Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“I believe this is the most Chase Hawthorne room I’ve ever walked into. Though it doesn’t smell as strongly of gym socks as Griff’s room used to when the two of you were in it.”
“You better be careful, or I’ll give you the Kellan Special like we used to.”
Ugh. They used to always torture me. One of them would hold me down, and they would give me noogies until I told them both they were like, kings of the universe or something stupid like that. It had been annoying as shit, but now I knew how to make Chase squirm, so I winked and said, “You better be careful, or I’ll hold you to that promise. I like it a little kinky.”
He crossed his arms again and shook his head, but he couldn’t hide that twist of the right side of his mouth. It gave Chase away every time he wanted to smile. “Don’t smile, or you’ll ruin it. Then I’ll know you aren’t really mad at me.” How many times had he said that to me over the years? It was fun to be on the other side of it now.
Chase groaned, that sexy, throaty sound that made my dick hard. “I’m beginning to feel like this was a mistake.”
“I’m wondering what took you so long to figure that out,” I replied, making my way toward the kitchen. “What’s for dinner? And do you have a beer? I could use a drink.”
“You and me both, Twerp.”
For now, I let the twerp go. I had a feeling Chase had no idea what to do with me.
CHAPTER SIX
Chase
There had always been something special about Kellan. Griff saw it too. We’d talked about it more than once as Kell got older. He brought out something in people, whether he made you feel good, or made you laugh, or made you want to throttle him because he drove you batshit crazy. He had the ability to do it all. There had been moments I’d wanted to protect the kid from the world, and others when I’d wanted to strangle him. It was usually a toss-up between the two, sometimes going back and forth minute by minute.
But he’d also always made me feel comfortable. I didn’t know what it was about him. Even that night when I told him I was bisexual. Yeah, one could say it was because we’d wondered if he was gay and wanted to make sure he knew he wasn’t alone, but a part of me had wanted to get it out for years, to be open about that aspect of myself, but I hadn’t had the balls to share it with anyone other than Kellan. It wasn’t something I could explain, but something that simply was.
As much as Griff meant to me, there had always been that insecure side of me that believed he felt sorry for me, like he knew I needed him. And yeah, I did need his friendship. It had always been one of the most important things in my life, but I sure as shit didn’t want to feel like Griff thought he had to take care of me.
The way Kellan likely feels about both of us…
Well, shit. Why had I never seen it that way before? It made perfect sense after he told me, and I hated my role in it.
I pulled two bottles of beer from the fridge and handed them over to Kellan, then grabbed the foil-wrapped packages of potatoes and the steak, and we made our way out to the back deck.
“I did the potatoes like your mom used to—sliced up with the onions and peppers.”
“Dad loved them that way.” Kellan raised the beer to his mouth and took a swallow. There was a wistful sadness to his voice. “I forget those little things about them sometimes.”
“Yeah. I do too. Not that it’s the same. They were your parents, not mine, but—”
“They loved you like a son, Chase. Come on, you gotta know that. And they’d be so proud of you. The Marines, and now you’re a cop. Have to admit, I never saw either of those things coming.”
“I…” My words lodged in my throat. I wasn’t good at shit like this. Kellan must have known it because he nodded, letting me off the hook, which only made me want to continue. He sat down, and I turned my back to him as I checked the charcoal because fuck that gas-grill shit. “Thank you. That means a lot to me. They were the only parents I really knew.” I’d never called them Mom and Dad or anything like that, but I’d always known I’d had the Caines in my corner.
“I know. I want to make sure you know they loved you too. I might have been younger, but even I could see that. You have the right to grieve for them as much as Griff and I do.”