Now, after all these years and doing everything to avoid it, she finally knew how her mom felt when she—

“Stop,” she said out loud, scrubbing her hands down her face. Panic tasted like a bitter pill in the back of her throat. “You’re not falling…”

Refusing to even finish that statement, she took several deep breaths and headed into the bathroom. Knots formed in her stomach when she picked up her toothbrush among his things. This…this was all so serious, but was it to him? To her?

Quickly brushing her teeth, she splashed water over her face and pulled it together. Her neurotic and über-idiotic tendencies were not going to insert themselves and make this happy, fun, and sexy twosome into a nightmarish foursome. Nobody had professed undying feelings for the other and no one was hurting. Everything was fine. It wasn’t like her mom. She wasn’t obsessed.

Picking up her brush, she quickly ran it through her hair, told herself to shut the fuck up, and placed it back on his sink.

She was downstairs and almost into the kitchen before she heard the voices.

“You haven’t answered a single phone call of mine in, like, a week. What the fuck is up with that?”

Oh, shit.

Recognizing Chad’s voice, she froze in the dining room. The door was right there, and a second later, she saw Chandler stride across the kitchen, shirtless, pajama bottoms hanging low, carrying a skillet.

Dear Lord, he looked hot carrying a skillet.

Okay. Focus. Prioritize. Chandler’s hotness was not the concern right now. How to get back upstairs without being seen was.

“I’ve been busy,” Chandler replied drily. “And I listened to your messages. There wasn’t anything important. Not like it had to do with your wedding or anything. No one was dying.”

“No shit, jackass.” Chad came into view, leaning against the kitchen—oh God, the kitchen table.

Images of what they’d done on that table assaulted Alana’s brain. She needed to get out of here, but she was rooted to the spot. One wrong noise and Chad would see her in his brother’s clothes and well, that shit would be awkward.

“You haven’t even been answering Chase’s calls.” Accusation rang in Chad’s tone, and Alana frowned. “And you really should’ve.”

“Why?” Chandler appeared, stopping in front of his brother, folding his thick arms. Standing side by side, Chandler was the brawnier and bigger of the two, but it was easy to see the resemblance. The same dark hair, but Chad’s was shorter, messy, and spikey. Their profile was nearly identical—broad cheekbones, strong jaw. “Let me guess? He’s like you and doesn’t know when to mind his own business?”

Chad cocked his head to the side. “You’re our brother, and therefore it is our business.”

“Bullshit.”

“That’s how you treated us.”

“When you were sixteen fucking years old.” There was no real heat in Chandler’s words, but Alana felt like an interloper.

Well, duh, she was, and she really needed to get her ass out of there.

“Technicalities.” Chad flashed the grin that had women across the nation dropping their panties, even though he was now only concerned about one woman’s panties. The baseball player sighed. “Man, something is definitely going on. Chase said you weren’t over for card night—”

“Aw, do the whittle boys miss their big brother?”

“Maybe.”

Chandler smirked. “Sometimes I think you two have fully functioning vaginas.”

Alana pressed her lips together.

“Fuck you.” Chad stretched out his legs, crossing his ankles. “You really should talk to Chase.”

Chandler sighed. “Look, what I’m doing is none—”

“Maddie’s pregnant, you asshole.”

Alana’s mouth dropped open at the same exact second that Chandler’s did. He stepped back and only half of him was in view. His arms dropped to his sides. “No shit?”

“Yeah, that’s why he’s been calling you. Wanted to share the good news and shit.” Chad smacked his palms off the table. A small grin appeared. “Her parents are going to kill him, being that they aren’t even engaged yet.”

“Chase has the ring picked out. You know that. He’s waiting for the right moment or something.” There was a pause. “Guess he waited too long.”

“Yeah, but do they know that?” Chad laughed. “I must admit, I am so looking forward to witnessing that conversation with Mr. Daniels.”

“He’s going to eat Chase alive.”

“Yep.” Chad was grinning.

Another stretch of silence. “Man, when Chase was over here last, he said he thought Maddie had the flu. Wow. This is… I don’t even know what to say.” Surprise and genuine happiness filled Chandler’s voice. “Chase is going to be a dad?”

“We’re going to be uncles.”

“Uncle?” Chandler chuckled. “Man, that’s pretty damn awesome.”

