Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

RYLAND

“Do you think Bower’s single?” Abel asks as he stares over at Bower and Gabby sitting under the large oak tree, both eating hot dogs and chatting with Aubree and Hattie.

“Dude, she’s way too much for you,” I say. “From the brief interaction I’ve had with her, I’d say it’s a no.”

Hayes shuts the lid of the grill and whispers, “She reminds me of Maggie, Hattie’s best friend. Not a filter in sight and has zero embarrassment. Ryland’s right. Not for you, man.” Hayes pats Abel’s shoulder.

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“Are you interested in dating?” Hayes asks. “Always got the impression that you weren’t really into it.”

He shrugs. “Now that Ryland has a . . . has a Gabby?—”

“I don’t have a Gabby,” I say, annoyed.

“I just feel like I need something in my life. Maybe not a woman. Could be a pet. Maybe I need a dog.”

“You realize that a woman and a dog are not the same thing, right?” I ask.

“Well aware. Just feeling out my options is all.”

The girls all laugh, and I hate to admit it because I’m not that guy who’d even consider a girlfriend, but Gabby seems to fit in well.

“Uncle Ry Ry,” Mac says as she approaches us, ketchup smeared across her face. “Uncle Wyatt wants another burger, and I’d like more chips.”

“Did you eat your fruits and veggies?” I ask her.

She glances toward her plate, which I can see from here. She and Wyatt are having a picnic out in the grass with the Chewys. No one else was invited. And from what I can see, cucumbers are still on her plate.

“Not all of them.”

“Well, you need to eat them all. Then you can have more chips.”

“Fine,” she says in a deflated tone.

“And tell Uncle Wyatt he’s not getting another burger until you eat all of your cucumbers.”

An evil grin spreads across her face. “He’s not going to like that.”

“Those are the rules.”

“Uncle Wyatt!” Mac shouts as she runs up to him to tell him the news.

I stare off at them, and the bond that they share makes me feel . . . slightly left out.

And I know I shouldn’t feel that way. I should feel happy that she has Wyatt in her life, but hell, their bond is just different.

“What’s that look for?” Hayes asks.

I clear my head and avoid looking at Mac. “What look?”

“The look of sadness, like you’re doing something wrong.”

“Nothing,” I say.

“Nope, there’s a sad look there,” Abel points out. “What is it? And don’t tell us nothing. We know you well enough to know that it’s something.”

He’s right.

I tug on the back of my neck. “I don’t know. Sometimes I think that Cassidy made the wrong decision.”

“What are you talking about?” Abel asks.

“With MacKenzie. She clearly has a special bond with Wyatt. Maybe Cassidy should have given custody to Wyatt and Aubree.”

“Wyatt wasn’t even in the picture when Cassidy was sick,” Abel says. “How would she have known he’d be coming back into our lives, let alone marry your sister?”

“Not to mention,” Hayes says, “Mac found a picture of you in our house last night, and she carried it around all night, holding it close to her chest. She also slept with it, making both Hattie and I say good night to you. She might have a special bond with Wyatt, but her bond with you is stronger. Cassidy made the right decision.”

“He’s right,” Abel says. “Cassidy always said that you were the reason she, Hattie, and Aubree turned out as normal as they did. You gave them a place of safety.”

I shake my head. “That was Cassidy.”

“Cassidy learned from you,” Abel counters, and fuck, this conversation’s too heavy for a backyard grill party—if that’s what you want to call it.

I clear my throat. “Let’s, uh, let’s not get into that.”

“No, maybe not,” Hayes says. “Maybe we talk about Gabby and what you did last night.”

“Or,” I counter, getting sick of the inquisition from my family members, “we talk about when the hell you plan on proposing to my sister. She’s a ticking time bomb, and you need to do it soon.”

Hayes glances over his shoulder and then back at us. He whispers, “I started mapping things out, but you can’t fucking say anything, not even to Wyatt. He’s a loudmouth.”

“You didn’t ask me for permission,” I say.

Hayes rolls his eyes. “Don’t need it. But I want to make it something special, so I’ll need help. I need to finalize the details first. I want it to be a total surprise.”

“When are you planning on doing this?” I ask.

“A few weeks. The ring should be done by then.”

“Shit, you got a ring?” Abel asks.

“Yes, custom.”

“Fancy,” Abel says.

“Well, keep us updated, and don’t tell Aubree or Wyatt until the last moment. Or Mac. Christ, don’t tell Mac,” I say.

“I’m not a moron, man. But you two are the only ones I’m telling, so if word gets out, your necks are on the line.”

“I won’t say shit,” I say.

Abel brings his drink to his mouth and says, “You can trust me not to say anything. I like my neck.”

Just then, Aubree walks over with her plate. She leans in, and I already know that look on her face. “I like her.”

