against you. You’ve got three brothers on your side, and Lucas and me on mine. Even Lucas had a boy.”
“Girls,” Alec said, eying Ryan. “Just to make you squirm.”
Ryan snorted. “I won’t be squirming. I won’t need too. Not with three uncles pushing me out of the way,” he said.
Sophia knew it was a joke. Ryan wouldn’t be pushed out of the way of anything when it came to Kaitlin. She’d had her doubts about Ryan in the beginning, but she learned to love him almost as much as Kaitlin did. Her best friend had chosen well. Kaitlin found what Sophia had been looking for all along. Someone to love every single part of her for who she was, and for no other reason. “One of each. It only seems fair.”
“I like your thinking,” William said, winking at her.
Phil reached over under the table and grasped her hand. “Sophia and I—”
“It’s about time,” Isabel said, jumping from the table and running over to hug her. Shocked to say the least, Sophia couldn’t believe Isabel had reacted that way and looked over at Kaitlin.
“I didn’t say anything,” Kaitlin explained.
“What? What is going on?” Alec asked.
Ben looked at Alec. “You’re always a step behind. They’re together.”
“How did you know?” Kaitlin asked Ben.
“I know everything,” he said, grinning and staring Phil down, making him squirm and Sophia squirm right next to him.
“When did this happen?” Alec asked his brother, still looking baffled.
Ryan jumped in. “It’s been happening for years, Alec. Where have you been? Even I saw the signs and I haven’t known Sophia all that long.”
Snorting, Alec looked at Sophia. “Well hell, shorty. Why not me? I’m the better looking twin,” he said, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.
“Not in my eyes,” she replied, and felt Phil squeeze her hand harder. She looked over at him and gave him a kiss in front of everyone, relieved it worked out so well. All those fears were for nothing.
Ten
“So what did Kaitlin mean when she asked you how many dates we’ve been on?” Phil asked her when they were driving back to her place from his parents’ house on the lake.
She hummed low in her throat, then turned her head and looked out the window. “Nothing.”
“Sophia,” he said patiently. “I’m not stupid.” If he didn’t know her well enough, he knew his sister by now, and there was some secret going on between them.
Fidgeting in his seat at her silence, he started to guess what it might be. “How many dates, Sophia?”
“For what?” she said, looking at him innocently. He was on to her though.
“Before you consider sleeping with someone?” he said bluntly.
She laughed. “I think, all things considered, we’re beyond that point. Don’t you agree?”
“No, I don’t. I’m never going to forget that night. Ever. But I want to move forward in a traditional way. I know you well enough to know there is a reason for everything you do. I won’t ask you what that reason is, but I would like to know how many dates.”
Her face softened, but he wasn’t sure what that was about. “There is no set number, but rather a minimum before I would consider sleeping with someone.”
“Okay, what is that minimum?”
She sighed. “Does it really matter? It’s not like you and I are strangers.”
“Sophia, answer the question,” he stated stubbornly.
“Fine. Ten. I won’t even consider sleeping with someone until we’ve been out, or together at least ten times. Even then, it wasn’t always a given.”
Ten. He figured she was more than the “three-date rule” kind of girl but didn’t expect her to more than triple that number. Oh well, he’d waited this long for her, he could wait longer.
By his calculations they were at four, if he counted dinner when he fixed her leaky washer, which he was. And he counted pizza when she called to thank him for the flowers. He was definitely counting yesterday, that was a date. He helped her plant flowers
“Girls,” Alec said, eying Ryan. “Just to make you squirm.”
Ryan snorted. “I won’t be squirming. I won’t need too. Not with three uncles pushing me out of the way,” he said.
Sophia knew it was a joke. Ryan wouldn’t be pushed out of the way of anything when it came to Kaitlin. She’d had her doubts about Ryan in the beginning, but she learned to love him almost as much as Kaitlin did. Her best friend had chosen well. Kaitlin found what Sophia had been looking for all along. Someone to love every single part of her for who she was, and for no other reason. “One of each. It only seems fair.”
“I like your thinking,” William said, winking at her.
Phil reached over under the table and grasped her hand. “Sophia and I—”
“It’s about time,” Isabel said, jumping from the table and running over to hug her. Shocked to say the least, Sophia couldn’t believe Isabel had reacted that way and looked over at Kaitlin.
“I didn’t say anything,” Kaitlin explained.
“What? What is going on?” Alec asked.
Ben looked at Alec. “You’re always a step behind. They’re together.”
“How did you know?” Kaitlin asked Ben.
“I know everything,” he said, grinning and staring Phil down, making him squirm and Sophia squirm right next to him.
“When did this happen?” Alec asked his brother, still looking baffled.
Ryan jumped in. “It’s been happening for years, Alec. Where have you been? Even I saw the signs and I haven’t known Sophia all that long.”
Snorting, Alec looked at Sophia. “Well hell, shorty. Why not me? I’m the better looking twin,” he said, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.
“Not in my eyes,” she replied, and felt Phil squeeze her hand harder. She looked over at him and gave him a kiss in front of everyone, relieved it worked out so well. All those fears were for nothing.
Ten
“So what did Kaitlin mean when she asked you how many dates we’ve been on?” Phil asked her when they were driving back to her place from his parents’ house on the lake.
She hummed low in her throat, then turned her head and looked out the window. “Nothing.”
“Sophia,” he said patiently. “I’m not stupid.” If he didn’t know her well enough, he knew his sister by now, and there was some secret going on between them.
Fidgeting in his seat at her silence, he started to guess what it might be. “How many dates, Sophia?”
“For what?” she said, looking at him innocently. He was on to her though.
“Before you consider sleeping with someone?” he said bluntly.
She laughed. “I think, all things considered, we’re beyond that point. Don’t you agree?”
“No, I don’t. I’m never going to forget that night. Ever. But I want to move forward in a traditional way. I know you well enough to know there is a reason for everything you do. I won’t ask you what that reason is, but I would like to know how many dates.”
Her face softened, but he wasn’t sure what that was about. “There is no set number, but rather a minimum before I would consider sleeping with someone.”
“Okay, what is that minimum?”
She sighed. “Does it really matter? It’s not like you and I are strangers.”
“Sophia, answer the question,” he stated stubbornly.
“Fine. Ten. I won’t even consider sleeping with someone until we’ve been out, or together at least ten times. Even then, it wasn’t always a given.”
Ten. He figured she was more than the “three-date rule” kind of girl but didn’t expect her to more than triple that number. Oh well, he’d waited this long for her, he could wait longer.
By his calculations they were at four, if he counted dinner when he fixed her leaky washer, which he was. And he counted pizza when she called to thank him for the flowers. He was definitely counting yesterday, that was a date. He helped her plant flowers
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