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Chapter twenty-nine
Epilogue
Carter - Two Days Later
Everyone’sbagsarepacked,and we’ll all be heading home soon, but for right now, I’m enjoying the feel of Leanna snuggled up against me on the giant Papasan swing.
“I don’t care if these swings were popular in the 90s or not; we need to get one for the back porch once we get home,” she says, nuzzling my neck while I stroke her arm with my fingertips.
“As you wish,” I tell her, quoting Westley fromThePrincess Bride. I’d do anything she wants as long as it makes her happy.
“You’re no pirate, Carter. You’re my Shining Knight!” she teases. I roll my eyes and kiss her temple. I bring her hand up to my mouth and delicately kiss the tip of each of her fingers. I pull one into my mouth and suck lightly when I hear a loud throat clear. I open my half-lidded eyes to find Nick, Sebastian, Brody, Ansel, and Callum surrounding me like a firing squad.
“Leanna. Will you excuse us for a moment while we chat privately with Carter?” Nick asks, not truly intending it to be a question. She looks at me hesitantly, unsure if she should stay beside me or leave me to the wolves.
“It’s okay, Baby. I’ll be all right.”Maybe.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Sebastian jokes.
“We’ll make sure he stays in one piece, but I can’t promise the condition he’ll be in when we’re done with him.” Brody cracks each knuckle one at a time, trying to be intimidating. It doesn’t work.
Callum knows the one thing that will get Leanna to leave faster than anything else, “Bella Rae wants her Auntie Lee.”
“Well played,” I tell him as Leanna runs off to play with her adorable niece. I give the five men encircling me the respect they deserve and stand up to meet their challenge head-on.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat this, Carter. You were a part of this family long before you and Leanna got out of your own heads and learned to follow your hearts. But now it’s time for everyone to take a step back and reevaluate the living situation. Up until this point, I have allowed my daughters to live in your house because of the safety and security you have provided for them. I trust you implicitly as long as you can tell me that you trust yourself,” Nick says.
I take some time to think about what he just said and what he’s really asking. Can I trust myself to keep his daughter safe, not only from the world and all its dangers but from myself and my desires? Before I can answer him, Sebastian steps forward and asks a question of his own.
“What are your intentions with my sister?” he asks, cutting to the chase.
I point at him. “That’s a question that I don’t even have to think hard about to answer!” I say with a ten-mile smile. I lower my voice to a conspiratorial level and put the back of my hand up to my mouth like I have a secret. “I plan to make her the future Mrs. Andrews.”
Ansel leans in and says in an equally low but playful tone, “That’s good. I thought we were going to have to make you see sense,” he says, cracking his knuckles like Brody had earlier. One. At. A. Time.
“What is with you guys cracking your knuckles? Doing it one by one makes you sound weak and pathetic like you can’t handle the full effect of all of them popping at once! Real men crack in stereo!” I joke, cracking mine like I had just described. I barely refrain from wincing at the sound. Knuckle cracking is like nails on a chalkboard to me. It’s unnatural and makes me shudder, but there’s no way I’m showing any sign of weakness in front of these guys.
Brody and Ansel both cringe. “Yeah, you’ve made your point. That’swaaaymore intimidating!” We all laugh except for Nick, who is still waiting for me to answerhisquestion.
“Mr. Arbaroa…”
“Nick.”
“Nick, I love your daughter with every fiber of my being. But we both love God more and want to honor Him. That said, I’m not sure I’m strong enough to live in the same house and not want to take things further. I am human, after all.”
“I appreciate your honesty, Carter. So here is what we propose. Brody and Ansel have a spare room in the house they rent and are offering it to you until you decide to make my daughter your wife. When that time comes—and there is no rush—Daphne can move in with her brothers.
“That might be for the best,” I say honestly.
Ansel says, “May as well keep your stuff in your suitcase. I don’t think you’ll stay with us long enough to unpack.” He’s not wrong. I’ve been in love with Leanna for too long to wait. It’s not as if we have to spend time getting to know one another.
“Knock knock,” says Elena from the other side of the screen door. “Carter, Mark Jenkins and his family just stopped by, and I thought you might want to be present as they talk to Leanna. Do you think it’s safe to invite them in?”
“Yes, but please wait until I get there.” I walk around the side of the cabin and see Mark, Brayden, and Amanda standing at the front door. I shake their hands and invite them in.
“Sorry for the wait. A lot happened the other night, and we’re all still on edge,” I tell them. I anticipate a snide comment from Mark, but nothing comes. Instead, he looks almost ashamed.
“Thank you,” Amanda says as we walk inside. I try not to burst out in laughter at the view that greets me when we enter. Elena, Marybeth, Callie, Daphne, and Leanna are all sitting on the long sofa and loveseat, leaving the other loveseat available for the Jenkins family. But it’s the men who are posted around the room like sentries, with their feet spread and arms crossed, that have me amused.
