“I’m warning you now, the Cassidy family can be loud,” Erik said when I found him waiting for me at the front of the restaurant. Since we all drove separately to the rink we all drove separately to the restaurant. I took my time, not wanting to be the first eager person waiting around.

Plus it was kind of nice to see Erik smiling when I walked in the door.

“I kind of figured that was why you chose a loud Italian family style restaurant.”

“You know what? You’re really smart.” He touched my elbow with his hand and began guiding me toward the table.

His touch sent electric tingles up my arm. My pulse jumped. And it hit me. I was doing this. I was getting to know a man with the intention of it becoming more.

“Hey Zoe!” Riley called the minute he saw me. So enthusiastic and just . . . nice. He even threw down his napkin and ran over to give me a hug before I sat. “I’m glad you came.”

Belle sat beside him on one side and it looked as though Erik had taken the other. Leaving one empty seat beside Erik and one across the table.

I sat beside Erik.

“We already ordered a couple of bottles of wine for the table and a few appetizers. Just dig in on anything,” Erik said as he poured a glass of red wine. “Red or white?” His hand moved toward the other bottle.

“Red works.”

He slid that glass over to me, then grabbed another and poured himself a glass as well. “Jack will be over in a bit after he gets the team settled and has a call with his boss. We usually hang out and get a little drunk while he works.”

Perfect. Loose lips were great for learning about people.

Just as Erik predicted, conversation took off fast and furious, bouncing between the three of them at lightning speed. I learned that Riley was essentially another member of the family and that it wasn’t uncommon for the Cassidys to absorb friends and make them part of their big happy family.

“You never feel, I don’t know, less important?” I asked Belle. Brian and I fought for our parent’s attention and we both usually lost. I couldn’t imagine having to also compete with multiple siblings and their friends.

“Honestly? Sometimes. But usually that’s just some family dynamics gone haywire,” she said. “It’s not like they’re strangers. My friends aren’t just my friends. They know these knuckleheads. They hang with my sisters. I’m glad Mom isn’t constantly trying to feed us all anymore, but she could if she wanted to. She has one of those hearts that just expands to include more people.”

I noticed Erik tense. His hand froze halfway from the dip to his mouth. His other hand gripped the edge of the table. He swallowed hard a couple of times then took a breath and continued as if nothing happened.

But something had clearly happened. Something that upset him. I ran back Belle’s words but couldn’t figure it out.

“Has there ever been a falling out or maybe friends that didn’t get along? Or maybe a brother who didn’t approve of someone?”

Erik laughed. “As if any of my sisters care what I think. I just show up with the shotgun to scare the boys they bring home but that’s about all the power I wield.”

“You do more than that,” Belle said softly.

And once again, something seemed to bother Erik.

Riley noticed this time too, because he immediately changed the conversation. “So Zoe, why do you use a pen name? Or is that standard practice?”

“It’s not unusual.” I explained the complicated and varied reasons different authors chose to write under a pseudonym, carefully avoiding the reasons why I used one, all while Erik and his sister had a silent conversation across the table. They weren’t angry so much as sad.

“How did you pick yours?”

“Well Zoe is my name, and I didn’t think I liked the idea of having a completely different name. Hyde was the name of a childhood friend. Her parents were these laid-back hippie types who would have loved the idea of me being a writer.”

“Do you ever think you’ll write under your real name?” Erik asked, his attention back on our conversation.

“Nope. And I rarely share pictures of myself. I keep my identity as hidden as I reasonably can.”

And that was probably too much information because Erik’s eyes narrowed and his lips turned down into a frown. He knew there was more than privacy behind my reasons.

Luckily I was saved by Jack’s arrival. He went around the table hugging everyone, stopping to talk to me. “I’m so glad he convinced you to come out with us. Two minutes is not long enough to meet someone as beautiful as you.”

“Go shove food in your face,” Erik grunted pushing his brother away. His hand grazed my arm, our gazes collided, more electricity skated through my veins.

It was really quite insane how much he affected me.

Or how much I wanted him to sling his arm over my chair and pull me close like he almost had at the arena.

“So Zoe, what did you think of my team?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know much about hockey but the Pythons looked mean.”

That got a laugh from everyone.

“Do you know much about baseball?” Jack asked, his eyes skipping to his brother, the arch of his brow so very big brotherly it was cute.

“I’ve learned a lot very quickly.”

“She used to work for Eve Spencer and now she lives with June,” Erik said.

“Ah . . . trial by fire.”

“Exactly. Luckily for me I like it.”

Jack smiled. “Hockey isn’t all that different. Although some say hockey in Florida will always be different.”

Which was one of my questions, actually. “So how did you wind up in the sport?”

I understood how Erik found baseball. It seemed there was a ball field on every corner in this state. Plus there were three Major League teams and spring training for half the league, it would have been more unusual that they didn’t play the sport at all.

“They built a rink down the street from our house. It was love at first sight.” He shrugged.

“And how did you and Riley meet?”

Jack’s face fell and I realized all too late that it was the wrong thing to ask.

“Here, let me pull the Band-Aid off for you.” Erik waved at Jack. “My older brother is divorced. His ex-wife’s best friend was married to Riley.”

Riley shrugged. “We got each other in the divorces.”

Jack held up his glass and they silently toasted each other from across the table.

