“I’ll call him if you promise never to call me Kyler again.”

“Deal, Kyler.”

Ky: Madison wants to meet you.

Jackson: Madison?

Ky: My neighbor.

I stare at the phone a moment, waiting for a reply. When it doesn’t come after a minute, I set it back on the table.

“What did he say?” she asks.

“Hasn’t replied.”

Honestly, I’m a little disappointed. As much as I don’t want Madison involved in what Jax and I are doing, I want my brother to meet the girl I’m into, and I want his approval...almost to the point where I need it.

I want to give him a reason to be proud of me again. And right now, Madison’s the only thing I have to be proud of.

I’d almost given up hope when a message comes through.

Jackson: When?

My gaze moves to Madison. “When?”

Her smile is instant. “Right now!”

“Now?”

“No wasting time, Ky, remember?”

Ky: She said now.

Jackson: Whipped already? Nice job. I’m at O’Malley’s bar checking out the place. Meet me here in thirty? I’ll hand you back your balls when you guys get here.

“You ready?” I ask her.

Her eyes go huge. “Okay!” She shoots to her feet. “I’ll just freshen up.”

Five minutes later she knocks on my door—barefoot, hair a mess, wearing a bathrobe.

“You’re going like that?”

She pulls on my arm and drags me through her apartment and into her room.

Clothes.

Everywhere.

She’s either the messiest girl I’ve ever met, or she’s just been robbed.

“I don’t know what to wear!” she rushes out. “I was so excited to meet your brother and now I’m panicking because I don’t know what to wear! What do you wear when you go to meet your prospective—” She cuts herself off, takes a deep breath, and then starts again. “Where are we even meeting? What’s the dress code? Does he like casual or proper? Will he look down on me if I—what if he doesn’t like me and then he tells you and—”

I lose it in a fit of laughter.

“This isn’t funny, Ky!”

I reel it in, just enough so that I can grab her shoulders and sit her on the edge of her bed. “Maddy...he’s going to like you because I like you, and because it’s kind of impossible not to like you. He won’t care what you wear because he’s not that like that. If you want me to call him and cancel, I will, but you’re overthinking it. I promise.”

After taking a few calming breaths, she says, “Get out!”

“What?”

“I need to get dressed! Get out!”

***

She chooses another modest dress, which is good because I’m really not in the mood to be punching creeps that look at her wrong. Especially in front of my detective brother.

I point to Jackson once we’re in the bar. He’s sitting in a corner booth, dressed casually, sipping a beer while checking his phone.

Her grip on my hand gets tighter each step closer we get. It’s kind of cute how nervous she is. “Jackson,” I say, standing next to the table.

He looks up and smiles when he sees me, but the smile widens when he sees Maddy. He gets to his feet and gives me the standard bro-hug. Then he turns to Madison. I don’t miss his quick once over. “You must be Madison?”

“And you’re Jackson?” she replies, throwing her hand out for a shake. He looks down at it, ignores it, and moves in for a hug. A nice, long, tight, semi-inappropriate hug. He winks at me over her shoulder. “You smell so good,” he says in her ear.

“All right.” I step forward and peel him off of her while he tries to hide his amusement.

He gives her one more squeeze before letting go. “You’re an ass,” I tell him, gesturing for Maddy to take a seat. Jax chuckles lightly before pointing at the two of us. “You guys need drinks?”

“I got it,” I say quickly.

“Shut up, Parker. It’s on me.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No, I said—”

“You trying to show off?”

“No. I can buy—”

“Boys!” Maddy interrupts. “You can both go.”

Jax and I laugh.

“Fine,” he says.

I smile down at her. “Are you good?”

She nods.

I give her a quick kiss on her temple, then follow Jax to the bar. He orders a round of beers and then turns back to look at Madison.

I do the same. “Thanks for meeting us, man. I know how you feel about her being around—”

“So she just asked you if she could meet me?”

I shrug—my eyes fixed on her. “Yeah, I told her about you and—”

“How much does she know?”

“Relax. I just told her I had a brother. That’s all.”

He exhales loudly. “It’s been six years, Ky. You and I are still brothers?”

“It’s been five, Jax, and we’ll always be brothers.”

I see him watching me from the corner of my eye. “I’m sorry,” he says. “I’ve kind of been an asshole. I dragged your ass into this and gave you no choice.”

“Jax, this means more to me than you—”

“Maybe,” he cuts in. “I just don’t want anything getting between us this time. Our relationship comes first, Ky. If the case gets in the way, we call the whole thing off.”