Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
There were drinks there, and food could be ordered. David was offering to leave because of them, and it made me love him even more. How did I get so lucky as to have two such awesome guys?
Peyton’s stance softened. Sure, Ian must’ve told them a bit about David, but Daddy had just proven himself to them.
“No, thank you. The offer means a lot to me, though,” Peyton replied. “It’s about time for me to head out anyway.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Ian told them.
Peyton said goodbye to us, and we waited in the house while Ian and Peyton went outside.
A few minutes later he returned, alone. “Sorry. I know I should have told you, but they need the help, and they struggle with other jobs because they don’t feel comfortable around new people. If I told you, you would have offered to pay them, and you’re already paying me to do this, so…” He dropped his head. “Sorry.”
“There’s absolutely nothing to be sorry for, Ian. What you’re doing…you make your Sir proud, okay? And yes, we’ll work out the payment thing because you deserve to be paid as well—no arguments.”
“I…” He hesitated. “Yes, Sir.” Ian turned to me. “How did it go at school? I know you’re having mixed feelings over it.”
“It went okay.”
“He did very well,” David added.
I didn’t know what it was, but standing there in front of them, after what David was doing for me and what Ian was doing for Peyton, it was all too much. My eyes began to tear up. What was wrong with me? I didn’t do this.
“Ugh. I don’t know why I’m all weepy about going to culinary school.”
But really, I did.
David and Ian came to me, held me, told me they were proud of me and happy for me, and reminded me Granny loved me and they did too.
And like always, it helped. They helped make everything better.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
David
“I made a cake!” Jordan told Finley when the three of us arrived at his and Aidan’s house. “It’s this bourbon cake with vanilla buttercream frosting and a secret ingredient I can’t share.”
“Sounds good,” Finley said. “That’s so cool that you’re going to start culinary school.”
It really was. There were no words for how proud I was of Jordan. I wasn’t quite sure he saw it, even though I’d told him countless times. He saw it as taking something from me rather than sharing something I wanted to be ours. These were the things you did for the people you loved, and there was nothing I wanted more than to see Jordan’s and Ian’s growth.
We headed into the house. Things had been so crazy over the summer that this was the first time it would be all five of us since our get-together before Aidan and Finley had left for Texas.
We made our way out back, where we often congregated when we were together. I went over to where Aidan stood on a ladder, replacing one of the lightbulbs, while the three boys were already stripping down to their Speedos to go swimming.
“Hey, how’s it going?” Aidan asked as he climbed down.
“Not too bad. You?”
“Good.” We went to one of the outdoor tables with two patio chairs and sat down. I watched as Finley jumped onto Ian’s back, Ian sinking underwater and taking Finley with him. When Ian resurfaced, he smiled in a way he only ever did around his best friend. They had a special relationship, the two of them, and I was thankful Ian had him.
Then Ian turned to Jordan, fingers at his nape, pulled him closer, grinned again, and tugged our kitten under with him. When they came back up, Jordan ruffled his hair, then wrapped his arms around Ian’s shoulders as they bobbed in the water. Months ago, while they would have played around together, they wouldn’t have looked at each other the way they did now. They wouldn’t have held each other the way they did, and Ian wouldn’t have smiled at Jordan with as much affection as he had for Finley, only in a different way.
And Jordan, while he’d always been fun-loving and playful, while he’d always laughed and flirted, he wouldn’t have clung to Ian as he did now. There wouldn’t have been that hint of sadness in his eyes I would do anything to wipe away. But he was worried about his relationship with his grandma.
“Jesus Christ. I don’t know whether to make fun of you for how gone you are over them, or tell you how much respect I have for you for being able to handle two of them.”
Aidan’s comment made me chuckle for a moment, before I sobered.
“Is everything okay?” Aidan asked.
“Wow…things really have changed if you’re asking me that.”
“Don’t be an asshole.”
“Is that an order?” I winked.
“Finley says Ian’s doing great, that he’s never seen him so happy. Apparently, he has a new friend he’s helping out, and he’s loving the work on the house.”