The Dance Part 2

Chapter 299 The Family Secret

By the end of the day, the two families had reunited for dinner. As Matt and Bam entertained the brood with fishing stories, Jill and Lila prepared a simple dinner of Brown spaghetti.

"So you told him?" Lila was never one to miss an opportunity to know everything about her sister-in-laws. It helped keep order in a rather unorderly environment. She was a natural mediator between the wives and their brothers offering sage advice when needed.

"I told him." Jill smiled broadly at Lila. "And he is immensely happy."

"Do you think it was too much to soon?"

Jill contemplated the question before offering her opinion. "I think it was what he needed. A new start. Something positive to look forward to after so many bad things."

"I'm happy for you both, truly happy."

Matt rounded everyone up at the table and asked Lucas to offer the blessing. He was the eldest of the second generation of Browns and was beginning to take notice of his familial responsibilities over his brothers and cousins. He was in many ways more like his uncle Bam always keeping a watchful eye on Colton, Jace, Lily, Violet and Gypsy.

The door to Matt and Jill's house slammed open as Gabe huffed through the front door hollering for Matt. "Women! I am done trying to guess what Lucy wants anymore. Can I sleep here tonight?"

Unfortunately for Gabe, he didn't realize he was interrupting a family dinner and now stood red faced in the dining room as everyone turned to look at him. He immediately threw his hands up and tried to apologize as he was backing out of the house but his sister-in-laws coaxed him back in offering him a plate of spaghetti and a shoulder to cry on.

Gabe woofed his dinner down and as the moms attended to putting the kids to bed, he spilled his guts to his older brothers. "One minute she wants kids and then in the next breath, she bans me to the couch. This running hot and cold like tap water is getting old."

Matt and Bam shared a snicker at Gabe's expense. He was still somewhat naive in how to navigate the delicate world of being a married man. He had not yet mastered the art of compromise or holding his ground and Lucy could be a formidable opponent. She was exactly like their wives, fiercely independent and outspoken. His brothers had learned how to go toe to toe with their better halves and they always found a way to reconcile their differences in the bedroom.

"Little brother, we can't let you sleep here tonight. That's just not the right way to handle your woman. Wasn't I an example of that?" Matt was rather blunt and unsympathetic to his issue.

"Matt's right." Bam paused for a moment. "Wait, did I just agree with him?"

Gabe ran his hands through his mussed hair. "Tell me what to do!"

"Are you going to tell him our secrets?" Bam was amused by Gabe's frustrations.

"Whoa! There are secrets to this stuff. Why didn't you all tell me? Spill. What am I missing?" Gabe pleaded with a school boy enthusiasm.

"Well, Gabey, it's like this. You gotta bring her to the edge and then leave her hanging."

"Leave her hanging for what?" The perplexing look on Gabe's innocent face made the elder brothers howl with laughter.
"What's so funny?"

Matt waved Gabe closer to him. "You have to, you know, make her want you. "Matt wiggled his eyebrows and laughed an evil little laugh. "And then just as she becomes interested again, you stop and go do something else."

"That's it? That's your big secret." Gabe was disappointed. He expected something more grandiose and complicated.

Bam slapped his younger brother on the back and ordered him back home. "You got all the equipment you need on you, brother. Now go make us proud to call you a Vriwn man."

Gabe pushed away from the table shaking his head. "You two are something else." He passed the girls on his way out mumbling to himself.

"You alright Gabe?" Lila and Jill paused for his answer.

Gabe pointed at his brothers smiling devilishly back at him. "They are manipulators. Do you know what they told me?"

Jill and Lila exchanged knowing glances. "Trust them Gabey. It works."

"Aaarrrrgggghhhh! What is wrong with everyone in this family?"

Lila jokingly responded, "Happy wife." Jill finished her sister-in-law's sentence. "Happy life."

Happy by Pharrell Williams