His eyes narrow, and I wonder if I’ve pushed too far. “That was completely different. Her asshole husband was beating her.”
I rake a hand through my hair. “And that’s awful. But what would you have done if your family had decided Paisley had too much baggage? Would you have walked away?”
Nash slams his bottle onto the table and stands abruptly. “This isn’t about me and Paisley! It’s about you being too damn old for my twenty-five-year-old sister!”
I shake my head. “That’s not what this is really about. Ash told me you’ve never liked any of the guys she’s dated.”
He crosses his arms. “So?”
“So, don’t you want her to be in a relationship? Ever?”
“Of course I do,” he snaps, exasperated.
“Then let her, Nash.” I push off the desk and step closer. “I get it, you want to protect her from every asshole.” I pause, meeting his gaze. “From every guy like Paisley’s ex. But I’m not that guy. I would never hurt her.”
He watches me in silence, and for the first time, I see something shift in his expression. A flicker of hesitation. Maybe my words are getting through.
With a heavy sigh, he drops onto the sofa. “So, you and Ash… it’s serious, then?
I nod.
He exhales, running a hand over his face. “You know she wants to get married, right? Have you two even talked about that?”
A knot tightens in my stomach. We haven’t discussed marriage. Why would we? We’ve only been together a short time, and it’s not like I’m in a position to make that kind of promise, anyway.
“No,” I admit. “We haven’t talked about it.”
Nash leans back, a small, genuine smile breaking through his frustration. “When she was a kid, she and Ivy would spend hours in the garden with pillowcases on their heads, pretending they were brides. Drove us crazy with all the wedding talk. She’s had her dream wedding planned since she was eight.”
My heart sinks.
“She wants kids too. You’ve seen her with Hunter.”
I nod. “Yeah, I’ve seen her.”
“I want her to be happy,” Nash says, his voice quieter now. “But I also want her to have everything she’s always dreamed of.”
“And I want to give her that,” I say firmly. “Look, I don’t have all the answers, and I won’t make promises I can’t keep. But it sounds like we both want the same thing here, Nash.”
He exhales, crossing his arms. “Then maybe you two should actually talk about it. Marriage, kids… those things could be dealbreakers for one or both of you.”
His words hit harder than I’d like to admit. Ash and I haven’t had those conversations yet, but we need to. The truth is, I don’t know if I want more kids. I’ve never had to think about it before. I’m not opposed to the idea, but marriage? That’s something I can’t offer her. And I don’t know if I ever will.
Nash pushes up from the sofa. “Look, Ben, it’s obvious you care about Ash or you wouldn’t be here. I respect that. But I don’t want her getting hurt.”
I meet his gaze. “With all due respect, I’m not the one hurting her.”
His expression hardens. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“All Ash wants is your acceptance, Nash. She’s desperate for you to see how happy she finally is and to cut her some slack. We might not have everything figured out yet, but I swear to you, I would never knowingly hurt her.”
He lets out a long breath before finally meeting my gaze. “Wyatt’s meeting me and Seb for a drink tonight before the girls get here. You should join us.”
Relief floods through me, and I can’t help but smile. “I’ll be here.”
Nash nods and heads for the door, and I follow. “Be here at six. The girls should be here around seven.” He steps into the hallway, then glances over his shoulder with a smirk. “Oh, and Ben? Try not to drool over Wyatt. I know you’re a big fan.”
Before I can fire back, he walks off, leaving me chuckling. I wouldn’t go as far as to say we’re friends, but an invite for a drink with him and his brothers is a hell of a lot more than I expected to walk away with.
