“You need a hat.” My newly shorn head was actually freezing but I was a tough guy so I just pulled the hood of my sweatshirt up and raised the eyebrow with the hoops in it at her.

“Better?”

“Whatever macho man. Thanks for getting my car.”

“No problem, just make sure you keep an eye out at school today. I don’t want polo shirt way laying you on your way to class or anything.”

“Polo shirt?”

“Davenport, he always has on a stupid polo.”

She laughed so hard I had to hold her upright and give her a boost into the truck, not that I minded because it meant I got to cop a feel of her superb backside.

“That he does. I’ll make sure I walk to class with someone. This girl Devlin is a bunch of the same classes as me and we have a couple study groups together so I’ll just stick with her. I don’t think she’s a fan of Gabe either so that should make asking her easy.”

“Cool. What kind of phone do you want? I don’t want you to have to wait until tomorrow to have one. I’ll go on my way back from Brookside and pick one up.”

She shrugged and messed around with my I-Pod until the smoky sound of Lucero filled the cab. “I don’t care. The same as my old one is fine. I need my contacts switched over though.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

She grinned at me and scooted over so that she could put her hand on my knee. Her fingers tapped out the rhythm of the country tinged rock as we made our way across town to the university. It took about twenty minutes in light traffic, but it was getting ready to snow and I could see having to push my first appointment back because of weather since I was driving out of town. She wanted me to just park on the street and drop her off, but I wanted to keep her in sight as long as possible so I parked the truck at a meter and told her I was walking her to her first class. She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue when I opened her door and helped her hop down.

I tucked her back in the curve of my body and walked across the campus with her, thinking this was the only time I had been on a college campus for a reason other than a party. Several people called out a greeting to her or waved hi, she replied in kind and I didn’t miss the speculative looks we got since I’m sure we made an odd pair and her classmates probably weren’t used to seeing her out of her normal rich girl gear. We stopped outside an impressive looking building and she tilted her head back so she was looking up at me. Her green eyes were bright, her hair was in a sexy tangle from me and from the brisk Colorado air and her nose was a charming shade of pink and I don’t think I had ever seen anything cuter.

“Drive safe. I agree with your brother I think you should try and see your parents while you’re there.”

I didn’t want to argue with her so I just kissed her hard and fierce with enough tongue and enough force to let her know she would be on my mind throughout the day. I thought maybe she would freak out about the public display of affection but it only took between one heartbeat and the next for her cold hands to climb up my chest and wrap around my neck. She kissed me back with just as much fervor and when she fell back to her feet she was breathing hard and had a pretty flush under her pale cheeks.

“You be safe too. I’ll see you later. I’ll bring your phone by the bar after work. Remember don’t be alone whenever you can avoid it. And Shaw,” she met my gaze with humor lighting up her own. “I like you going to school in my clothes, that’s totally hot.”

She stood back on her tip toes and kissed the end of my chilly nose. “Agreed, and you suck for changing the subject but I can take a hint so I’ll see you later.”

I watched her walk up the stairs of the building, she paused at the top where a girl was seemingly waiting for her. She smiled at the girl and told her hello. I heard the other girl ask her in a surprised voice that was loud enough to carry down to where I was waiting, “Who was that?” I was curious as to what her answer would be considering that wasn’t something we had ever really talked about.

Her laugh carried sharp and clear through the winter air. “That’s Rule.”

“I didn’t know you had a new boyfriend.”

“Well he isn’t exactly new, but yeah.”

I was her boyfriend. She was my girlfriend. How weird was that? I hadn’t had any girl in my life long enough in twenty two years to call a girlfriend I didn’t even have friends that were girls really, Shaw was the closest thing that had ever come to filling that role as well. I was her boyfriend and that made me want to dance a jig and pump my fist in the air. Instead I winked at her when she turned back to look at me and laughed when she in turn stuck her tongue out at me. Why hadn’t I realized before that letting someone in would make me happy, that she made me happy. I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed so much and even in bed she made it fun. She made things better and I knew I wanted to do the same for her.

I sent Rome a text that I was on my way and he replied back he and Nash were just finishing up at the gym so he should be ready to go when I got home. I changed the music to the Bloody Hollies and rocked out on the way back to the Victorian. I ran in to grab her phone out of her bag and collect my brother and in no time we were on the highway headed to Brookside. The first few flurries of snow started to pelt the windshield when we were just entering the interstate and I swore knowing what it was going to do to the commute and my schedule for the rest of the day. In fact before we even got to Brookside Nash called and told me both my noon and two o’clock appointments wanted to reschedule because of the weather so I no longer had the work excuse as a reason to bolt home without trying to see my folks.

