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Gran laughs, squeezing my knee. “I practically raised that girl and I know her better than anyone. She loves you… she’s just too afraid to tell you. She’ll get there, Grayson, I know it. Just be patient.”
Patient. I can be patient.
I swallow the lump that sits in my throat. As long as I have Sierra, Icanbe patient and wait for her to say those three important words.
Sierra returns, setting the vase on the living room table. I stand up to give her the seat next to Gran when a familiar profile catches my eye in the hallway. Before I can say a word, Jake is walking into the room. He pauses when he sees Sierra, then stops dead in his tracks when he sees me. He looks tired, his hair scruffy and his beard longer than I’ve ever seen it.
Last week, I would have been intimidated by his broody presence, but this week I am not. I’m not losing Sierra this time. I refuse to let her go, whether he likes it or not.
I flash him a small smile and nod. To my surprise, he nods back and then crosses the room to give Gran a hug.
“I guess we all got the same call from Gran,” he says, easing some of the tension in the room as he releases her.
“Well, when you’re all being impossible, what do you expect?” Miss Millie has always been direct and to the point. After the past week, I think it’s exactly what we all need right now.
Sierra hasn’t said a thing, but I can tell by the tension in her neck and shoulders that she’s anxious.
I’m about to get up and go to her when Jake pulls a chair in from the patio inside and sits down next to me.
My heart hammers in my chest when I flick my gaze to Sierra, who’s looking at her brother with a worried expression on her face.
I watch her open her mouth to speak, but before she can get a word out, Jake clears his throat. I square my shoulders, ready for what he has to say. Maybe it isn’t the best time to hash this out, but if an argument right here and now in front of Sierra and Gran is what it takes to get us all talking again, then I’m prepared to do it.
I brace myself for the worst, but instead Jake stretches out his hand towards me. I shake it, and I’m sure shock is written all over my face.
“You can relax, I’m not going to hit you,” he says. “I’m sorry, man. I was a dick. Oops, sorry, Gran,” he adds, apologizing for his language.
“It’s all right, Jake, you were one,” she answers without cracking a smile. She pats his knee. “Now, go on. Say what you need to say. It’s about time.”
Jake huffs out a laugh before carrying on. “I shouldn’t have said the things I did… if you really do love my sister like you say you do, then we’re cool.”
That’s good enough for me, but I still very much owe him an apology. I blow out a long breath. “I do. We’re cool. We’ve always been cool. And I’m sorry for lying to you,” I say, pulling him in for a bro hug. “I’ve missed you, man.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
Jake turns to Sierra next, a pained expression on his face.
“Jake,” she begins, then stops. Her eyes brimming with tears.
“Fuck, I’m sorry, Si. You know how much I love you… and I … I’m sorry, I’m not good at this stuff,” he mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I was an asshole. I know I shouldn’t have freaked out when I caught you with Gray, but you’ve got to be able to see it from my point of view.” He swallows. “I just didn’t want you to get hurt. Grayson had never wanted to be in a relationship, that’s just the truth. But I see it now, how much he loves you. It’s so damn obvious and I don’t know why I didn’t see it then, but I do now. And I want you to be happy. That’s all I want.”
“I’m so sorry too, Jake,” she sobs. “I swear we never meant to hurt you. We shouldn’t have lied to you. We both felt so terrible.”
Jake stands up and pulls her into a hug as she swipes at her eyes. “Let’s forget about the whole thing, Si. I’ve missed my sister.”
She nods, smiling. “I’d like that.”
Jake lets her go, taking a step back. “Besides, Gray knows that if he ever were to hurt you, even a little, nobody would ever find his body. Right, buddy?” he adds with a smirk.
“Right,” I nod, laughing. “But you’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“Good,” Jake says. “Then let’s just get back to normal.”
Then Sierra sits on my lap, squeezing my neck, a smile on her face that’s prettier than a sunset. My God, how I love this woman. I want forever with her. I want to wake up to her smile every morning, watch her bake in our kitchen in nothing but one of my old T-shirts, sit on our porch swing with her in the middle of the night.
I wipe a tear from her cheek with my thumb. “No more crying.”
A giggle bursts from her when I pull her into me, so damn happy to be back to the way we used to be. “They’re happy tears, Gray. No more sneaking around.”
