With the help of speed dial, the ring echoed twice before Chase filled the line. “What’s up, man?”

“You’re home? Don’t you doctors work?”

Talia’s eye roll was perfectly timed to Chase’s buffoon response. “Fuck you.”

“Real nice, would you speak to my mother with that mouth?” I sure as shit wasn’t asking if he’d talk to his own mother with it. I knew that answer, hell yeah. But neither one of us were wasting another breath on that woman, she was dead to us.

After we got back from the Hamptons a couple of weekends ago, I laid it all out for him. I would’ve carried this burden, but some things a man needed to know. His mother, the carrion-consuming vulture being one of them. When I called him from New York and shared my suspicion that Con had known about Tal and Tack living in California all those years, he said he was done with her. Gave me full rein to do whatever the hell I wanted. When he learned she was part of the blackmail that kept Tal away, he declared her dead. It sucked seeing that bitch slice him open again. She never deserved the title of mother. And as far as Chase was concerned, she not only lost Kimi, but him as well. This was irreparable. I offered to go toe-to-toe, let him work it out, because that’s what you do for family, but Chase shocked the hell out of me and opted for a good old fashion boys’ night out instead, claiming we were getting too old. A bottle of Patron and a six-pack of shit the bartender graciously sent our way kept us there to close. When I found the strength to pry my eyes open late the next afternoon, I begged to differ on the age reference. Beating the shit out of each other seemed like the better way—even at our age. We decided to take our chances back in the ring in the future.

Talia kicked my shin, not so lightly I might add, keeping me from zoning out. Shit. Another pointy heel to the shin reminded me how much it sucked the first time. Tal was spending too much time with Sierra. She ignored my dirty look and mouthed, ask him what time?

“Dude, what time are you inviting us again? Tal’s being a pain in the ass, I mean shin.” That shit hurt. I only spoke the truth. Her lips moved with Aw poor baby while she simultaneously rolled her eyes again.

We heard Chase yell through the phone, “Blue, what time tonight?” Pause, Lil matched his scream, coming through loud and clear, “Five-thirty.”

“Heard her, sounds good. Looks like good weather, probably no chance of bus accidents or ruptured aneurysms or anything, right?”

“No, dick. I’m manning the grill. Why? You bailing?” If I didn’t know better, he sounded nervous too. Actually I did know better, he was nervous. “Way Lil talks about him, sounds a lot like Kim, sounds like a good kid.” Solidly confirmed chicken shit.

Tal bit her lip and wiggled off my desk, she heard it in his voice too. Taking the closest chair, she crossed her legs and unconsciously began to bop her foot. Shit, rambling, now bopping, she was definitely nervous. However, I was stuck on the fact that she moved. And I liked her on my desk. Mental note: we were posing for the camera today. I needed a TP pic front and center when I couldn’t have the real thing.

“He’s a great kid. But do me a favor, relax, man. It’s a barbeque. Bad enough Tack’s got to see what he’s gonna look like in twenty years. Let the shock of the grey hair settle in before you spook him with your laidback personality.” Grey hair might have been a cheap shot, but my personality dig wasn’t too far off from a little salt and pepper variety. Just saying.

“Ass,” he grunted.

Tal’s nervous face faded and she smiled. Then she whispered something about dessert?

“Yup. Anyway, got that you’re doing the whole cookout thing, but now Tal wants to know what kind of dessert to bring. Obviously there’s some unwritten vagina rule somewhere about what goes with what. And for the love of God, don’t say something made with that bean paste shit.” I grabbed her hand and planted her ass back on the edge of my desk between my legs. Perfect. And way better than a framed version.

“Smartass. Lil wanted traditional barbeque for the fourth—burgers, dogs, chicken.” That dickhead would’ve ordered sushi. Poor Lil, he was going to turn her into a fucking rainbow roll if he had his way. “As for dessert, you think I know what goes with that shit? No clue. And I’m not getting bitched at for answering wrong. Hold on, I’ll get Blue.” Tal grinned and mouthed, smart hubby. His muffled bellow was still loud. “Oh … and Tal, I’ll see you tonight, blondie. Looking forward to finally meeting your boy.” He knew she was listening in on speaker the whole time. Of course he did.

Tal shrugged her shoulders and laughed. “Hey, CC.”

See, all was good. Who was I? All glass half full. That’s right, that’s what Tal did to me.

