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Chapter Sixteen
Ryan
I’m pretty sure the little extra sway in her hips is for my benefit. My eyes are riveted to her ass as she sets each drink down on the table. When Jaime deposits the last one, she glances over her shoulder and gives me a little wink. My cock is so damn hard that I could use it as one of my tools on the job site.
“Have you told her yet?” Josh asks before taking another swig of his beer.
“Told her what?”
“That you love her.”
I meet his pointed look head on. There’s no denying it so I won’t even try. “Not yet.” I take a deep pull of my beer, trying to quash the tension that’s suddenly coursing through my body.
“Why not?” he asks while turning to face me.
“It’s kinda complicated. She’s still freaked out from the douche who left her right before the wedding.”
“Asshole. I never liked him. I met him a few times, and each time he just gave the same cocky asshole vibe.”
“Yeah, well, he sure did a number on her.”
Josh drops his head. “I know. I was there when it happened. We had all just arrived in Cleveland for the wedding. It was the weekend before and the girls were all going to do a bachelorette party. I was invited to go to the bachelor party, but I made some excuse about not feeling well. Truth is I didn’t want to spend the evening with him and his friends. Chris had some meetings he couldn’t get out of so he was coming in on the Friday before. It was just me, Brian, and Grandpa Orval. Sad that I was happier staying with them back at the hotel, isn’t it?” Josh shakes his head before continuing.
“Anyway, middle of the week, things just changed. I could tell something was wrong. Meg got a call from Payton and she was hysterical. I drove them over to the house Gavin and Jaime shared. I’ll never get over seeing her crumpled on the floor crying her eyes out. Fucking gutted me, you know?”
Yeah. I know.
“She’s like my sister. Shit, all of them are. Anything happens to any of them and I’d be the same way. Took everything I had not to track down that son of a bitch and knock his teeth out. I wanted to, but Meg wouldn’t let me.”
I snort and think of how much satisfaction I’d have at seeing Josh deck Jaime’s ex. Well, behind me, of course.
“She was a mess for a while after that,” Josh confirms what I already know.
“She told me.”
“You in it for the long haul?” he asks.
The seriousness of the moment causes my heart to race. Yet it’s significantly important when realization sets in that there’s only one answer to his question.
“Absolutely.”
“Then don’t be afraid to tell her. She might be a timid cat right now, but I know what she ultimately wants in life. Husband. Kids. House. Deep down she still wants all of those things that douche promised to give her and didn’t. Don’t be like that douche,” Josh says, extending his beer bottle out.
“Never. I only want to make her happy,” I say as I tap my bottle against his.
“Good to know. Have I told you about the time I got caught sneaking out of Meghan’s bedroom in the middle of the night?” he asks, an ornery gleam filling his blue eyes. Happily, I welcome the change of topic.
“Nope.”
“Meghan and I had only been dating for a few months, and she was still living at home with Brian and the grandparents. I brought her home one night and she convinced me–it wasn’t very difficult, mind you–that I should come upstairs to her room. I woke up in the middle of the night and tried sneaking out. Walked out in the damn hall and Orval is standing there in his tighty whities with a damn smirk on his face. I’ve never been so embarrassed before in my life!”
My laugh is instantaneous and hearty as I picture that scene. Knowing that Josh and Meghan had their own embarrassing rendezvous busted by Orval and Emma makes me feel a lot better about mine. Okay, both of mine.
“The next time I saw him, he slipped a box of condoms in my truck cab and told me to knock myself out. I thought I’d drop dead on the spot right then. Good thing I was already head over heels in love with her. Otherwise, I might have been tempted to run.”
I can’t stop laughing.
“Fortunately, it didn’t take me long to realize that’s just how they are all the time. They’re completely nuts but I love them.” Josh takes another drink, emptying his bottle.
