Continuation 1

Standing outside Brody's door—well, I guess it's Ainsley's door now—I close my eyes then look down at Sadie. "Little sister," I tell her one more time, opening the door. "It's about time," Brody says as his fiancé Skye hops up off his lap. They are the ideal couple. Everyone envies them. They've been dating since undergrad, and Brody finally asked Skye to marry him. The wedding is just around the corner. Not sure what took him so long. Aside from one brief breakup while we were in veterinary school, they've been inseparable. Skye is like a sister to me. "Nice date," Brody teases, cocking his head to Sadie. "Best looking woman I've seen you with in a long time." I affectionately flip him the bird. "Sadie's the longest relationship you've ever had with a woman. In fact, she might be the only woman in your life besides your mommy." Brody's right about that. And it's by design. Settling down, getting married, not something I've ever looked for. College, vet school, starting our own clinic—that's been the priority for me. Besides, I prefer to keep things carefree with women. I'm only thirty-one. I grab Skye, easily twirling her petite body around and dipping her. "What about this fine little thing?" "What about me?" Ainsley asks, coming out of the bedroom, wearing tiny black shorts, knee high socks, and a fitted Atlanta Braves t-shirt. Her hair is on top of her head in a messy bun. She's the whole package—blue eyes, that strawberry blonde hair, funny, smart, curves for days, and an ass that is so perfect that it's almost obscene.

Little sister, little sister, little sister.

"A. Rose!" I say as she wraps her arms around my neck, going in for a full-frontal hug. Having her tits pressed against my chest isn't helping, but Christ, she smells good. "When are you going to stop calling me that?" she asks, her bottom lip pouting out just slightly. I shouldn't be noticing that, but if it keeps my eyes on her face and not her gorgeous tits, then I figure it's the lesser of two evils. "It's your name," I say simply. "A" is her first initial, and "Rose" is their last name. It just fits her and has stuck. Ainsley bends down to pat Sadie, who has rolled over on her back, panting heavily in demand for Ainsley to pay her some attention. Ainsley looks up at me from under her lashes, and I hope I don't start panting, having her on her knees right in front of me.

"Game's on," Brody announces, turning up the television for the Braves game, and pulling Skye down onto his lap. "Beer's in the fridge." Ainsley looks over at Skye and her brother smiling at each other. Skye fits perfectly in his lap. They look so in love, their brown eyes gazing at each other. I hear Ainsley sigh wistfully. She catches my eye for a second then gets up, taking a seat on a chair, and pats it for Sadie to jump up with her. "No dogs on the furniture," Brody says. "You don't live here anymore," Ainsley says, patting Sadie with even more affection. "Don't be such a hard ass," I say to her brother then pat the chair, too, encouraging Sadie. "She's older now. She has arthritis."

I still remember the day I found Sadie. It was Freshman year of undergrad. At the time, I thought I was going to be an attorney like my dad, so I was taking a criminal justice class. One of the class requirements was to do a police ride along. We got a call about some disturbance in a trailer park on the outskirts of Charleston. I wasn't supposed to get out of the car, but I was eighteen and thought I knew best. Turned out in this case, I did. In the middle of an old tire, I found the saddest, skinniest runt of a puppy whimpering as she cuddled next to her dead mother. She was so small at the time I don't think she could've gotten herself out of the tire. I picked her up, smuggled her into my dorm, and managed to keep her hidden there for the rest of the year. Feeding her with bottles and taking care of her made me want to be a vet.

Ainsley Eskimo kisses my dog. Lucky bitch. "You're still my sweet puppy-wuppy, aren't you, girl?" Sadie's normally flopping ear sticks straight up in the air. "Boner," Skye calls out. "What?" I turn toward her, afraid my own dick is showing. "Sadie's got an ear boner," Skye says, laughing. "She's a girl," Ainsley says, flopping Sadie's ear back down. "You've been a nurse at the fertility clinic too long. Now you're imagining boners." Brody's eyes flip to Ainsley. "Watch your mouth." Brody may be my best friend, but the dude rides his sister way too hard. Ainsley is the sweetest looking girl you'd ever see, but she can hold her own. She has a bit of wild child in her, although she doesn't come out to play very often. I could do something about that. I know Brody means well. They lost their parents our senior year of undergrad.—house fire over Christmas break, leaving Brody the sole caretaker for Ainsley, who was only fifteen at the time. I'll never forget that phone call—my best friend in tears. Guys don't cry, especially in front of one another. I drove through the night to get to him. Brody wasn't just my college roommate, but my best friend. We are like brothers. So there was no question that I would stand by him during that tragedy, even if that meant moving his little sister into our college bachelor pad. I wasn't going to let him leave school, move home. We had plans. The vet clinic was one of them. I made a promise to him. Skye did, too. The three of us would help him raise Ainsley. And we did. So, Ainsley isn't just my best friend's little sister. She's so much more. "Seriously, Brody, I spent my teenage years with you and Rhett. Every morning for years, I was greeted with morning wood," Ainsley says. Skye elbows Brody in the side. She and I are constantly reminding him not to be so overbearing. He stills sees Ainsley as that teenage girl who cried herself to sleep for weeks after their parents died. He protects her with the love of a brother, but also the love of a mother and father. Most of the time, Ainsley lets it slide. They're all they have left of their "real" family, so he can take it to the extreme. Another reason for me not to touch his little sister. I see Brody glaring at her, and Ainsley glares right back. Time to help her out.