Carter (The Harlow Brothers Book 1) by Brie Paisley Page A

me?
    Okay you’re pissing me off.
    Stop ignoring me.
    Carter please we need to talk.
    I guess you’re busy.
    I take a deep breath before replying. I can feel the irritation rising, and it’s becoming really hard not to be a dick to her when she does things like this.
    I’m having brunch with bros. We’ll talk later.
    I don’t even set my phone all the way down before she messages me right back. Caden bursts out laughing, making the other customers stare, and Cason cracks his knuckles looking bored or angry. I’m not sure which one it is since Cason is hard to read.
    Where are you?
    I know better than to tell her where I am and instead of saying anything back, I turn off my phone and lay it on the table. “She doesn’t know when to quit, does she?” Cason asks.
    “Apparently not. I’ll talk with her later. I can’t keep letting her blow up my phone and repeatedly show up at the office.”
    “And how do you plan on breaking her love connection?” Caden pipes in.
    I roll my eyes, wishing I could smack that shit eating grin off his face. “I’ll think of something.”
    “Sure you will.”
    “You can stop at any time with being a dick bag,” I snap. He holds up his hands in surrender, and I try to reign in my temper with him. He just has a way of getting to me the most out of all my brothers. Thankfully Kelly brings our food before Caden and I have words. She places our plates in front of us, and Cason and I politely thank her.
    “Thanks, Sugar,” Caden says to her, and Cason and I both shake our heads. Kelly beams and blushes as she walks away.
    “Can you not fuck our new waitress? Jesus man, we just got used to her.” Cason does have a point. Caden will fuck anything with legs and a vagina.
    “It’s not my fault you didn’t tap that last one before I did.”
    “Really? I have standards, unlike you.”
    I take a deep breath, hating to be the oldest and the one that has to calm everyone down. “Okay, we get it. Caden is a man-whore, but can we not discuss this while I eat? I really would like not to vomit all over the place.” Cason grins and Caden says something under his breath that I don’t catch, but at least they cool it and begin eating.
    Halfway through the meal, Caden has to go and ruin it. “So, what are you going to do about Dad retiring? You know it’s time to man up, and just take over the firm already.”
    I glare at him, lower my silverware, and wipe my mouth. He continues to eat, as though what he just said wasn’t that big of a deal. Cason avoids eye contact with me, staring down at his plate. “Look, I get you don’t understand why I’m having second thoughts, but for once can you please stay the fuck out of it?”
    “Why are you getting your panties in a wad? I’m just asking, hell everyone wants to know what you’re going to do. And it’s not like Dad’s making you do anything. I just know if you don’t take it, and Dad sells, you’ll regret it eventually.” Caden sighs then shovels a fork full of eggs into his mouth. He at least swallows before saying, “I know you don’t think you want the responsibility of running the firm, but I also know you’re the man for the job.”
    “Your confidence in me is shockingly surprising.” And it is. I had no idea Caden felt this way about me taking over the firm, and in a way his words give me the boost I need to make the choice. I still don’t have my mind made up completely, but knowing my brother has my back means more than I’ll ever tell him. He’d never let me live that down.
    “Well the way I see it, if I need a lawyer I know I can come to you, and how am I going to do that if some douche takes over?”
    I laugh and Cason says, “Yeah you’ll need a lawyer if you keep banging everything that has tits.” And this of course leads to them bickering again, but I can’t quit laughing at them to try and stop it. Even when the entire restaurant stares at us, I can’t seem to stop.
    My laughter finally dies down when I