I sighed. “And they were lovers already.”
Jourdanne shrugged. “Yeah, so?”
“Damien, Daniel, and Dax are my brothers now.” I could feel my brow arch up so high I thought it might leap away.
Jourdanne laughed. “Oh, come on! You’re related by marriage.”
“And?” I waved her on.
“And it happens. People fall in love, then their parents fall in love. Ever think of that?” Oh, I hated it when she was right. “You see, it’s not something you have to be ashamed about.”
“Okay, okay,” I said with a shrug. And a shiver. I was getting too emotional and anxious about it all. “Didn’t you say you had some quality champagne?” I gave a smile, and she curled inward with a soft laugh.
“I have the best quality ever!” She turned and opened the fridge, then twirled with a pink bottle in her hands. “We’ll have a glass, then I can give you a proper tour of the place.”
“Oh, I don’t want to bother you with all that. I just needed some time away from everything. You know what I mean?”
“Yes.” She grabbed two glasses from the rack beneath the cabinets, then set them each on the counter with a soft tap. “I don’t like being apart from Leandro and Matt when they’re gone, but it gives me time to be me. I think getting away from daily life is good for us all.” She popped the cork and poured the drink, then she raised her glass at me. I copied, and we toasted each other. “And to seeing you again. It’s been too long,” she said after a sip.
“True.”
“You’ve been back in town a couple of weeks, right?”
“Yeah.” I held the glass at my lips for a breath, taking in the sweetness of the raspberries and nectarines. I drew a small bit of liquid into my mouth and savored it with a heavy blink.
“You helped me so much when I was dealing with the guys. I never really said thanks for being such a good friend.”
“Oh, come on.”
“No, really. I was very confused. Two guys at once is a crazy idea.” She lowered her glass and tapped her fingers on the stem. “But you always supported me. I mean, I have no idea what I’d do if they were brothers.”
I tilted my head. “Well, you wouldn’t be with them at the same time.”
“Um, no,” she agreed. She leaned on her elbows and looked up at me with those sparkling bright blue eyes. “What would you tell me?”
“For what?”
“If I had fallen for brothers.”
“Oh, Jourdanne,” I said, waving her off.
She got up and looked me dead in the eye. “I’m serious. What would you have said?”
I immediately sighed, letting all the air out of my lungs in one big grunt. “I don’t know.”
“Sure you do. Think about it.”
I tossed back my head and ran a hand through my hair. “Uh, I guess… I guess I’d say something stupid like follow your heart.”
She popped a brow. “Really?” With one arm over her little waist and the other holding the champagne at her lips, she waited for my reply.
“Okay, I guess I’d tell you not to worry about what other people think. If you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
Her lips curved gently into a smile. “Exactly.” After a sip, she set down the glass and leaned over, inching closer as she spoke. “So, if you’re happy, then be happy.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Why not? It isn’t like you’re actually related. And you’re all grownups. You can make these choices yourselves without having to ask Mommy and Daddy for permission.”
I smirked at her. “Ha ha. But it isn’t that easy. My mom will probably flip if she ever finds out what happened in Hawaii.”
“Well, your choice.” I gave a nod, then swirled the champagne around for a breath.
“Oh, hey, are Matt and Leandro here?”
She shook her head. “Leandro’s in Italy visiting his family. Matt was supposed to go but he got a head cold and wasn’t feeling well.”
“Things going good with Leandro’s family?”
“Much better than at first. It’s always an uphill climb with his mother though.”
“And Matt?”
Jourdanne smiled at his name. “He’s back in the country working on the spare room upstairs. He started feeling better, so he thought he’d surprise Leandro when he returns.”
“That’s sweet.”
“He really is sweet. He’s like Dax, right?”
Just hearing Dax’s name sent a shiver down my arms. “How do you mean?”
“Well, you told me you two went on that nice drive.” She glanced over at me knowingly and I felt warmer by the second. “Aside from all that hanky panky, you said he made you laugh.”
I couldn’t deny that. “Yeah, he really knew how to make me forget about all the craziness of life. He makes me feel good about the little things that often don’t matter. The things I don’t appreciate enough.”
“And what about the others? That picture you sent me made it clear how hot they are.”