Standing there, listening to things she had no business listening to, Alana felt this…this deep stirring in her chest and this urge to join the guys, to congratulate them and to wrap her arms around Chandler. She wanted to be a part of the happiness, because she wanted to share it with him.

Oh God.

There was no denying what she was feeling.

Blood quickly drained out of her face. The walls around her seemed to move in, crowding her. The ceiling had to have dropped several feet, because she felt like she couldn’t stand straight. Pressure clamped down on her chest. Was she having a heart attack? Oh no, it was something far worse than that.

She was in love with Chandler Gamble.

…

Absolutely fucking thrilled for his youngest brother, Chandler stood there grinning like a goddamn fool. Chase was going to be a dad? He was going to be an uncle? No shit. Better be having a little boy. If it was a little girl, no male had an ice cube’s chance in hell at getting past the three of them.

Chad looked like he was about to jump topics again when what sounded like a chair in the dining room deciding to mate with the table drew their attention.

They turned at the same time.

Alana stood a few feet back from the table, her face as red as a fire truck and her eyes wide. His gaze dropped, and he swallowed a groan. Damn if he didn’t love seeing her in his clothes.

However, he did not like the idea of Chad seeing her practically naked.

And he really wasn’t ready to talk to his brothers about Alana, which was why he’d been spending the week pretending no one was home when they called. It was obvious his two brothers were gossiping like two old nursing home patients, and Alana, well, she was way too personal and important to him to expose her to these two jerks.

Chad’s eyes grew as big as a kid’s on Christmas morning. He stared at Alana like he’d never seen her before. And he’d never seen his ex-publicist like this before. If he had, Bridget was going to end up a very unhappy newlywed, because Chandler would cut off his brother’s dick. Chad slowly faced Chandler. “What in the hell is going on here?”

He folded his arms again, giving his brother the “don’t fuck with me” look. “What do you think is going on?”

“Oh, I have a damn good visual, but I’m praying I’m wrong on that.”

Anger pricked at Chandler’s skin, and he had to tell himself that this was his brother, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to thump his ass. “Be careful what you say next,” he warned in a low voice. “I’m not fucking with you.”

An incredulous look crossed Chad’s expression as he pushed away from the table, glancing into the dining room. “That’s fucking Miss Gore.”

His hands closed into fists. “Chad…”

“I’m sure you haven’t forgotten that every time she came around me, I felt the need to cup my balls. Or the fact that she blackmailed Bridget. Or that she’s more evil than fucking Medusa on her period?”

That was it. He was going to knock his ungrateful asshole brother out, and he was a half a second away from doing it when Alana’s voice stopped him.

“Your balls were always safe around me,” she said, her voice tight as she leveled a cool stare at Chad. To anyone else, she looked unaffected, but Chandler caught the slight tremor in her lower lip and the stiffness in the way she held herself. “Please tell Chase congratulations. I’m sorry to intrude.”

Chandler watched her turn and walk out of the room. Wanting to go after her but needing to handle something else first, he squared off with his brother. He cocked back his arm. Fist say hello to jaw.

Chad spun sideways, catching himself on the table. “Jesus.” He straightened, clutching his jaw. “What the fuck was that for?”

“Are you really that fucking stupid that you have to ask that question?” Chandler seethed. Had the idiot been hit in the head with too many fastballs? “Look, I get that she doesn’t make you warm and fuzzy, but pull your head out of your ass. Yeah, she blackmailed your girl. Total bitch move. I agree.” He got right up in Chad’s face, forcing him to hold eye contact. “But if it wasn’t for Alana— No, shut the fuck up. I am not finished. If it weren’t for her, there wouldn’t be a Bridget. You’d still be fucking around with God knows who. And if Alana hadn’t forced Bridget to go out with you, you know damn well she wouldn’t have.”

“Well, that was sort of insulting.”

“It’s the truth.” He forced himself back a step before he hit him again. “You have Alana to thank and instead you treat her like she’s a terrorist. That shit stops now. She deserves your fucking gratitude and your respect. And a big ole fucking thank-you for the wife-to-be and the new multi-million-dollar contract your happy ass just signed.”

Chad’s jaw worked as he shook his head. “I get what you’re saying and yeah, I’m acting like an ass. But—”