Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 85270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85270 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
My heart squeezes in my chest. She has no idea how her words are affecting me. She doesn’t realize that I’m trying like hell not to fall for him. She doesn’t know that we got intimate last weekend and that I’ve packed my phone with me like it’s a third limb since that night, hoping to hear from him.
We agreed not to tell anyone at my insistence. This exact scenario is why. If Ramsey had any idea of what happened between Brooks and me, she’d be all over both of us to give this a real shot, and as much as I’d love that, I know that’s not where we’re headed.
“I believe that if it’s supposed to happen, it will. Can we just leave it at that?”
“Fine.” I know my best friend, and I know she wants to say more, but her ringing cell phone cuts her off and saves me more of her speech. “Hey, babe. You’re on speaker,” she answers.
“Are you with Palmer?” my brother asks.
“Yep. We’re doing her grocery shopping, and then I don’t know what we’re getting into.”
“Let’s have people over to swim. It’s hot as hell.”
“It is hot today. Palmer?”
“Sure.” I shrug as I hit my signal to turn into the lot of the grocery store. “I’m always up for a swim. What are we doing for food?”
Deacon answers, “Let’s just do burgers and hot dogs. Some sides, maybe.”
“Do we have the meat in the freezer, or do I need to grab it while we’re here?” Ramsey asks my brother.
“Go ahead and get more; what we have is frozen.”
“Will do. I’ll pick up some sides and dessert.”
“I planned on having you for dessert,” my brother says, his voice changing to something deep, sexy, and disgusting because eww, that’s my brother.
“Hey!” I say loudly. “Your sister is in the car, and I can hear you,” I remind him.
“Sorry, baby sister, but I’m not going to change how I talk to my wife just because you can hear me.”
“She’s not your wife yet,” I say to fire him up, and it works just as I knew it would.
“See that bright sparkly thing on her left hand? That’s my ring. She’s my wife.”
“Last I checked, her last name wasn’t Setty,” I tease.
“Rams?”
“Yes, dear?” she asks sweetly. She’s barely controlling her laughter. My brother is over-the-top ridiculously in love with his fiancée.
“We need to set a date.”
“I told you. I’m ready when you are. I don’t want a big fancy wedding. I just want to marry you.”
“Fuck,” he mutters as if her words hit him deep in his chest. “You sure? Baby, I want you to have everything.”
“And all I want is you.”
I melt a little and feel like I’m witnessing something personal that maybe I shouldn’t be, but they know I can hear them.
“This weekend. We’re deciding when and where this weekend. You hear that, little sister?” Deacon asks. “She’s going to be my wife.”
“I know, Deacon.” I smile, my heart full of nothing but love for the two of them. “The real question is, when are you going to make me an aunt?”
“As soon as she’ll let me.”
“I’m ready now,” Ramsey says as if we’re discussing the weather. Silence greets us on the other end of the line. “Deacon?”
“I fucking love you, Ramsey.”
My best friend, who is going to be my sister very soon, smiles. It’s more than just a smile. Her entire face lights up. “I love you too. We’re at the store. We’re going to grab what we need, stop by Palmer’s, and then we’ll be there.”
“Be safe. Both of you. Love you both,” he says, and the line goes dead.
“Come on. Let’s get this over with so we can get you home to your man.”
“No rush,” she says, climbing out of my car.
“You’re good for him.”
“And I know someone you would be good for.” She lets the words hang between us as we walk into the store. We each grab a cart and begin filling them up. She doesn’t bring it up again, but what she doesn’t know is that she’s watering a seed of hope that’s already been planted.
“Remind me to tell my brother what a genius he is,” I say to Ramsey. We’re currently sitting around the pool at the house that is now hers as well as my brother’s. The sun is shining, and we’re blissfully soaking up the rays. After we finished at the grocery store, we unpacked all of mine at my place before I grabbed my bikini, and now here we are in her backyard, lazing the day away.
“Oh, I’ll tell him,” she says.
“Stop.” I laugh. “Keep that sexy voice for when it’s just the two of you. Ick,” I say, pretending that I’m grossed out. We both know that’s not the case. Sex is natural, and they’re in love. Do I want to think about it? No. Absolutely not, but I’m not grossed out knowing that they have sex. It’s human nature.