Chapter 29

twenty-nine

. . .

River

“Why areyou in an unusually bad mood today? And that’s saying a lot for you, because bad moods are sort of your thing,” Kingston said as we stood huddled around a glass display case filled with fancy rings.

We were at a jewelry store in Cottonwood Cove, where Romeo’s brother, Lincoln, had purchased a ring for his wife, Brinkley. Romeo was convinced that buying Demi a ring in Magnolia Falls would never stay a secret, and he was probably right. He wanted to surprise her. So, Lincoln had flown us here in a private plane this morning, and we’d be home by tonight.

“You know, if you spent half the time figuring out your own shit than you did analyzing my moods, we’d all be happier,” I hissed.

“How about we focus on finding the ring and talk about River’s notable bad mood over lunch?” Hayes glanced between my brother and me.

How about we shut the fuck up about my bad mood and talk about something else?

I didn’t say it aloud because then that would be a whole other conversation.

I nodded as Romeo held up one ring and studied it. “This is it. This is the one.”

“Ah, beautiful choice, sir. That’s a gorgeous princess-cut diamond. Classy and elegant,” the older man who owned the place said.

“Beans is classy and elegant,” Kingston said, and I slapped him upside the head just because it made me feel better.

Everyone chuckled, and Lincoln glanced at Romeo and nodded. “I agree. It’s perfect.”

“I’ll take it.” Romeo looked at each of us. “Thanks for being here. Biggest decision of my life, and I wanted to get it right.”

“Ride or die, brother,” Nash said, clapping him on the shoulder.

“Honored to be here with you,” Lincoln said. “And I’m glad my brother has good friends around him all the time.”

We were all getting sappy at the thought of Romeo tying the knot with Demi. We all loved her, and I knew they’d have a long, happy life together.

Something I’d never wanted myself, but lately, I was all over the fucking place with my thoughts.

Maybe it was because I saw how happy Romeo was.

Maybe it was because I was getting older.

Maybe it was because Ruby Rose had come into my life and turned it upside down. Making me want things that I shouldn’t.

Queenie.

Romeo paid the bill and tucked the ring box into his coat pocket, and we all walked the short distance to Reynolds’ Bar & Grill.

Lincoln’s brother- and sister-in-law, Hugh and Lila Reynolds, owned the place, and they supposedly had the best food in town.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were led to the back, where a table was set up for us. A big dude with long hair made his rounds, introducing himself as the owner, Hugh. He was a nice guy, that much I could tell right away, and Lincoln made introductions as the next few guys walked in. There was Maddox Lancaster and his brother, Wyle, whom Romeo had talked about before. Maddox was married to Brinkley’s sister, Georgia. They shook our hands and congratulated Romeo on coming to town to pick out an engagement ring. Next came Finn Reynolds, who I recognized right away, as he starred in a show called Big Sky Ranch that Ruby had insisted we binge last weekend. He was pretty famous, but you wouldn’t know it; he just acted like a regular dude. The broody guy beside him, his older brother, Cage Reynolds, settled in the chair beside me. We seemed to be putting off equally grumpy energy, so I was good with that. Hugh asked if we were all okay with the ribs, which we were, and he ordered a shit ton of appetizers for the table, as well.

“So, first, you win the fight of the century, and now, you’re proposing to your girl. It’s a good year to be Romeo Knight,” Finn said.

Romeo nodded in thanks, and the conversation started flowing. Cage and Nash were deep in conversation about their kids, who were the same age, and they were both complaining about all the homework kids had these days.

Lincoln sat on the other side of me, and we both reached for the onion rings that were set in the center of the table.

“I’m telling you, it’s the best food you’ll ever have. I can’t get enough,” he said, and I laughed as I shoved an entire onion ring into my mouth and nodded.

“Damn right. Whiskey Falls needs to step up their game.”

“I’ve eaten there a few times, and it’s a damn close second place to this food.” He reached for his water. “Thanks for coming here to help him pick out his ring. You guys are family to Romeo, which means you’re family to me.”

“Same, brother.” I tipped my chin up because I was not only a fan of the number one quarterback in the league, but I liked the dude a lot. He was down to earth, and he’d shown up for Romeo and his sister, Tia, from the moment he found out he had siblings he hadn’t known about.

“So, what’s this moodier-than-usual shit you’ve got going on about? You want to talk about it?” he asked.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Why is everyone always analyzing the grumpy dudes? Maybe we just like being quiet,” Cage grumped from the other side of me.

“Trust me, he’s not being quiet. He’s being a moody little bitch because he’s in love and too chickenshit to admit it,” Kingston said.

And now the whole table turned their attention my way, and they were all going to get involved.

“Did you not get enough me time this morning? Did you not work your feelings out in your Zen garden and write in your diary before we left to come here?” I hissed.

Kingston’s head fell back in laughter, and Finn did the same.

“Damn. I like this guy.” Cage nudged me, and the table erupted in laughter again.

“Two fucking peas in a pod right here,” Lincoln said, looking between me and Cage. “So, give us the breakdown. There’s a girl involved?”

“Oh, yeah,” Romeo said. “It’s always about a girl.”

“Well, that is, until your girl fucks your coworker,” Hayes said, and now everyone was laughing.

“There are good ones and bad ones. Lucky for me, I found myself the best girl around,” Maddox said, and his brother smirked.

