“Everyone’s around back.”

Remy gestured toward the back of the house as her eyes continued to move over me, checking me out. I wished I knew what Aiden had told her about me so I knew what she was looking for. I didn’t want to come up short in her eyes because I knew she was deeply important to Aiden. But I suspected I could never rise to her level of acceptance when it came to Aiden.

He grabbed my hand and followed Remy around the side of the house. The front lawn was impressive but the back was incredible. It stretched for what seemed like acre after acre, ending in the far distance where what looked like a guesthouse stood. And then the yard continued after that. They must have had ten acres or more. There were tents set up strategically around the yard and a pool stretched out lazily under the sun in a flat area on one side filled with kids in colorful bathing suits. In the center was a portable dance floor in front of a small stage that was currently unoccupied except for the sound system that was playing recorded music for the time being. Like the pool, the dance floor was also occupied, but by laughing adults with drinks in their hands.

“Something for everyone.”

Aiden smiled down at me. And then he was gone, swallowed up by excited members of his family.

I stood back and watched, caught up in this sort of envy that was mixed with relief. Envy for the family Aiden had, people who so clearly cared about him and his wellbeing. Relief that they hadn’t yet noticed me and weren’t asking a bunch of crazy questions I didn’t know how to—or couldn’t—answer.

“If you’re going to stick around very long, you have to get used to this. They’re like this every time they get together, even if it’s only been a few hours since the last time.”

A redhead who was slightly taller than me and had the most incredible green eyes moved up beside me. She had a quirky little smile on her lips like she wasn’t quite sure what to think of the spectacle unfolding in front of us.

“I’m guessing you’ve been around a while?”

“A few months. I’m still getting used to it.” She gestured toward Jack. “I’m Raelyn, Jack’s girlfriend.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“And you’re Carson, Aiden’s girl.”

My eyebrows rose a little. “I am.”

Her smile widened. “They talk. A lot. It’s like dating a whole family. Kinda confusing for a girl who grew up with just her mom, you know?”

“Oh, I definitely understand that.”

Raelyn pointed into the group surrounding Aiden. “That blond hunk behind Remy? He’s Bo. I guess he grew up down the street with his aunt, who was a maid to one of the families down there. He’s like a fifth brother.”

I knew that story. And he was a hunk, but very clearly a taken hunk if the way he looked at Remy was any clue.

“I heard you met Jack. Behind him is Brent. He’s the oldest brother.” There was deep affection in her voice as she continued. “He’s had a pretty rough few years—they all have, really—but he got engaged a month or so ago. And she’s real sweet. Makes him happy.” She pointed toward one of the tents. “I think she’s in there, talking to the caterer. She’s kind of obsessed with making sure everything goes well today.”

She paused a moment as she studied the group, her gaze lingering on Jack. She sighed before gesturing toward the last member of the group.

“That’s Gentry. He only came home from Germany yesterday, so I don’t know him well. He was in the Air Force. He and Bo are both pilots, which is pretty cool.” She pointed to a pretty blond standing off to one side, clutching her hands as she also watched the group. “That’s his German fiancée. They apparently got engaged just a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of him coming home.”

I thought of Amelia. I wished I hadn’t been right, but clearly I was.

“And this is Jack’s place?”

She nodded. “His father left it to him. And Gentry is staying here with him for the time being, which cuts into our time together. But I suppose that’s my fault for refusing to move in with him.” She smiled at me again. “It’s a big family, but you’ll figure it out quickly. I did. But I suppose working for Remy helps.”

“You work for Remy?”

“I’m her secretary. She’s head of the legal department at Stone Security.”

“They all work there, then.”

“Everyone. Even Gentry is due to start on Monday.”

Jack walked over then, holding his hand out to Raelyn. “Come on, Red. Let’s go get a drink and show these people how to two step.”

“Hey, Jack, I wanted to apologize for our last meeting.”

He smiled at me. “Don’t worry about it. I’m used to dealing with spirited women.”

“That’s a shot at me, right?” Raelyn asked, giving him the side eye.

“With all the affection in the world, love.”

They wandered off and Aiden appeared in their wake, taking my hand and pulling me close to his side. Gentry was slightly taller than Aiden, but they could have been twins. The resemblance was so striking that it was a little unsettling, to be truthful. But there was something different about the way he looked me over, something more like Remy’s intense scrutiny that revealed a strong variance between the two.

“Carson, this is my little brother, Gentry.”

I held out my free hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“I would say the same, but I didn’t even know you existed until like an hour ago. So…I hope to learn more about you. And I hope you’re good to my brother.”

“I’m trying.”

“Don’t be a jerk, Gentry,” Aiden said, punching his shoulder.

Gentry shrugged. “Can’t change what’s carved in stone, brother.”

Brent, the eldest brother, wandered over then—thank God! He smiled brightly as he boldly approached me. “You must be Carson. Aiden’s been talking about you nonstop these last few weeks.”

