Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“You find her?”
“Yeah, she’s here.” I turn the phone so that he can see Sawyer.
“Not cool, sis. You scared the hell out of us,” he says, the relief evident in his tone.
“I’m sorry,” she says, her voice small.
“I have a story for you,” he tells her.
She looks at me in question before glancing back at the screen of my phone. “A story?”
He nods. “You ready to settle in and listen?”
“Yes?” she says, the word sounding more like a question, making Owen laugh.
“It’s one you want to hear, trust me. Are you comfortable?”
Her shoulders visibly relax, and I make a mental note that I owe my brother another solid. He’s calming her, and although I wish it were me, at least she’s here where she belongs, and it’s my family who makes her feel safe.
“Yeah,” she says. It’s almost as if her body melts into the cushion of my couch. The exhaustion plaguing her is evident.
“Royce, give her the phone and give us a minute,” his deep voice demands.
I don’t argue with him. Instead, I hand her the phone and stand. Leaning over the couch, I place a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll go grab you a water,” I say, backing out of the room. Luckily for me, my house is an open concept, and even though I’m in the kitchen, I can hear every word he says to her. He knows that, but he wanted to be sure he had her full attention if I know Owen.
“Once upon a time,” he starts, and I hear a soft laugh come from my girl. “There was a man and his handsome younger brother.” Another small laugh, and I can imagine she’s rolling those beautiful green eyes of hers. “The man, he’d had a rough past in matters of the heart. He gave it to a woman who crushed his heart, his soul, and his spirit. Years passed as he walked around a shell of the man he used to be. Then one day, all that changed.” He pauses. “You still with me, Sawyer?”
“Yes,” she croaks. I want to rush to her, but I trust my brother. He’s got my back, and I have a feeling she needs to hear this from him before she hears it from me.
“One day, the man meets a beautiful woman. With long blonde hair and bright green eyes, he was immediately smitten. Fast-forward a few months and the man had fallen madly in love with the woman. Not just the man, but his family. His parents, his handsome brother, and the other three brothers too,” he says, and this time I’m the one laughing.
Needing to be closer to her, I head back to the living room and hand her a bottle of water before taking a seat next to her. I don’t say anything as I lace my fingers through hers, resting our joined hands on her thigh.
“One day, the man called his handsome brother and told him it was time. The handsome brother knew without question what he meant. It was time to take the next step with the woman who not only captured his heart, she healed him. So, the brothers made plans. They picked a day to make it happen.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispers. Her eyes are glued to Owen, hanging off his every word.
“The brothers made plans for a Saturday afternoon,” Owen starts, but I interrupt him.
“I can take it from here,” I tell him.
“Sawyer,” Owen says. “I don’t know if you knew this, but that story, it’s based on real-life events, the man is Royce, and the handsome brother is yours truly.” He grins, his white teeth prominent through his beard. “He loves you, sis.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll call you soon.” He nods, and the screen goes black. I toss my phone on the table and turn to face her. “I love you, Sawyer Gibson. Not just ‘oh, she’s a great girl.’ No, my heart belongs to you. Less than a week ago, I sat on my best friend's couch and told you that I loved you for the first time. I told you that you were my entire world, and I meant every word.” Standing from the couch, I drop to my knees in front of her and pull the ring box out of my pocket. “I asked Owen to go shopping with me that day. There was something that I needed, and I wanted his opinion.” Taking a deep breath, I lift the box, opening it. She gasps when she sees the four-carat diamond ring—two-carat square diamond in the center, with two carats of smaller diamonds surrounding it.
“That night, we talked about what our future might look like, and if this ring would have been on me then, I would have asked you sitting on Jase’s couch. I want our two rowdy boys and a little girl who looks just like her momma. I want to take them to the lake and make memories with them that they will carry for a lifetime. I want a swing set in the backyard, and I want the constant happy chaos our life is sure to be. I want all of that, baby, but what you don’t realize is that without you in my life, the dream no longer exists. It’s not just some random woman I see. It’s you by my side. It’s you who’s growing round with our babies. It’s you sitting next to me around the fire, while our kids roast marshmallows. Every single scenario of my future is revolved around you. I love you, with all that I am.”