Aubree was the impenetrable one in our family. She doesn’t like emotions. She doesn’t like touchy-feely things. She’s very much the rock and always has been.

But ever since she’s been with Wyatt, she’s changed. She’s softer. And I don’t like it, especially when she comes at me with that look that says she’s going to say something annoying to me.

“Good,” I say. “She could use more friends.”

Aubree juts out a hip in annoyance. “No, I like her for you.”

“Can we not, please? You made me invite her. I did it to be nice, but please don’t start with this shit, okay?”

“But . . . her friend Bower was telling us how you’ve been taking care of her . . . carrying her upstairs to her apartment?”

“You carried her?” Abel asks. “You didn’t tell us that.”

I tug on the brim of my hat. “She could barely walk, so what the hell was I supposed to do, just watch her suffer?”

“She was wearing his shirt this morning,” Aubree whispers.

Hayes and Abel turn to me with a raised brow.

“She was wearing your shirt?” Hayes asks.

“Did you swap? Did you wear hers last night?”

Hayes and Aubree laugh. “God, I’d love to see that,” Hayes says.

“Does that mean you spent the night together?” Aubree presses.

“No,” I answer.

“How did she end up in your shirt?” Abel asks. “Did she fall into it?”

“Did she just so happen to trip, tumble, and stumble into one of your unpacked boxes and come out wearing your shirt?” Aubree asks.

I look up at all of them. Their gleeful faces are really fucking annoying. “You know, I don’t need this.” And with that, I walk right past them toward . . . hell, right toward Gabby.

The three of them chuckle behind me, but I ignore them. Instead, I focus on Gabby while my mind thinks about her in my shirt last night and how I loved seeing her in it.

How I loved seeing her in it this morning.

And seeing her in it this afternoon.

When Gabby spots me approaching, she smiles sweetly. “Thank you for inviting us. The hot dogs were amazing.”

“Yes, thank you,” Bower says. “And the pasta salad was the best I’ve ever had.”

“That would be me,” Hattie says with the raise of her hand. “I’m not very good at cooking. I’m better at baking actually, but I can make a mean pasta salad.”

“Delicious. Actually, maybe you can describe the way you made it to me right over there,” Bower says, not sounding coy at all.

It takes Hattie a second, but she nods and smiles. “Yes, I’d love to tell you all about it right over there.”

Together, they take off, and I just shake my head and take a seat next to Gabby. “Do you need anything else? Want another hot dog? Another drink? Maybe a new friend? Because I’m looking for some new family members.”

“I’m good,” she says with a laugh, patting her stomach. “Seriously full over here.”

“You sure? Not even room for dessert?” I tease.

“What kind of dessert are we talking about?”

I smirk. “Gummy worms. It’s all I have.”

“Hmm, shame.”

I look back at our group of friends staring at us, but when they see me stare back, they turn their attention away. “They’re irritating.”

“At least you don’t have to spend the night with them. Bower is going to go on and on about this all night. I’m not going to get any sleep. She’s going to repeatedly tell me how stupid she thinks I am and how I’m making a bad choice by doing the friends-with-no-benefits thing.”

“Yeah, join the club,” I say while smoothing my hand over my jaw.

“Are we being stupid?” she asks softly.

“Maybe,” I say. “But next week will prove that we’re right. When we start working with the boys in strength and conditioning and basic drills. It will be different, and we’ll be happy for the separation.”

“That’s what I keep saying to myself. But seriously, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m pretty sick of discussing it. It’s like we’re living in some reality show, and the main plot everyone is following is our sex life.”

“For real,” I say as I lean back in my chair. “I think our friends and family need to get a life.”

“I could not agree more. Maybe we should start meddling with them.”

“Ooo, that’s a good idea. I already have some intel.”

“You do?” she asks, looking excited. “Do tell.”

“Well, when I was over there with Hayes and Abel, Abel asked me if Bower was single.”

“Shut up,” Gabby says, sitting up on a wince.

“Hey, careful.” I hold out my hand to help her up. She takes it and settles in closer to me.

“He wants to know if Bower’s single?”

“Yeah, he was curious. I told him she’s not for him, but now I think we could have some fun since they seem to be torturing us.”

“Hold on, why don’t you think she’s right for him?”

“Because I don’t think he could handle her. From what I’ve seen, she’s out of his league, and he’d have a hard time keeping up.”

“I don’t know,” Gabby says, looking over at Abel and Bower, who are talking with Hayes, Hattie, and Aubree. Or at least they’re pretending to. “I think he might be able to tame her.”

“You think Abel could tame her?” I shake my head. “Abel is . . . how do I put this? He’s not the kind of guy who I think would put himself out there to be changed. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but he’s pretty quiet about his personal life, so I was surprised when he asked about Bower. Then he mentioned that maybe getting a dog was better.”

