Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66205 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“We ain’t payin’ for that,” Darius had said.
Then he’d grabbed his ax and stalked out into the forest.
He’d ended up creating all the card holders, the menu stands, and napkin holders himself.
Hadn’t cost them a dime.
Besides, all the things Darius had built over the years? Furniture, flower beds, their freaking home. Gray had absolutely nothing to worry about.
Actually, that wasn’t true. Ryan was in charge of their joint bachelor party, along with Avery and Abel.
Anything could happen.
“What do you say we meet up in Colorado this winter?” Ryan asked sleepily. “Looks like we have a few Finlays to initiate.”
“Definitely. I was thinking that earlier,” Reese yawned.
Gray was game. Now that Leah Connor was married and had a kid on the way, he didn’t have to worry about her casting wistful looks at Darius wherever they went.
“How about we bring our families for a change?” Gray suggested. And he said it as if he’d been there a ton of times; he’d been there once, but he’d heard of their reunions.
“I don’t know what’s in Colorado, but Archie and I owe the rest of our family a vacation,” Greer said. “We were supposed to go to Florida when we found out our surrogate mother was pregnant.”
Oh yeah, all thoughts on vacation flew out the window when you discovered you were gonna be a dad. Gray and Darius could relate.
While Ryan explained how they, as a team of old grunts, met up at a retreat in Colorado every now and then to touch base and catch up with buddies from the field, Gray sent his mom a quick message just to check in.
“…and it’s chill,” Ryan was saying. “It’s a few days of hanging out, shooting the shit, and pissing contests. They’ve got a big rehabilitation center with a shooting range, gym, obstacle courses—you name it.”
“I’m in,” Crew was quick to say. “After this month’s shitshow, I gotta assert myself and show Dad who’s boss.”
Cullen chuckled and climbed out of the pool. “You could also get your ass back in the service and give your old man a fuckin’ break. I wasn’t half as worried when you were in Afghanistan.”
Crew shrugged and scratched his nose. “PMCs have more fun.”
Darius snorted.
Reese winced. “I really shouldn’t have told you about our field.”
“Are you kidding me?” Crew widened his eyes. “Being held hostage notwithstanding, it’s already my dream job. I’m gonna get better. I’m gonna work harder. And I’m gonna enjoy a salary you can actually live on.”
Gray could tell by Cullen’s expression that this was one of those “We’ll talk about this when we get home” situations. But what could he say? Yeah, what’d happened to Crew in Belize would come with consequences, but the guy was what, twenty-six, twenty-seven? He was a grown man.
Gray was tiptoeing around the same topic at home with his mother. Last week, they hadn’t had the time to come up with a genius excuse as to why they were leaving town right before the wedding. She’d agreed to watch the kids, and Gray had admitted they were off to help a friend. “I’ll have to tell you more later,” he’d added.
Mom wasn’t an idiot. She had her suspicions. They’d never really gone away after Vegas.
This was Gray’s life, though. He chose to be here with Darius.
“Anyway,” Cullen said. “Colorado. Sounds fun. It’s been a minute since I got to see my wife on a pair of skis.”
It was settled. There would be a trip to Colorado in the near future.
Despite the knowledge that they’d see one another again eventually, it was weird saying goodbye to the Finlays. They weren’t exactly friends yet, not enough to stay in touch, but they’d shared something heavy this week. Something each man involved was always going to remember.
It was less weird saying goodbye to Ryan. They’d see him in a couple days.
“Guess who just got upgraded.”
Gray looked over to a visibly satisfied Reese as he joined them at the gate. “Ugh. Seriously?” He wanted to get upgraded too, dammit.
“We’ll sleep the whole way,” Darius reasoned, stifling a yawn. “You want one of Willow’s sleeping pills?”
Gray shook his head. To Darius, everything that made you drowsy was a sleeping pill. In reality, it was for severe anxiety, and Gray didn’t wanna lose his composure.
Thank fuck they had extra legroom, at least. Gray managed all right in economy, but the tall drink of water next to him had to spread out and steal space from Gray.
Tired from the journey, from the sun, from the screaming children around, and from the background noise, Gray sank lower in his seat and lolled his head against Darius’s shoulder.
“I think I burned my forehead,” he mumbled.
Darius gathered his arm around Gray instead and felt his forehead. “Yeah, it’s a little red.”
Gray hummed and closed his eyes. “I just wanna be home—in our bed,” he whispered.