Thirty

Thursday, February 8, 2024

On Thursday night, Stone found himself atDonovan's, his mind still drifting back to the night he spent with Stevie. He hadn't seen her since she left for work yesterday morning, but he'd talked to her a few times via text message. Both of them. His exchanges with Nico were becoming more frequent, as though the night Stevie had stayed at Stone's was a turning point for all of them.

He would've preferred to be at their house tonight, but he had an ulterior motive for seeking out his brother. Yeah, he enjoyed the time he got to spend with Donovan, but he was looking for business advice. And since Donovan had the experience that came with creating and building a successful business, Stone knew his input would be invaluable.

So here he was, drinking a beer while Donovan skimmed the business proposal on his laptop. Stone tried not to read too much into his facial expressions, but he couldn't help it. His future was riding on his successful presentation of this to his aunt and uncle. Considering Lorrie and Curtis had a wealth of nieces and nephews who would likely jump at the opportunity to do what Stone was trying to do, he refused to half-ass it.

"This is good," Donovan finally said as he sat up and reached for his beer. "You sure you didn't take a business class or two in college?"

"I didn't go to college."

"I know. Maybe you should have. You've got a knack for it."

"For what?" Stone snorted. "For puttin' together a PowerPoint presentation?"

"This is more than that," Donovan countered, pointing at the screen. "The numbers tell a story, Stone. They outline the potential and this… I'm impressed. Really."

Stone felt a sense of pride swell in his chest, but he played it off. "That's the easy part. The hard part's gonna be gettin' this thing off the ground."

"Maybe." Donovan leaned back in his chair. "Looks to me like you've got it mapped out pretty well."

"I've had a lot of time to think about it."

"So what're you waitin' for? Why not take it to them now?"

"I've gotta get the green light from their boys."

"Ah." Donovan tipped his beer bottle to his lips. "How's that goin'?"

"Travis, Sawyer, and Kaleb are good with it. I'm meetin' with Braydon, Brendon, and Ethan next week."

"I can't imagine they'll have a problem with it."

Stone hoped not, but he wasn't assuming anything at this point. He was prepared to put in the work, and if that meant convincing them that this was the right thing, he was willing.

"That leaves Zane," Donovan noted. "What's he say about it all?"

"He hasn't called me back."

Donovan frowned. "You try again?"

"I've left him four messages." Stone sighed. "He's avoidin' me."

"Maybe he's busy."

Stone gave his brother a get-real look. Yeah, maybe Zane was busy but too busy to answer the damn phone and agree on a place to meet and talk? Or even just return his call or shoot him a text to say there's not a chance in hell he'll give his approval. No fucking way. Zane was definitely avoiding him. He just didn't know why.

"He is the baby," Donovan noted. "Maybe he thinks it's his duty to hold out."

"He's also an adult," Stone shot back. "He could own it and fuckin' call me."

"True. Did you piss him off?"

"I haven't seen him in years."

"Did you piss him off the last time you saw him?"

Stone rolled his eyes. "No."

"You sure about that?"

He wasn't sure about anything other than the fact Zane was ignoring him.

"Do you know his wife?"

Stone knew where that question was leading and didn't appreciate the accusation. "I didn't fuck Vanessa Carmichael."

"Walker," Donovan clarified.

"I know what her name is now. But back in the day…" Stone shook his head. "She's a few years older than me."

"Can't blame a guy." Donovan smirked as he took a pull on his beer. "You did fuck pretty much anything that walked when you were younger."

He couldn't argue that point because it was true. But Stone wasn't that guy anymore.

"What about Beau?" Donovan asked. "You have beef with Beau?"

He frowned. "What would that matter?"

"Zane and Beau have been best friends since they were kids."

"No," Stone stated. "I didn't. I knew who he was, but…" He shook his head. "No."

"Hmm. It's a mystery, I guess."

A mystery that could be solved if Zane would just fucking call him back.

"Track him down and make him talk to you," Donovan suggested.

"Oh, sure. That's a damn good way to get him to agree. Force him to face me."

"What else are you gonna do?"

Stone honestly didn't know. He would have to come up with something, though. Especially if he got the green light from Braydon, Brendon, and Ethan. If they were on board, he would have no choice but to confront Zane.

***

"Are we done talkin' about you?" Donovanasked his brother.

Stone stared at him like the question had come out of left field.

"Just checkin'. You're sensitive. I wanna make sure you get all the time you need to feel whole."

Stone's eyebrows narrowed. "Fuck you."

He laughed. "I'm gettin' married."

"I heard that rumor." Stone rolled his eyes. "You forget you already told me the good news, bro?"

"No, I mean, we're actually makin' plans. It's happenin'."

