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When I took him into the cabin, he was visibly impressed. “Shit, Nine. This is amazing.”
I puffed up with pride at his words. “Thanks.” I took him through the bedroom and bathroom, showing him the projects I’d already completed and pointing out the things that still needed to be done. “And then, of course, the roof.”
“I can help with the roof if you have the supplies,” Eli said. “Without Dad here to boss us around, we can actually get it done much faster than we did their house.”
We shared a laugh over the remembered summer we helped Dad reroof their house. “That sucked. It was like working for a drill sergeant,” I said. “But what about your job? Won’t your boss be pissed if you take time off?”
“Nah. He told me to go. It’d be different if it was tax season, but summer’s easy. We already have Fridays off in summer to make up for all the overtime in the first quarter.”
Eli was an accountant for a small firm in Wheatland. Considering he was dating the boss’s daughter, I wasn’t surprised he was allowed a little leeway.
“Isn’t Rissa going to miss you?” I teased. Everyone knew his girlfriend had him whipped.
“She went to Vegas for a bachelorette thing with the girls at work. Trina Chisolm is marrying that guy Pete who works at the radio station.”
“Mpfh.” I didn’t much care for his girlfriend or her friends. Rissa was always trying to set me up with one of the ladies from that group, and every time I said no thank you, it just seemed to make her double down and try harder.
“She told me to tell you that they all think you and Coop make an adorable couple. I told her it was all for show, but she insists it’s real. Says you look at each other the way she wishes I looked at her.” Eli studied me out of the corner of his eye. “Did you mean what you said before, that you really feel something for him?”
I threw my arms up. “Yes, dammit. Why doesn’t anyone believe me? Is it too much to imagine that one of the ten of us wouldn’t be straight? Christ, Eli. People are gay and bi and… whatever else, okay? Stop acting like this isn’t believable. I know you’re not that ignorant of the world around us.”
He held his hands up. “No, no, I know. It’s just… I mean… you and Lauren. And then you dated that other chick, what was her name? Never mind. Doesn’t matter. But you have to know how weird this is for me, not… not because he’s a dude, but because he’s Cooper. And you’re my brother.”
“Yeah, fine. I get that. And it’s not like I expected this to happen or anything.” I rubbed my hands over my face. “Besides, it’s over. He’s gone. Whatever.”
Eli reached out and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Nine…”
I glared at him. “You don’t have to tell me. Whatever warning you’re going to give me about how Cooper would never want to be with someone like me long term or he’s meant for greater things. Just… don’t. Okay? I already know all of that.”
I walked over to the makeshift kitchen counter and began closing up the boxes of finishing nails that I’d left there so they wouldn’t scatter everywhere if someone knocked into the board they were sitting on.
“Actually,” Eli began hesitantly. “I was going to say the opposite. Cooper is my best friend, and I love him. But you deserve better.”
I opened my mouth to argue with him, but he stopped me.
“Hear me out. Cooper’s kind of… fucked-up. His dad did a number on him, and then he fell for this asshole who confirmed some false assumptions he had about relationships. The bottom line is, Coop is never going to trust a man to be there for him. He refuses to need anyone. And you’re the kind of guy who needs to be needed.”
“Not true.”
He laughed, but his eyes were soft with affection. “Nine. You’re the steadiest man I know, even steadier than Dad. You’re going to make someone an amazing husband one day because you’re reliable, hardworking, giving, and attentive. It’s why all of Rissa’s friends are constantly begging to score a date with you. You’re a catch. You just don’t know it. And Cooper’s never going to be ready to make a lifelong commitment to anyone, much less a quiet, steady guy from Wheatland, Wyoming.”
Well, that part was right, anyway, but it sure as hell hurt to hear it said out loud.
“Thanks for that,” I grunted, tossing the boxes of nails into a big plastic bin full of supplies. “Super fucking helpful. Glad you’re here.”
I headed outside to put the bin of supplies under the tarp with the rest of them, and then I rifled through the stacks of trim pieces to select the ones I needed for the kitchen. Once I took them back inside, I realized I needed the finishing nails to actually install the trim work.