“Hi guys!” Lil’s cheery voice popped through the line. An octave higher and she could be Sierra.

“Hey, gorgeous. Tal’s feeling a dessert. What would you like? And don’t say nothing. Not happening.”

“Hi Lil!”

“Hey, Talia. Any chance you want to play earlier, come on over. Sierra and Layla just got here.” That explained the giddy.

“Wish I could, I’m covering clinic until four. Then I’m picking up Tack before we head to you.”

“No biggie. You’ll be seeing plenty of Sierra, she has some good news to share.”

“Awesome, can’t wait! But please tell me your dessert vision?”

“Oh my goodness! Stop! This fruit arrangement you sent is amazing, we don’t need anything more.” My woman always thinking ahead, she rocked. “Oh wait, I spoke too soon, Sierra is whining behind me, requesting chocolate. Anything chocolate. If it’s not too much trouble, otherwise I can always send Chase out.” Those words left her lips like she spoke them a million times over. Like he was a fucking dog.

Who was I kidding? We both were pussy whipped Chihuahuas. Damn, I had graduated to his level. No. If I was being honest that shit went down somewhere around the ninth grade.

“Chocolate it is, gorgeous, now say goodbye. Save your estrogen pow-wow for later, when I’m properly prepared with an alcoholic beverage or seven as my buffer. Besides I have some business to take care of on top of my desk.”

“TMI,” Lil bit out through a laugh.

Tal didn’t flinch—she was over my stupid humor.

“Have fun, see ya later. Bye, guys.” We said goodbye and I ended the call.

“Now she thinks we’re screwing in your office.”

“Well, now we have to…” Sounded convincing, I thought. “Besides what are you gonna say when Sierra asks? She’s gonna want to know if the Green Giant rocked your world on a desk. You wouldn’t want to lie.”

“I’m leaving now.”

Yup, totally over me. I couldn’t even get her to engage. Damn. I still grinned.

“One sec, Teeps.” I rang Suzie.

“Yes, bossman?”

“Need you to reschedule my four o’clock. I’m out by four thirty. That group’s never on time anyway. Make sure you tell them-”

“Got it covered, you’re stuck at a closing. Funds got held up. You wouldn’t ever leave a client mid-deal, yada yada. Their closing is the day after a bank holiday. Oh, they’ll understand. No worries.”

Damn, she was good.

“You’re the best, Suzie-Q.”

“That’s why you pay me the big bucks. That and I pick out awesome birthday gifts for those yummy nieces of yours.”

Traitor. On that note I hung up. Tal crossed her arms and dug her pearly whites into her delicious bottom lip, lost in thought.

“We’ll get Tack together.” She nodded, but held strong to her stance. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit. Want to try that again? This time remember who you’re talking to.”

She could eye roll me all she wanted, she wasn’t leaving my desk without spilling. I was pretty sure our high school speakerphone session did the trick of calming everyone’s nerves about tonight’s almost Fourth of July BBQ slash Colton brother meet and greet. Maybe I was wrong.

“Just a random observation. Do you have a nickname for every woman in your life? Suzie-Q, beautiful, gorgeous, sweetheart. Just wondering? Not that hey you isn’t endearing.”

Fuck me, my woman was jealous. She tried to play it off by adding a little sass but failed. She asked so I intended to answer.

Standing, I cupped her chin along the way, wanting, no needing her eyes when I spelled it out. “First of all, Suzie Q doesn’t count, it’s practically her name. I call my mother and my sisters beautiful because they are. Lil is gorgeous because, well she is, but more importantly, what she did to pull Chase from his hell, it was nothing short of awe-inspiring. As for sweetheart, it’s generic, means nothing. I’m not going to lie and I’m sure as hell not proud of it, but I’ve had a lot of sweethearts share my bed. But none of them were you. There’s only ever been one you. You are the most stunning woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. Sexy doesn’t begin to cut it. Passionate, confident, brilliant—all you. The fierceness you love your son with levels me. All I have to do is hear your beautiful voice and I’m done … I’m done. You’ve tilted my axis and given me every first that matters, but more than anything, you make me want to hold on tight and live this crazy ride—with you. Only you. You crawled under my skin so long ago I can’t remember a time it wasn’t about you. So yeah, you is the only endearment that fits until you’re ready for me to call you wife. You say the word, that title’s yours.”

That lip biting sassy face vanished, replaced by glistening eyes and pure love.