“I haven’t,” Aiden assured me, but there was a blush on his face that was new to his assortment of expressions.

“I don’t know if anyone explained us all to you, but I’m the eldest of this brood. That makes me the guy in charge, so if this fool ever does anything to hurt you, feel free to come to me.”

I glanced at Aiden. The blush was deeper and he was staring at the ground, that “aw, shucks!” grin back.

“I’ll be sure to remember that.”

“Now I need to go find my fiancée and remind her that we’re here to have fun.” He bowed slightly. “I will see you around, Carson. Boys.”

He walked off, whistling under his breath. It was hard to imagine the hard two years he’d recently had that Raelyn mentioned. He seemed pretty happy to me.

“Let’s go find something to drink,” Aiden suggested, drawing me close to his side. “Go rescue your fiancée, Gentry. She looks miserable.”

Gentry turned sideways, casting a glance at the young blond woman patiently waiting for him. There was something like annoyance in his eyes as he gazed at her, something that was about as far from affection as anything I’d seen today. It made me wonder if Aiden wasn’t right about Amelia after all.

And then he was pulling me across the yard and half a dozen people stopped us to greet him, the awkward introductions not growing any easier as we moved from group to group. We had just ducked into one of the tents when I caught sight of a familiar face. I froze, staring at the woman dancing around the temporary floor, laughter flowing from her lips like music from the strings of a violin. Laughter looked good on her.

What was she doing here?

“Earth to Carson!”

I turned to find Aiden squinting at me. “Sorry.”

“You okay?”

“Just thought I saw someone I…” I shook my head. “I’m fine.”

“Here. You deserve a drink.”

He pushed a bottle of apple-flavored beer into my hand before downing half a bottle of regular beer himself. Then he took my hand and spun me around, laughing when I nearly tripped and faceplanted against his chest.

“I should warn you, I’m not incredibly graceful.”

“I can see that.” He laughed as he moved close, stealing a kiss before he grabbed my hand again and pulled me out onto the dance floor. “I want to hold you for a minute.”

“It’s your toes.”

He laughed again before swallowing the last bit of beer in his bottle and tossing it into a trashcan. I set mine down, untouched, on a convenient table and followed him to the dance floor. She was gone, the woman I thought I recognized, making me wonder if she’d ever been there.

The song currently playing had a quick tempo, but Aiden pulled me into his arms and swayed around the dance floor, holding me so close there was no chance anyone within view could miss the fact that we were together. It made me nervous and excited all at the same time. I rested my head on his chest, peeking out at the other party goers. Like the movie theater, there were a handful of women glaring at me and gazing longingly at him. But I noticed Aiden wasn’t the only one getting those looks. All his brothers were getting them, including Bo. They were all good looking—the genes in this family must have been amazing. I would have liked to have met their parents!

Aiden brushed his fingers over my cheek. “Are you having a good time?”

“I’m glad to have met your family.”

“I saw you talking to Raelyn. What did she say to you?”

I smiled. “She’s quite a personality.”

“She is.”

“She was just telling me who everyone was. She mentioned that Gentry was staying here with Jack and that Brent had had a hard couple of years.”

Sadness came into Aiden’s eyes. “Yeah. Not only did he go through the loss of our parents alongside the rest of us, but his wife and daughter were killed in a car accident a little over a year ago.”

“Oh, God!”

“It was tough. But he’s coming out the other side.”

“He’s engaged?”

“To a woman he met while working a case. Dane.” He grew thoughtful for a second. “I didn’t want to like her, but I have to admit that she’s really good for him. They have a wonderful relationship.”

“That’s nice.”

“Sometimes good comes out of tragedy, I suppose.”

I thought about that, wondering if good would ever come out of my past. I wanted to believe it would, but a part of me was convinced that nothing good could ever come out of such darkness. As long as that particular sword hung over my head, there would always be the potential for just more darkness.

Aiden touched my chin and made me look up at him. “Not today.”

“Not today what?”

“That look you get on your face, that sadness that comes into your eyes. Whatever it is, it can’t touch us today. So stop.”

“Okay.”

I reached up on my tiptoes and kissed him gently. He sighed, following me as I tried to pull away, pressing his hand against the back of my head and kissing me harder. As always, I couldn’t help but succumb to his touch, the craving for his kiss so intense. I nibbled on his bottom lip before I pulled away. He was staring at me, such emotion in his expression that my heart stuttered a little at the sight of it.

“I’m glad you met my family. I think they liked you.”

“I hope so.”

He dropped a kiss on my forehead, then spun me around again. I didn’t trip this time.

“Let’s go find some food.”

I followed him, less intimidated by the people who stopped to say hello. I didn’t notice the glares as much now, either. I was content to be by his side, content to meet the people who were important in his life. No, content wasn’t really the word for it. I was happy.

For the first time in my life, I was truly happy.