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“What will you do?” Our foreheads still kiss, his breath against my lips.
“Be your man. I’ll figure out the rest.”
Dusty’s lips smash against mine, and his arms encircle me, pulling me close—yes and thank you and I love you in the fierceness of his kiss.
He pushes me down until I’m lying on my back, before settling on top of me.
“I’ll make you happy here. I swear it. No matter what it takes. And if you’re not, we’ll leave. I’ll follow you anywhere, Morgan Swift.”
There’s not a part of me that doesn’t believe him, that doesn’t know I’ll always be happy with him and that there’s nothing in the world Dusty wouldn’t give me.
“Then I guess that means we’re staying right here. Because this is where I’ll be.”
I kiss his smile, knowing that no matter what happens, everything will be okay.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Dusty
“Your boyfriend hasn’t been back to see our father even once since he moved in with you,” Rhett says instead of hello when he sits at the restaurant table. We’re in a quiet corner, but he still speaks softly so no one hears.
“Can you blame him? And why do you do this? Why do you complain about Morgan to me? Can’t we have a nice lunch?” Rhett doesn’t have it in him not to complain. It’s just not the way he is. Partly it’s his insecurity, partly his way of finding out more about Morgan without asking. This way, it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t care.
“Dad was the whole point in him coming back here. He only cares about himself.”
The waitress comes over, and we rattle off a quick order of burgers and fries.
“That’s not true and you know it. And I’d like to think that what will come out of this is a better relationship between you, Morgan, and East.”
Rhett huffs. “That’ll never happen. Maybe between the two of them, but I’m always the one they blame for everything. They’ve already decided who I am and that they don’t like that person.”
“The way you’ve done to them?”
Rhett flinches. “I don’t want to talk about this. When do you leave?”
I look at him. It’s not like I expected Morgan to tell him, even if it hadn’t only been a few days since the decision was made. They don’t talk unless they have to, but I also hate being the one to do it, though what I have to say is ultimately a good thing. “We’re not. We decided to stay. Morgan called and gave his notice. He has to go back and work for a few weeks to tie things up, but we’ve decided to stay.”
Rhett doesn’t move, just sits there looking at me, his dark eyes staring into mine. I can see the shock there, the confusion too, mixed with uncertainty and maybe a little sadness. The last one I assume is because Morgan didn’t tell Rhett himself, but if the situation were reversed, Rhett wouldn’t have been the one to tell Morgan either.
“How did you get him to do that?” he finally asks.
“It was his idea.”
“Because he knows he’s not worthy of you. He’ll end up blaming you just like he did when I left for college. He—”
“That’s enough!” I cut him off. Rhett’s gaze darts around to make sure no one is looking. “I’m not going to do this anymore. I’m not going to be the go-between for you and Morgan. If you have something to say to him, say it to him. I know it’s partly my fault for trying to bridge that gap, but I can’t do it anymore. I’m telling him the same thing. So if you can’t spend time with me without making it about Morgan…well, then we can’t spend time together.” I’m so tired of this. Not just for me, but for them too. It’s not supposed to be this way. Family isn’t supposed to be this way. “Can you respect that?”
Rhett leans back in the booth. For a moment, I think he’ll get up and leave, but instead he nods. “I’m running for mayor.”
His words make my pulse stumble. “You don’t want to be mayor.” I know he doesn’t. That’s never been one of Rhett’s goals, and even if it had been, I would have known it’s not something he chose for himself. “Jesus, Rhett. He wants you to, doesn’t he? Since he’s retiring, he wants you to run. You can’t live your life around—”
“You can’t have it both ways, Dusty. If Morgan is off-limits between us, then so is my dad.”
He’s got me there. As much as I want to tell him to wake the fuck up and stop letting his father run his life, I don’t. And as much as I want to reach across this table and wring his neck, I don’t do that either. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” is all I say. It’s Rhett’s life. No one can teach him these lessons. He’s either going to learn them on his own or he won’t.
The waitress comes with our food then. We immediately change the subject, the tension around us thick, like it has been every time we’ve seen each other since Morgan came home.
We eat and chat. Rhett insists on paying the bill, and I don’t have it in me to argue.
