Vivian nods, a frown across her forehead. “Sure you’ve got time.” She nods encouragingly. “I don’t think I’ve ever known you not to have a plan though,” she says, laughing as the front door opens, Eric and Erin arriving.

Eric arrives in the kitchen a moment later and points a finger at me with a simple, “You.”

“Leave her alone.” Erin’s on his heels and slips an arm around his waist, fitting her head onto his shoulder and patting his chest with her free hand while he continues to scowl in my direction.

The door rings as we have a stare-off and my dad opens the door and says, “Nice to meet you.” There’s only one person coming tonight my dad’s never met.

“Even better,” Eric announces with a smirk and whirls back to the front door.

My eyes widen and I drop what I’m working on in the kitchen and wipe my hands on a towel as I take off behind him. He’s going to cause a scene. This is mortifying, and I don’t do mortifying. It was one thing when Eric messed with my high-school boyfriends, but this is something else altogether.

Erin and Vivian slam into me as I get to the hallway and stop. “Damn it,” I whisper. Sawyer and Eric are already outside. Talking.

“What’s going on?” Vivian whispers in response.

“Your cousin’s lecturing Everly’s new boyfriend on his intentions,” Erin fills in as we all file into the living room so we can spy on them through the front window.

“Why?” Vivian asks.

Erin shakes her head in disbelief. “Eric’s worried about Sawyer’s playboy past. Like Eric didn’t get around plenty before he met me.”

“Eww, Erin!”

“Oh, sorry.” She blushes.

Outside they’re doing the bro back clap so we beat a hasty retreat back to the kitchen.

Vivian snorts. “Your brother is so overprotective. Like worse than your dad.”

“We put it in his allowance,” my mom announces and we all turn to stare at her, watching as she slides the lasagna into the oven next to a roast that’s already baking. “He got a bonus for cockblocking you.”

“Mom!” I’m not sure what’s more horrifying, what she just said, or hearing the word ‘cockblocking’ come out of her mouth.

“Joking!” She flashes a grin at us.

I groan. When the hell did my mom become a comedian?

Eric and Sawyer walk into the kitchen a moment later, all smiles. Sawyer kisses my mother’s cheek and hands her a bottle of wine, thanking her for inviting him. She actually blushes under his attention.

“That’s your new boyfriend?” Vivian whispers to me, eyes wide.

“Yup.”

“Damn, girl.” She’s openly eyeing him head to toe and I elbow her in the ribs.

Sawyer turns his megawatt smile on us next and I introduce him to Erin and Vivian before dragging him off to a quiet corner.

“What did you say to my brother? He looked like he was going to kill you, then poof, you’re having metaphorical cigars together.” I cross my arms and stare up at him, conscious that we’re not really alone.

“Easy,” he says, leaning down to my ear, his breath on my neck causing a shiver to run through me. “I told him I’m in love with you.”

“Oh,” I stammer. Oh. Am I supposed to respond to that? Now? With my family a few feet away? I’m fairly certain my eyes have widened to owl-like proportions and I dart my eyes back and forth wondering how much privacy we have, then suck my bottom lip between my teeth as I wonder if I can sneak Sawyer up to my room without getting called out for it. Which would be ridiculous, I’m twenty-two, but I’m not gonna push my luck with Eric.