Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 93575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93575 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 374(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
I swallowed. “You. All of you.”
I was pretty certain there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.
Maddox and Aiden joined me, Aiden taking the microphone. His voice was thick as he spoke. “Since Bentley started this, I want to add my two cents in. This building—” he paused and looked around “—was a dream project for me. A place that we could all gather and celebrate. The heart of our group. We all feed it. With the love that saturates every corner and crevice. The laughter that has echoed in every room. The tears we shared. The celebrations.”
“The revelations!” Ronan shouted out, making everyone laugh.
Aiden nodded. “Those too. And wow, we’ve had some whoppers. But we made it through every single challenge, event, and occasion as a family. Like Bentley, I am in awe of what we built, but he is right. Our legacy is those we brought together, here in this building we created to celebrate the one thing the three of us never thought we would have. Family.” He paused to clear his throat. “These two men beside me are my brothers. My closest friends. They believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself. I will always be grateful…” He paused, and I wondered if his emotions were going to overtake him. But then he grinned, finding the humor the way he always did. “I will forever be grateful that Bentley was too snobbish to really live in a dorm.”
Everyone began to laugh, including me. I looked at Maddox, raising my eyebrow. With a shrug, he took the mic. “Might as well finish this up the way we started. The three of us talking together. I agree with everything Bent said. No accomplishment or success is as great as our family. Nothing will ever come close. And Tree Trunk is right, this building is the beating pulse of all of us. I want to thank Aiden for being Aiden. Always looking after us. Teaching us. Showing us how to overcome adversities. Being the pillar of strength for every person here.”
He paused as the applause broke out, the two of us joining in and Aiden looking shell-shocked.
“And as for Bent, there is no one on earth I admire more. Focused, determined, loyal, and always leading this family with his greatest asset—his heart.” He chuckled. “I guess we’re like the Wizard of Oz. We were looking for something we already had. Brains, courage, and a heart.” He smiled. “And the way home. We found that with one another and built this into our own Kansas, Sandy leading us on like our own Dorothy.”
“Who’s Toto?” someone asked, trying to be funny.
The entire room roared as Aiden looked straight into the room, focusing on one person. “Reid.”
More guffawing broke out. Reid came to join us, grinning. Aiden ruffled his hair the way he used to do in order to drive him nuts. Now that hair was streaked with gray—just like ours.
I waved Van and Halton up to join us. “I have no idea where you two are in the Oz thing,” I mused as they joined us.
Halton grinned. “Oh, I’m the mother bad witch.”
Van laughed. “I guess I’m the good one. I do have a thing for glitter.”
Richard strolled over, handing us all glasses. “I guess that makes me the Wizard. Let’s face it, boys. I’ve always been the one behind the curtain, pulling the strings.” He winked drolly, and everyone laughed again, because it was Richard being Richard.
It took a few moments for the room to settle down. I saw Mila scribbling something in a notebook, and I had a feeling some of the funny lines were going to end up in a book somewhere.
I was fine with that.
Richard raised his glass.
“To Bentley, his vision, and his amazing brothers. The people I’m proud to call my family and friends. And to his toast. Fucking epic.”
Maddox laughed, lifting his glass. “To our families.”
Everyone stood. Someone yelled out, “Live long and prosper!”
I lifted my glass.
I could drink to that.