I got the impression neither divorce was easy. Jack looked haunted. Like half of his soul was removed and the very mention of his former wife made the wound tear back open.

While Riley, well that was a different story altogether. Jack and Erik both seemed completely oblivious but I was almost positive that Riley and Belle were about five seconds from ripping each other’s clothes off.

“So Erik tells me you have a big new book series coming out next year and it’s being made into a movie,” Jack said, changing the subject.

“Oh funny story,” Erik interrupted before I had a chance to respond. “I was having dinner with the guys after the game Wednesday night. Our pitcher, his name is Chris Kaine.”

At first I thought Erik was just completely changing the subject because he thought of a story he wanted to tell from his week, but then his words actually sank it and I sat up straight. “Scott’s brother! I totally forgot they were brothers.”

“Yeah, they don’t talk about that,” Erik chuckled. “I think it bruises their fragile egos. But yeah, he said he ran some lines from your script with his brother last week. He said it was really good.”

Oh god. It was one thing to hear my agent say Scott Kaine was interested in the part, but whoa was it incredible to hear that he was reading lines and enjoying them. “Really?”

Erik shrugged, an adorable smile plastered to his lips. “The way Chris was talking, it was a done deal. Producing and everything.”

Heavily invested in the project? If Scott and Lily were attaching their production company to the movie too, that meant they were all-in on the deal. “Erik, I don’t even know this stuff yet.”

His smile grew even bigger. “Well then I guess it’s a good thing I have insider information.”

“You look like you want to kiss him. I think you should kiss him,” Riley said.

And because that was exactly what I wanted to do, I grabbed Erik and laid a big fat kiss on his very surprised lips. “Thank you Erik!” It wasn’t a sexy kiss. It wasn’t even particularly intimate.

But even that totally public, quick kiss sent my heart racing.

As I sat back in my seat Erik chased me, stopping just short of kissing me, eyes locked on mine and hungry. “Careful.” Then he kissed me once, his nose brushing along mine.

Riley cleared his throat. “Damn you two. Get a room. And make sure you use like, twelve condoms.”

Erik shot him a death glare.

“What?” Belle shrugged. “With sparks like that she could get pregnant just thinking about you.”

My jaw dropped.

Erik laid a protective hand over mine. “Stop.”

The way they all spoke to each other. It was so candid. Like they knew everything about each other. Even though it shocked the hell out of me—I could not imagine ever having a conversation like this with my brother—I kind of admired their familiarity.

“Can we stop pretending you two are just friends?” Jack laughed. “I suck at acting.”

“We are just friends,” Erik said with a low warning rumble.

“Not for long,” Belle said into her glass of wine.

“It’s me,” I said.

The table fell silent. Everyone stared.

“Don’t,” Erik whispered. “You don’t owe them anything.”

I ignored him. “You’re both divorced. You know it isn’t easy. I like Erik. I’m trying.”

“You’re divorced?” Jack asked.

“No.” I focused on Erik because he was right. I didn’t owe them anything. The only person I cared about was the man I was looking at. “I never married him.”

Thank goodness. Otherwise he wouldn’t have let me go so easily. I wouldn’t have been able to take my three boxes and disappear. He would have followed me. There would have been lawyers and judges.

He would have convinced me to come back.

Relief flooded me when Erik took my hand and smiled. “It wouldn’t matter one way or the other, Zo.”

“Well you picked a good one this time,” Riley said. “He’ll treat you right and maul your ex if he ever comes near you.”

Erik shot another glare across the table and I was starting to wonder if Riley was trying to pick a fight on purpose.

That’s when I saw how white Belle was. “Are you okay?” I asked.

Erik dropped my hand and darted around the table, dropping to his knee to hug his sister. “I’m sorry. Riley stop being an asshole.”

“Whatever,” Riley muttered, looking stricken as he watched Belle take a few steadying breaths. “Prince Erik will fix everything. He always does.”

Now I knew for sure Riley had feelings for Belle.

Erik shot to his feet. “If you have something to say to me, do it outside.”

“I’d rather take Belle to her hotel so she can rest. You’ve big-brothered her enough for one day.”

“All right. Cool your jets,” Jack said. “Riley, take Belle home. Erik, sit. Zoe, I apologize for my family. They are behaving like idiots tonight.”

Belle hugged Erik and Jack. I stood and hugged her goodbye, too.

“You okay?”

“Yeah. I will be.” She bit her lip, glancing over at Erik and Riley who were still glaring at each other. “I think we should talk soon. I have your number. I’ll call you, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” I hugged her again because she looked like she needed it. “Good night.”

“Good night.” Then she leaned in and whispered, “You can trust my brother. Believe me, you can.”

“Well that was a fucking spectacular way to end a night,” Jack said, leaning back in his chair. “What the hell got into Riley?”

Belle.

But again, the big brothers seemed oblivious because Erik dropped back into his chair and shook his head. “Beats me. You know he gets all pissy with me. Always has.”

“Yeah, but still. He doesn’t usually upset Belle about . . . ” his voice dropped away as his gaze snapped to me and then back to Erik. “Anyway. I’ve got this. You two go get a drink in the bar or something. Go spend a few minutes alone and enjoy the end of the night.”

And even though I was already a little lightheaded from the wine at dinner, when Erik raised an eyebrow asking if I was game, I knew that was exactly what I wanted. “Buy me a drink.”