That makes Gabby turn up her nose. “Bower is way better than a dog.”

“But Bower is not the person he’s hung up on.”

“Who’s he hung up on?” she asks. Honestly, I don’t know why I brought it up, because now I have to answer her.

“Uh . . . well, he sort of had deep feelings for my sister Cassidy.”

Gabby presses her hand to her chest. “Oh God, that’s so awful.”

“Yeah, I didn’t know about it until later, and let’s just say I don’t think he will ever get over those feelings.”

“Yeah, so maybe we don’t play with them.”

“Maybe,” I say, irritated.

“Have any other ideas?”

“Yeah, but I can’t tell you because I was sworn to secrecy, and my neck is on the line if the news is spread. I’m one of two who know.”

“Hmm, are you saying you don’t trust me?”

“I don’t trust my luck,” I say. “And now that we run in the same-ish circle, I can’t chance it.”

“Shame, I’m a great secret keeper.” She points at her stunning eyes. “See these eyes? They hold all of the secrets. That’s why they’re different colors.”

I smile softly. “I love that they’re two colors.”

“You do?” she asks, sounding surprised.

“Yeah, they’re beautiful.”

“What’s beautiful?” Mac asks, coming up to us completely unannounced.

“Uh.” I sit back and clear my throat. “Miss Gabby’s eyes. Don’t you think they’re beautiful?”

Mac walks up to Gabby and looks at her carefully. “They’re different colors.”

“They are,” Gabby says. “Can you believe that?”

Mac shakes her head. “I wish I had two different colored eyes.”

“No, your eyes are so pretty, MacKenzie, I like them just the way they are,” Gabby says.

“You can call me Mac. Everyone does,” the four-year-old says so casually.

Gabby chuckles and tilts her head to the side. “Would you prefer that?”

“Yeah, because that means we’re friends.”

“Ah, you want to be friends with me?”

Mac nods her head. “Because I like your bruises.” Mac leans forward, inspecting them. “They look very bad.”

“They kind of are,” Gabby says with a twist of her lips.

“How did you get them?”

“I slid down a pole the wrong way. I wasn’t being very smart.”

“Can I touch them?” Mac reaches out her hand, but I quickly grab it gently.

“Uh, let’s leave Miss Gabby’s bruises alone. They’re very painful, and we don’t want to make her hurt any more than she already is.”

“They hurt?” Mac asks, her brows turning down in concern.

Gabby nods. “Yeah, I can barely walk. Trust me, if I could walk, I think I’d be trying out that tree swing over there.”

Mac glances at the swing that Hayes and Wyatt just installed today while we were unpacking the house. “My uncles put that up for me.”

“Wow, you are so lucky. It looks like so much fun.”

Mac holds out her hand. “Come try it.”

“Oh, I can’t, my legs.”

“Just try,” Mac says, tugging on Gabby’s arm.

“Mac—” I start but Gabby presses her hand to my thigh, nearly making me come out of my skin.

“It’s okay.” And then she stands. I’m quick to my feet, helping her, but she shoos me away. “I got this.”

“Gabby,” I say, but she doesn’t listen as she takes Mac’s hand. They walk slowly toward the tree together.

I stand there, watching them. Watching Mac look up at her, telling Gabby what a good job she’s doing. Gabby smiling down at her . . . it . . . it makes my heart beat faster.

It makes my palms sweat.

It makes my ears go hot because . . . because they look cute together.

Like Gabby was supposed to hold her hand all along.

And when they reach the swing and Mac shows Gabby how to get on, Gabby pushes Mac lightly, causing Mac to smile back at her.

“Jesus fuck,” I mutter as I stare at them, looking like a goddamn mother-daughter duo, and it hits me hard.

Harder than I expected.

So fucking hard that I have to sit back in my chair that’s behind me as Gabby takes her turn on the swing now. I can see the pain in her face as she adjusts, but once she’s settled, she kicks her legs out and lets Mac push her.

“Look, Uncle Ry Ry,” Mac calls out. “She’s doing it.”

I swallow the lump in my throat as I nod. “She is.” I offer a thumbs-up because I don’t know what else to do at this moment as I stare at them.

Smiling.

Laughing.

Having a good time together.

“You okay?” Hayes asks as he takes a seat next to me. I didn’t even hear him approach, but I’m not surprised he did.

“Yeah,” I say, my voice coming out gravelly.

“You don’t look like it.”

“Dude, don’t make me talk about it, okay?”

I see him nod out of the corner of my eye.

“Sure, we don’t have to talk about it.” He’s silent for a moment but then says, “Coming from someone who never planned on getting married or becoming involved with anyone for that matter, I will say this—meeting your sister and allowing myself to fall in love was the best decision of my life. It was scary but fucking worth it.”

He pats me on the back and takes off, leaving me in a state of unease.

Panic.

And confusion.