about who could tell the most embarrassing Brody story. Yikes, they had some fascinating ones.
“I’m not hungry,” she said back quietly.
“I’m sorry, baby,” he said in a voice that told her he wasn’t really sorry. “But that wasn’t a request.”
A shiver raced up her spine at his voice.
Jeepers.
And there he was.
“So, Autumn, tell us, did you enjoy the present we got you last year?” Anna asked, brushing back her unruly curls.
Oh, crap.
Her face grew red. She glanced around, but saw that Brody’s mom must have left the room.
“Oh . . . um . . . I . . .”
“Guessing you don’t really need it with two men, though,” Sam added. “How does that work?”
Yep, her face was so hot she felt like she was about to expire. Had they really asked her that? And in front of their brother?
“You guys are the worst,” Brody groaned.
“What?” Lola asked. “It was a legit question. Is it like one after the other or both together?”
Brody’s hand landed over her mouth, making her frown. What did he think she was going to say?
“You do not need to answer that,” Brody told her.
She drew his hand from her mouth.
“Hey, don’t you boss her around, Boo-boo,” Nina said.
“Yeah, don’t you take any shit from him or either of them, girl,” Anna said.
“We got your back,” Jodie added. “We know just how to take care of baby brother if he needs some manners.”
“He doesn’t,” she said fiercely, surprising herself. But she wouldn’t have them malign Brody. “He’s perfect the way he is. And he’d never bully or hurt me or anything like that. He saved me. I love him.”
There was silence.
“And in answer to your other question, it works just fine. Mighty, mighty fine.”
They all stared at each other, then smiled at her widely. What was happening?
“Welcome to the family, sis,” Jodie told her.
Had it been some sort of test?
“Yeah, anyone who loves this idiot that much is good by us,” Anna said, rubbing Brody’s head affectionately.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call him an idiot,” the Fox said in a stern voice.
It was clear they were all slightly confused by the Fox, but they ignored him, continuing with the who could embarrass Brody more stories.
“They have terrible survival instincts,” she whispered to Brody.
He stared at them, aghast. “I know. They don’t even know who is eating dinner with them.”
“But we do.” She grasped his hand, then turned to the Fox, taking his hand in hers. “And I’m so thankful for the two of you.”
They left about an hour later. She hadn’t eaten much. Her tummy had been filled with nerves, even though his family had been really welcoming. They’d tried to make her and Fox join them for their ugly sweater photo. Thankfully, they hadn’t had any spare sweaters.
Poor Brody-bear. They’d chosen an awful sweater for him.