Rome not being stupid blatantly listened in on the call and looked across the cab of the truck expectantly. “It won’t kill you to stop by and just say hi for a minute. We can even go there first so they don’t ask why we have Shaw’s car with us.”

“I just don’t see the point.”

“The point is that no matter how you feel they’re still our parents and you don’t just get to give up on them.”

“Why not? They gave up on me the minute the good twin was pronounced DOA.”

“Stop it and grow a pair. You can tough out a five minute visit with mom and dad if only to say at least you tried. It’ll make Shaw happy to know you made a minimal effort at least. Remember their more like her parent’s than her real parent’s so if the two of you are going to do what you’re doing for the long term you’re going to have to show her that even if mom isn’t going to budge that at least you tried.”

He was right and it totally made my stomach turn over. Right now Shaw was all about building a bridge and forcing my mom’s hand when it came to dealing with me and accepting me but after seeing how awful her biological mother treated her I had no doubt the divide between her and my parents wouldn’t be longstanding which meant I had to figure out how I fit into that puzzle. Trying wouldn’t kill me but it was sure as hell going to be awkward and uncomfortable, for all of us I was sure.

“Fine we can stop by but don’t get your hopes up. I haven’t heard from either one of them since I left brunch that day.”

“Archer pride is a dangerous thing. If we aren’t careful it’s going to destroy our entire family.”

I just grunted in response and tried to tell myself that doing this was not only going to make Shaw happy but clearly it meant something to Rome as well and if there was anyone in the world that I would do anything for it was my brother. Rome never asked me for anything and had given me his support and his approval endlessly even when it put him at odds with the rest of the family and I owed him at least the opportunity to try and mend what was fractured. We drove the rest of the way to their house in silence; I could see Rome giving me surreptitious looks out of the corner of his eye the entire way. I think he was waiting for me to drive past the exit or freak out and change my mind but I kept telling myself that I didn’t need my parents to look at me the same way they looked at him to go home and be okay. Before that tore me apart and made me act like a troubled adolescent with a chip on his shoulder, now I knew I was going home to a kick ass job, a rock star brother, a smoking hot girl that happened to be totally into me issues and all and to a solid group of friends that were willing to put up with me and have my back no matter what and while the hole that Remy’s death left would never really be filled, I was living a good life and they should be proud of me and if they weren’t they could just piss off.

Both my folk’s cars were in the driveway when we pulled onto their street. I hissed a breath out between my teeth and tried not to flinch when Rome clapped me on the shoulder and gave me a little shove. “Come on, we’ll be quick.”

I jumped out of the truck and my boots sent little tufts of snow scattering. I could see my breath in the air indicating the weather was going to get worse before we headed home which was kind of how I felt about my situation here. I knew Rome had a key but since I was with him he stopped at the front door and knocked relegating himself to stranger status just like me. I heard shuffling around and it took a few minutes for my dad to come to the door. He peered out at us in surprise and I had to admit I was secretly pleased he looked equally surprised to see Rome as he was to see me.

“Boys? What are you doing here?”

He pushed open the screen door and motioned us into the warm house. I was rubbing my hands together to warm them up so he didn’t even try to give me a hug after he embraced Rome which was fine by me because I wasn’t sure we were at the hugging phase of our relationship anymore.

“Rule had to run an errand before work out this way so I thought we would stop by and say hi. You guys aren’t busy are you?”

“No your mom is upstairs.” His gaze settled on me. “I’m surprised to see you son.”

I wanted to throw out something flippant but in the vein of trying to make peace I gave a lopsided grin and answered, “Yeah I bet. Rome thought it would be cool.”

“Rule this is your home, you are always welcome here.”

I wanted to say I hadn’t felt welcome in well over three years but I just nodded and said, “Thanks for that dad.”

“What kind of errand did you have to do an hour away in the snow?”

I rubbed a hand over my head and looked at Rome sideways. “Uh I actually told Shaw I would come get her car for her. She left it here when she was visiting her folks.”

“Shaw was in Brookside this weekend? You might not want to let your mom know that. She’s having a hard time with the line Shaw drew in the sand. That little gal is just as stubborn as you boys and I don’t think Margot was prepared for her to stick to her guns the way she has. It’s awful nice of you to help her out Rome.”

I rolled my eyes at the automatic assumption Rome was the one she called on even though he had already told him it was my errand. I wasn’t going to say anything but Rome chuckled and patted my dad on the back.

“Not me old-timer. Shaw and Rule have called a truce. You should see them; they actually act civil and spend time like normal people do together. He’s the one that told her he would get the car, I just got roped into being the second driver.”