“I could say the same,” Wyle said proudly, as the server set our food down in front of us.

“So, is there a girl, River?” Finn asked. “Does she have you all messed up?”

The table was quiet as I ate a rib and dropped the bone onto the plate and wiped my mouth. “There’s a girl.”

These fuckers all started cheering and hollering like I’d just said something out of left field.

“There always is,” Cage said. “It’s always that one fucking girl that gets you wrapped around the axel. Hell, it took me years to finally get my shit together. So I’m kind of an expert now.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Finn said. “Now you’re a therapist?”

“He has been more sensitive than he used to be since he and Presley got married.” Hugh reached for a rib and started eating again.

“I’ve been there, buddy,” Maddox said as he set his drink down on the table and looked at me. “There’s no running from it. Once you meet the right one, it’s pretty much over. So just surrender to it.”

“It’s not a death sentence,” Lincoln said over his laughter. “It’s a good thing.”

“Unless she fucks your coworker,” Kingston said, winking at Hayes.

“True that,” Hayes said.

“Nah, Ruby’s a good one. That’s not the problem.” Nash wiped his face with his napkin and tossed it onto the table beside his plate.

“So, what’s the problem?” Cage asked.

I just sat back, arms folded over my chest, as I let them all figure out my shit.

“Well, Ruby and River are both stubborn asses. That’s the biggest problem I see,” Kingston said, tossing me a wink across the table.

“So poetic, brother.” I flipped him the bird.

“What King means to say,” Romeo interjected over his laughter, “is that Ruby and River are both strong people, and they’ve both been single for a long time. Demi says they’re both guarded.”

“What the hell is this? Some kind of psychotherapy where you insult me the whole time?” I hissed.

“Don’t fight it, my man. They do it to me all the time, but it usually leads somewhere.” Cage shrugged, and Finn chucked a dinner roll across the table at him, but Cage caught it with one hand, taking a bite without missing a beat.

“The issue is that we weren’t looking for anything. This was temporary, and we both agreed to that. And she doesn’t live in Magnolia Falls. She was home, helping her father while he recovered from a stroke, and now she’s going back for a new job in a week. I knew the score, and I’ll deal with it. I just don’t need to be analyzed about it every second of the fucking day.”

The table was quiet as they listened to me rant.

“Do you spend a lot of time together?” Finn asked, breaking the silence.

“Every fucking day,” Kingston said. “They spend every night together. They hang out whenever they aren’t working. He just bought a house so her brothers could rent it.”

Hugh and Finn both whistled, and Lincoln clapped me on the shoulder as if he were consoling me.

“Says my brother, who hasn’t had a fucking relationship in his life. The perpetual playboy. Now you’re a relationship expert?” I growled.

“Hey. I know who I am. I’m not guarded; I’m just attentionally challenged. My heart beats for the ladies. I just can’t seem to find one that makes it want to beat for them and no one else.” Kingston took a bite of his roll and raised a brow at me.

“He does make a valid point,” Nash said. “He is in one relationship after the next. There’s nothing guarded about King.”

“Yeah. He’s like a twenty-four-hour open house. Everyone is welcome,” Hayes said, and the table erupted in laughter.

“Hey, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being guarded,” Romeo said, turning to look at me. “But there’s also nothing wrong with changing the plan. You never saw this coming, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. I felt that, and I was terrified of messing it up, but being with Demi is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

I nodded. “And I’m happy for you, brother. I’m not being guarded; I’m being real. First off, I can’t ask her to stay for something I’m not sure I can even do. We got into this knowing it had an expiration date. I’ve never been with one woman for a long period of time. I’m a loner. I like to be on my own. And she does, too.”

“Oh, man, do I get that.” Cage whistled. “However, just because you thought you liked being alone before doesn’t mean you’ll want that forever. You hang out with her every day and night? How long has that been going on?”

“For a few weeks.” I cleared my throat.

“More like two months, dude,” Kingston, the guy who just wasn’t capable of not adding in his two cents, said.

“Rest in peace, my brother. You’re already in a relationship, you just don’t know it.” Maddox shrugged, and Wyle nodded at me.

“And if you don’t do something about it, you’ll just die a lonely, unhappy man,” Cage said.

“Way to make him feel like shit.” Hugh turned his attention to me. “Just tell her how you feel. You don’t have to have it all figured out. But at least let her decide what she wants, and you’ll know that you left it all out there.”

“That’s not really my style. I’m not going to pressure her into something or guilt her to make a decision based on me. People have been doing that her entire life. I won’t be that guy.” It was the truth. If Ruby wanted to stay, she’d need to do that all on her own. I wasn’t going to be another person who needed her to do something for me. “And I can’t even be certain how I feel, anyway.”

Cage raised a brow. “I’m sorry to tell you, but you’ve already made it fucking clear how you feel.”

“How do you figure that when I just said I don’t even know what this is?”

I didn’t miss the way their gazes moved around the table, and Finn smiled as he looked at me. “You’re putting her needs before your own, buddy. That’s what you do when you love someone.”

“Thank you!” Kingston shouted, as his hand came down hard on the table. “You’re in love with Ruby Rose, you little pussy.”

The table roared with laughter, and I shook my head.

It wasn’t that I didn’t agree with him.

I couldn’t argue that I loved her.

But acting on it was a different story.