Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80821 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Tripp
Rhett laughs a lot tonight, more than I’ve ever seen him laugh. Even though I never knew it was there before I got close with Rhett, it’s like this veil lifted tonight with the brothers. I don’t know what the future will bring, and I know things aren’t magically fixed, but tonight it feels like they’re all trying to pretend their past doesn’t exist. In this moment, they’re just three brothers, here with their partners, enjoying being a family.
“Hey, do you remember that time Ella asked for makeup?” Morgan says out of the blue.
Everyone’s gazes shoot to East, Archer’s hand on his nape, fingers dancing in his hair.
East clears his throat, then says, “You and Rhett were shit at it.”
“I think we were shit at most things,” Rhett replies, but East shrugs.
“Yeah, but you tried.” A look passes between them, and somehow, I can feel more of the walls between them crumbling. “I don’t give you credit for that one, though,” East adds. “She looked like a clown.”
“I remember you telling me about that,” Dusty says to Morgan.
“Hey, Rhett sucked more than me. I tried first, and it didn’t turn out so well, but then Rhett came in and made it worse.”
“Gee, thanks, brother.” Rhett chuckles.
“Are you saying it’s not true?” Dusty counters.
“No. It was true, but you don’t have to call me on it.” We share more laughs at Rhett’s words. “It was eight-year-old East who did better than both of us.”
East smiles. “She did my makeup afterward. I was better than her too. Maybe I missed my calling,” he says, and there’s more snickering around the table.
“She was good at that, at finding ways to bring us together,” Morgan says.
“East was too. It was both of them really, trying to teach their older brothers to act better.” Rhett’s gaze darts back and forth between Morgan and East.
Archer leans in, rubbing his temple against East’s, and that seems to unlock something inside him. “Yeah, it was also her idea to stick Morgan’s hand in water while he was sleeping to try and get him to pee his pants, and to put shaving cream in Rhett’s palm and tickle his nose with a feather so he rubbed it all over his face. She was always dragging me into mischief.” There’s a nostalgic smirk on his face as he speaks.
“Are you saying you didn’t like it too?” Morgan cocks a brow.
East holds up his hand, making an inch with his index finger and thumb. “Maybe a little…or a lot.” He plays with his napkin. “God, she was fun.”
“So much fun,” Morgan adds.
“She made people feel good.” Rhett turns to me. “Reminds me of Meadow that way.”
“Me too,” East says, and I can’t help the pride I feel in that, in the way my girl brings people together. “This feels good, talking about Ella like this. We should do it more.”
I hold up my glass again. “To Ella.” And for the second time tonight, we clink our glasses, and this time, everyone says, “To Ella.”
*
“Tonight was fun,” I say as we’re driving to my house. “Let’s do it again.”
“Yeah, it was fun. I agree.” Rhett reaches over, plays in the hair at my nape. “I told them about us.”
Damn, do I like knowing that. “Were they jealous?” I tease.
“They should be,” he plays along, but then his expression sobers. “I never thought I would have something like this, that I would deserve it. I’ve never felt like anyone chose me before, and why would they? But you…I feel like you want me, and I can’t thank you enough for that.”
“Jesus, baby. Why do you have to say something like that when I’m driving?” I pull into the driveway and turn off the truck. The interior light turns on. “I would always choose you. I’ve been waiting for you and didn’t even know it.” I cup his stubbled cheek. “I’m so fucking in love with you, Rhett Swift.”
His pupils take over his dark eyes. “You are?” he asks, sounding mystified.
“Yes, baby. Tell me you see that. Tell me you feel it. You’re so fucking loved, and there are so many of us who will do everything so you never doubt that again.”
I don’t know which of us moves first, probably both of us, but before I know it, our lips are fused together, tongues in each other’s mouths. With a collision of touch and emotion and hunger, we’re kissing and then pulling apart and running toward the house with laughter falling between us.
It’s a new state of Rhett, this laughter and happiness, and I feel like the luckiest man alive that I get to experience it with him.
“I won,” he says when he gets to the door first, cheeks pink from the cold.
“I think we both did.”
I unlock the door, and then we’re stumbling inside, tugging off coats and kicking out of shoes as if we’ll die if we don’t come together right this second.