Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82265 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“They can’t be that nice,” Ryder speaks up.
Orrin stands. “Try it.”
Ryder stands, the bottle of Jack still in his hand, and trades places with Orrin. He sits in the chair, pushes back, and it reclines. “Damn,” he mutters.
“Told you.” Orrin grins, taking a seat between Maverick and Merrick on the couch.
The room falls silent, and Rushton looks like he’s about to say something to break the silence, but it’s Ryder’s voice that fills the room. “I told her that I loved her. I told her that we could figure it out. It’s eighteen months. Sure, it’s not the ideal situation, but I know we could do it. Fuck, I even told her I’d go with her.”
“What’s the plan?” Declan asks.
“I don’t have a fucking plan. My plan was to get this settled with Jordyn before she left. Gianna won’t tell me where she’s staying. I don’t even know the name of the company that she’s working for. I don’t know how to reach her. I can call her. I can text or send her an email, but if she doesn’t reply, that’s it. I’m at her mercy.”
“Why not hire a private investigator?” Merrick asks.
“Mer, I’m a fucking lineman, not a billionaire.”
“It can’t be that much,” Maverick chimes in.
“I’m not doing it. Even if money was no object, I’m not tracking her down like a fucking animal. She made her choice.”
“But you still love her,” I say, not thinking.
His eyes find mine, and he nods stiffly. “I still love her.”
“Eighteen months,” Rushton says. “A year and a half to form a plan.”
“What are you thinking?” Brooks asks.
“If she’s the one, you don’t let the fact that she’s in another country stop you. She has ties here. Her family, her best friend, and you.” Rushton shrugs. “This is a huge opportunity for her, and I’m sure it was a hard choice for her to make. She was into you, man. We could all see it.”
“He’s right. Alyssa said she thought so too,” I tell them.
“She’s coming home, Ryder. She robbed you of a goodbye. Maybe she’ll answer when you call her. Maybe she won’t. But you still have connections to her. So what if the best friend won’t tell you where she’s staying. I bet she’ll tell you she’s okay. That she’s safe and how she’s enjoying her time there. Use what you have here to your advantage, and when she steps back on American soil, you fight for her.” Rushton sits back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, clearly proud of himself.
“Not a bad idea,” Deacon speaks up. “If you still feel this way, if your heart still only knows her, then this is your best option. Use what you know about her, what you know about what she wants for her future, and yours, and combine them. Have you met the parents?” Deacon asks.
“Yeah, we’ve met each other’s families. Her parents remind me a lot of Mom and Dad.”
“Capitalize on that,” Orrin jumps in. “Go visit them. Let them know you’re waiting for her. Let her best friend know that you’re waiting for her. Word will get back to her. She might not be willing to talk to you because it hurts too much, but she will talk to them.”
“So, immerse myself in her life without her being here?” Ryder asks, a little bit of a spark in his eyes at the idea.
“Exactly.” We all sound off at once, and he laughs, shaking his head. He looks down at the bottle of Jack Daniel’s. “In the meantime, we’re getting drunk.” He takes the lid off the bottle, takes a big swig, and passes it to Archer, who does the same.
The bottle makes its way to each of us before we start talking about our camping trip that’s coming up with Dad in a couple of weeks. It’s a Kincaid tradition, and we all look forward to it every year.
“I hate leaving Palmer and Remi for the weekend,” Brooks tells us.
“Have Piper come and stay with her,” Declan suggests.
“Yeah, if my stubborn wife lets her.”
“She’s doing great, right?” I ask him. “She’s a big girl. She knows that she has support even with us out of town if she needs it. She has Piper, Mom, Kennedy, Jade, Alyssa, and let’s not forget Blake.” I smile, thinking about my niece.
“Let’s be honest here,” Deacon speaks up. “It’s not leaving them alone that’s eating at you. It’s leaving them, period. Trust me, and I know the feeling. We don’t have kids yet, but I feel the same thing about my wife.”
This is Deacon’s first year for the annual Kincaid camping trip. Since he’s married to Ramsey, he’s now included on the guys’ trip weekend.
“Agreed,” Orrin and Declan say.
“But it’s three days. It’s good to get a break. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that,” Maverick says.