Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 58090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58090 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 194(@300wpm)
“Thanks, Don. I appreciate that. I’m good though. I’m staying with Paxton while the repairs happen and between the insurance and my aunt, there’s no money out of my pocket, thankfully,” Hartford says.
My dad nods. “The most important thing is that you weren’t hurt. Everything else is replaceable.” He looks at me and back at her. “You are irreplaceable.”
That’s the damn truth.
“You’re sweet, Don,” she says.
“Dad, quit hogging Hartford. I haven’t gotten my arms around her yet,” Brock says, hugging her as he lifts her.
“Asshole,” I mumble.
“What’s wrong with you?” Shepherd asks.
I pull my eyes away from the obvious display to piss me off—which worked—and look at Shep. “Nothing.”
“Right,” he says with amusement on his face.
“Hey, Hartford. Sorry about your house. Hope my little brother is making you feel welcome,” Callum says.
“He is,” she says, trying to hide her smile. Which makes me puff out my chest with pride.
I go over and wrap my arm around her, squeezing her side. “She’s well taken care of. Don’t worry.”
“Oh, she is, huh?” Brock asks, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Enough, Brock,” my dad says, shaking his head.
I grin as I lead Hartford back to the love seat. Shepherd and Callum are still seated on the couch, and Tripp plops down on the couch next to them. Brock heads into the kitchen to say hello to our mother, and I want to wrap my arms around Hartford and have her snuggle down beside me as we watch the game on TV.
That would be too obvious, and I don’t want to give my brothers any ammunition.
Brock heads back into the living room, leaning against the frame of the entryway from the kitchen to the living area.
“You can have my spot,” Hartford says, getting up, and I try to reach out because I don’t want her to go. “Where are you going?” I ask her, hoping she’s not trying to make the great escape. I know my family can be overbearing at times, but Hartford’s been at my house more times than I can even count. She’s also been a guest of many Sunday dinners over the years, so this shouldn’t be too much for her.
“I’m going to hang out with the girls in the kitchen,” she says, walking away from me.
Brock throws his body into the spot Hartford just vacated, and knocks me in the shoulder. “What’s wrong with you?”
“What?” I ask.
“That exchange. It felt like you guys are a couple or something.”
“Pax,” Tripp interrupts, and I’ve never been more thankful.
“What?” I ask. I’m becoming annoyed because I know my brothers can sense something going on between me and Hartford, and I don’t want to tell them anything. It’s none of their business.
Hell, I don’t even know what’s going on. Sure, we’ve had sex. Great sex. Life-changing sex, but that doesn’t mean we’re a couple, does it?
Fuck. I don’t even know what’s going on, so how am I supposed to tell anyone else about it?
“You do look like a couple. More than normal,” Tripp says in a raspy voice. He looks like shit, and I’m sure he’s probably hungover. Again.
“Nothing’s going on.” When is dinner going to be ready? I hate getting the third degree from my brothers. “Everything’s fine,” I add on for good measure.
Callum and our father discuss the game, while Shep, Brock, and Tripp focus on me.
“Are you trying to convince us, or yourself?” Shep asks.
“You all are a bunch of assholes,” I say, not really sure why I’m even so bothered. I’m used to my brothers joking around with me. Normally I can give as good as I get, but today there’s something off.
I blame my mother.
Her saying I needed to claim Hartford before one of my brothers did really got to me. Okay, she didn’t say it quite like that, but she meant that, right?
My head’s a mess.
Hartford and Anya come back into the living room, and Hartford squeezes between me and Brock on the couch. She rests her hand on my thigh as she hands me a beer.
“Thank you,” I say, thinking about the fact that I never even asked her for a beer. I should marry this woman.
That thought makes me pause, but then I think about Hartford as my wife. I think about getting to have Hartford by my side always and not having to worry about any of my brothers moving in on her.
“Scoot over,” I tell Brock, realizing he’s way too close to Hartford and it’s pissing me off. Would it be weird if I told all of my brothers that none of them are allowed to look at Hartford while she’s here?
Probably.
As my family chatters about the game, work, and life, I stay silent, lost in thought. Hartford squeezes my thigh, and I want nothing more than to pull her close to me and kiss her madly.