His brother's expression relaxed, and a genuine smile formed. "That's great news. You tell Mom and Dad yet?"

Donovan shook his head and downed what was left of his beer. He went to get another.

"So what's the holdup?" Stone asked when he returned, setting two more beers on the table.

"Tate wants to talk to Reilly first."

"Are they on the outs?"

"No."

"Are their phones broken?"

"No."

"Is there a reason they're avoidin' each other?"

Donovan shook his head. He knew Stone would keep going if he let him. "We've decided to get married in Vegas."

Stone's smile was slow and mischievous. "Dad's gonna be thrilled. Mom's gonna kick. Your. Ass."

Donovan feared his brother was right. Which was part of the reason he hadn't talked to his parents yet. He needed to, but he was making excuses, pretending he was waiting for Tate and Reilly to finalize their plans.

"Not just Tate and me," he admitted, watching Stone's reaction. "Reilly and Brady wanna get married in Vegas, too."

Stone's eyebrows launched skyward. "No shit? A double weddin'? In Vegas?"

Donovan nodded.

Stone barked a laugh. "Mom's gonna shit kittens."

There was a good chance he wasn't wrong about that. When Donovan mentioned a double wedding to Tate, he'd been joking. He never would've said anything if he thought Tate would run with the idea. But that was where they were at. As soon as Tate mentioned it to Reilly, his baby sister exploded with ideas. To the point that Donovan realized he and Brady didn't have a say in the matter anymore. They were simply along for the ride.

"How's that work?" Stone asked. "Isn't Brady supposed to be your best man? And vice versa?" He laughed. "And wouldn't Reilly be Tate's? And—"

"Vice versa," Donovan supplied for him. "Yeah. They're tryin' to come up with a solution."

Stone laughed, the sound echoing through the kitchen. "Man, I guess there are worse problems to have."

He wasn't wrong.

"Speakin' of problems." It was Donovan's turn to smile. "How are Stevie and Nico?"

Stone went still, his eyes searching. Donovan knew he was wondering how he had found out. He gave him a minute because, seriously, the answer was simple.

"Reilly."

"Bingo."

"How does she know?"

Donovan shrugged. "I don't think she does. Not entirely. My guess is she's fillin' in the blanks. At one time, you were with Stevie. Nico and Stevie are business partners."

"Plus, they live together," Stone noted.

"That, too."

Stone frowned. "How the fuck does that equal me and Stevie and Nico?"

"It doesn't." Donovan pointed at his brother. "But that does. The look on your face says it all."

Stone opened his mouth but closed it again.

"Is it serious?" Donovan wasn't sure what he expected Stone to say, but it certainly wasn't what came out of his brother's mouth next.

"I love them."

"Oh." Donovan stalled by taking a drink. "This is real."

"It's definitely real." Stone gestured toward the laptop. "Did you not notice I'm wantin' to go into business with them?"

Donovan chuckled. "I went into business with Brady. Didn't mean I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him."

"Yet here you are, havin' a double weddin' with your boy at your side."

Donovan flipped him off.

Something churned in Stone's eyes. Worry? Fear?

"It's not all rainbows and unicorns?"

"We're workin' through … some stuff."

"That's to be expected. Doesn't explain the constipated look, though."

Stone's attention shifted to his beer bottle. "I'm worried what Chelsea might say."

"She's gonna say she's happy for you."

Stone met his stare. "The first time I fucked him was the night they broke up at the house. The night I punched him."

"Same night." Donovan took a long pull on his beer. "Wow."

"I didn't plan it."

"So where did this … uh … take place?" He held up a hand, halting his brother as the puzzle pieces clicked into place. "The loft. Right. CJ mentioned somethin' about you and Nico and…"

"Stevie," Stone noted. "Yeah."

Donovan did not want details. He didn't want to know what went down between the three of them, but he could tell his brother needed to get it off his chest.

"It just happened," Stone finally said, picking at the label on his beer bottle.

"Do you regret it?"

Stone's gaze snapped up. "Not a single second."

"I don't think you have to worry about Chelsea. She's happy."

"I want this," Stone said. "To be with them. I've never wanted anything this fuckin' much."

"Not even to own a ranch?"

His brother was quiet momentarily, his gaze lingering on the beer bottle. When he looked up, Donovan knew what he was about to say was the honest-to-God truth.

"I'd give up everything just to have them in my life."

Donovan understood that all too well. He felt the same about Tate. And it had hit him like a wrecking ball. Hard and fast. When he realized he was in love with Tate, nothing had been the same. His entire existence had shifted as though it was now taking place on a different plane.

And no amount of money, success, or anything else could make him want to go back.