“That was Gage. Once he found out he was an uncle, he did everything it took to make things right again. He was patient, supportive, and loves my daughter like she’s his own. More than that, he puts us first.”
“My ex didn’t even consider other people’s needs. He put himself first at every turn.” It hadn’t always been that way. There had been a time when he’d made her feel as if she were the center of his universe. Once he set his sights on something he pursued it with singular focus.
With her father walking out and her mom so dedicated to her career, Elsie never felt like a priority, and Axel treated her as if she mattered. Until he didn’t. There had been warning signs along the way that she’d ignored because he was so attentive, and she wanted so badly to be chosen, to be a priority, that she overlooked so much.
But things were different with Rhett. He didn’t just put her first, he listened and respected her wishes, even though she was beginning to think she wanted more. Hell, she did want more. More than some stupid set of rules.
“Look at us prying,” Piper said, giving the other women the eye.
Darcy held up a hand. “You’re right. It’s none of our business. Being in this family has made me a busybody. It’s almost contagious in the Easton clan. We’re always up in each other’s business, especially the men. They’re the worst.”
“I don’t think anyone could be more of a busybody than my grandma,” she said, and the women laughed. “She’s been playing matchmaker since I came home. She somehow missed the ‘I’m off men’ memo.”
“And now?”
“I don’t know.”Liar.“A big part of the reason my marriage failed, besides my husband was a cheat, was that he was constantly leaving. It’s scary to invest my heart into someone who has the same lifestyle.”
“I struggled with the same thing,” Jillian said. “I’m a mom of a nine-year-old boy so my Me Time is nonexistent. When Clay and I first started flirting I told myself there was no way to make it work with a guy who lived in another state. But we somehow make it work. Actually, he puts the time in every day to make it work.”
“How?” Elsie found herself asking.
“We both gave a little and met in the middle, and he decided to put us first before everything. He even retired”
Was it possible to meet in the middle with their wildly different commitments and lives without one of them giving up their career? “And now?”
Jillian lifted a brow. “Temporary became forever. And trust me, it took a lot to get me to come around. I’d gone through a hellish separation and an even worse divorce. I was so off men, I didn’t even think the Hemsworth brothers were worth my time.”
“Been there. Still reeling,” Elsie admitted. “My husband and his legal team tore me to shreds. But I picked up the pieces and now I’m starting fresh, with my life and my career.”
Abi lifted a brow. “So, there’s no room for more?”
“I’d like to know the answer to that question.” Elsie turned to find Rhett directly behind her. He was dressed in dark jeans, a ball cap, his worn U of O shirt, and a lush black leather jacket. He looked like backstreet musician meets rock star.
“Hey,” she said, and it was almost a whisper. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. She was certain the other women were making all kinds of assumptions, but she didn’t care.
His gaze roamed down her body and his expression said anything but friends. Just like her outfit.
“Can I borrow you for a moment?”
He didn’t wait for her to answer, just took her hand and led her around the bar and into a back storage room, where he kicked the door shut with his foot, then pushed her up against it.
Her belly flipped, then flopped at the possessiveness in his touch. She’d never considered possessiveness a good thing, but with him it felt more like he was asking her to be his.
Yes, her mind screamed. Her hormones screamed something else when she saw the raw hunger in his eyes.
“How did it go with Susan?” he asked, and she loved that, even though it was his big night, the first thing out of his mouth was about her big day.
“I’m in! She loved the house,” she said. “She’s even talking the music room being a possible cover image.”
“I am so damn proud of you, Red. So proud,” he said lowly.
“Thank you. It couldn’t have happened without you.”
“No way.” He tipped her chin up. “This is all on you. You made this happen.”
A shiver ran through her entire body at his words, and she rubbed her arms to heat them up. She looked around the room, at the baskets of fresh produce, jars of fresh herbs, and shelves of ingredients. “Are we in the refrigerator?”
“It was the closest place I could think of where no one will bug us.” He took off his jacket and put it over her shoulders. She tugged it around her. Still warm from his body heat, the scent of yummy man engulfed her. “I can find someplace else?”
