Curtis pulled off the designer T-shirt and tossed it at her. They were too good of friends for her to have made a move on him half-naked. She only shook her head and stormed off. He mopped up the floor with kitchen towels from the drawer and then got busy tightening the pipe he could see had come lose.
Curtis brought his mother flowers, his father a six-pa1ck of Bud Light, and because Cynthia told him he had to, he also bought two bottles of champagne to toast the bride and groom. He thought they should pop for the champagne since they 'd made him get dressed up twice in two months in some over used monkey suit, but he did as she said.
He pushed open the front door of his childhood home. The scents from the kitchen were enticing and the sound of some sporting event poured from the family room. It was hard not to kick off your shoes and run through the house, Curtis thought.
His mother came from the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron. A huge smile crossed apricot painted lips.
"Cynthia, " she called out, her German accent mixing with her Southern one. She leaned in and kissed both her cheeks. "It 's so nice to have you in our home again. "
"Thank you, Mrs. Keller. " Cynthia handed his mother the flowers and she buried her face in them.
"Thank you. "
"They 're from Curtis, but his hands are full. " He slanted a look at her but accepted the kindness that she 'd made him sound heroic.
Curtis handed his mother one of the bottles of champagne he carried. "I brought bubbly to celebrate the newlyweds. Or is it old-weds? "
Cynthia took the other bottle from him then pushed past him and with an arm around his mother 's shoulders. He heard her ask what was for dinner as they disappeared into the kitchen. Curtis headed toward his father in the family room to share the beer he had brought.
The door opened again and Carlos and his family flooded into the house. That was a wonderful sight. The kids kicked off their shoes. The boys piled onto the couch to watch the game on the TV while Clara headed straight for the kitchen already calling to her grandmother. Curtis watched as Carlos kissed his wife in the hallway and lingered a thoughtful look at her. Today she wore a hat he 'd seen once before. As a doctor he knew women sometimes took a while to become comfortable with the thin hair that grew back after cancer. Madeline was no different. She caught his eye and gave him a smile before turning toward the kitchen.
Carlos stepped into the family room and slapped Curtis on the shoulder. "What 's the score? "
"Dunno. Wasn 't paying attention. " Curtis looked back at the TV.
Eduardo looked up. "Six. Two. " He looked back down at the phone in his hand as it vibrated.
"Who you texting? " Curtis inched over the arm of his chair to look, but Eduardo pulled back the phone.
"He has a new girlfriend. " Carlos 's other son, Christian scoffed trying to see the game.
"Girlfriend? " Curtis exchanged glances with Carlos and then looked back toward Eduardo. "You 're much too young for a girlfriend. "
"Oh, that 's not the impressive part, " Carlos sat down on the arm of the couch. "She 's a senior. He took her to prom. "
"That 's right. " He did remember hearing about that. "Uncle Zach gave you a job to pay for it. "
Eduardo shoved the phone in his back pocket. "Is my life everyone 's business? " He looked up at Carlos.
"In this family it is. No one is spared. " Carlos winked at his him. "Take Uncle Curtis. He brought his safe date. "
Curtis dropped his shoulders and stared at his brother. "My safe date? What the hell does that mean? "
"Cynthia. She in the kitchen, right? "
"So? "
"So that hot French chick is staying with our sister and you bring the safe date. "
Curtis could feel the heat in his cheeks as he watched the amusement danced in his brother 's eyes. "I have nothing to do with the French chick. "
Carlos laughed as he stood. "
No, I think she didn 't have anything to do with you. "
He slapped him on the shoulder again and Curtis tensed as his brother walked toward the kitchen. Fifteen years ago he would have kicked his ass for such a comment. But Curtis was mature enough to know beating up someone 's father, right in front of them, wasn 't mature.
So this was what they all thought? That the French chick didn 't want to have anything to do with him? He sulked back into his seat, why wouldn 't they think that? His own brother-in-la1w had to send for him when she 'd stranded him on the stupid yacht.
Curtis balled his fists. Safe date. He let out a grunt which had Eduardo 's head shooting up. H
e gave the kid a nod and stood from his seat. He wasn 't going to let Simone Pierpont get under his skin. So what if she was still in town and staying with Zach and Regan. She wasn 't there because he 'd been thinking of her excessively for the past two months. Nope, he couldn 't care less.
He opened his hands and wiped his sweaty palms on his pant legs as he walked toward the kitchen. As he passed through the hallway the front door opened again. This time it was Regan who walked through with Tyler on her hip. The very sight brought a smile to Curtis 's lips. He walked straight to her and reached for the toddler who stretched his arms out toward him.
"You look tired, " he said kissing his sister on the cheek.
"I 've been sick all week. "
He bounced Tyler on his hip. "Morning sickness? "
"Why do they call it that? " She asked in a whisper as to not let her secret out, he knew. "I 'm sick all the damn time. Not just the morning. "
"It 'll get better. "
Regan shook her head. "You talk like a doctor. You should have to feel this before you try to use your bedside manner. "
He laughed, gave Tyler a squeeze with his arm, and looked back at the front door as Zach pulled open the screen. He gave Curtis a nod then stepped back as he let Simone step through.
The look on his face said it all. Simone was the last person he 'd expected, or wanted, to see. She stepped into the house and swallowed the lump that had lodged in her throat. Awkward situations were something she was trained to overcome. As an heiress she was often expected to enter a room, smile, and own it. She saw no reason that this should be any different.
Simone lifted her chin, locked her eyes on Curtis, and curved her lips into the seductive smile she 'd used on him months earlier.