Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“When you have a good day, who do you want to call? When your day sucks ass, who do you want to call? Six months from now, who are you calling in both of those scenarios? One year? Five years? Ten years?” he continues.
“I get it.”
“I’m happy for you, Merrick. Truly. Courtney is a great girl. Stella and all the ladies have nothing but incredible things to say about her, especially Jordyn, who has spent the most time with her. She fits in well with our family. Almost as if she was meant to be a part of it.”
“Now, what do I do?” I’m struggling to keep up with the emotions coursing through me.
“You keep doing what you’re doing. If you’re not ready to tell her, that’s fine. There are no rules to follow. Just don’t wait too long to tell her. You don’t want to lose her.”
“No. No, I don’t want to do that.”
“Sit on it for a few days. Give yourself time to accept it.”
“Is that what you did?”
“Nah, it hit me like a fucking lightning bolt, and I had to tell her. I needed my girls to know they were mine. But that’s my story. Ask any of our brothers, and you’ll hear something different. The biggest hurdle is understanding that you’re in love with her. Allow yourself the time to adjust and then tell her when the time is right. You’ll know. I knew, and I can assure you they all knew too.” He motions around the pool where all of our brothers are hanging out in different areas with our family.
“Happy for you, man.”
“Thanks,” I reply as Blakely comes rushing over to us. She’s dripping with water from where she just climbed out of the pool.
“Why aren’t you swimming?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.
“We’re just talking.”
“Well, Daddy says it’s rude not to join the party.”
“Your daddy is right. We’re going to go take the twins and let Aunt Scarlett and Courtney have a break.”
“Is Courtney my aunt too? I still need one more, you know?” She plants her hands on her hips as she waits for a reply.
“Courtney is not your aunt. She would need to be my wife for that to happen,” I explain so that she can understand. At nine, she’s whip-smart, but I still want to break it down as easily as I can for her.
“Oh, okay. Wait, why don’t you just marry her? I like her. I pick her to be my last aunt.”
“Come here, you.” I pull her into my arms, not caring that she’s going to get me wet. I’m in my new swim trunks Courtney bought me. I tickle her until she threatens to pee on me and then relent.
“I was kidding!” she yells as she takes off racing toward the pool.
“Don’t run!” every adult outside yells at the same time.
“Come on, let’s go give the ladies a break.” Maverick rises from the lounge chair and makes his way toward Courtney and Scarlett, and I follow along behind him.
Maverick scoops Lacey out of Scarlett’s arms and coos to her, while I settle on the lounger next to Courtney and offer Ryan my finger, which he latches onto immediately. “You trying to steal my girl, little man?” I ask the baby.
My eyes find Courtney’s and she smiles. “He’s doing a good job of it.”
“That’s not going to work for me.” Leaning forward, I press a quick, soft kiss to her lips before scooping Ryan out of her arms. “She’s already taken,” I tell my nephew.
Scarlett laughs. “Come on, Court, let’s go cool off.”
“Do you need anything?” Courtney asks as she moves her legs to the side of the lounger. “A drink or something before I get in?”
“No, baby. I’m fine. Go cool off. I’ll be right here in the shade.”
“Okay.” She winks, and my cock stirs. She knows I love it when she says that to me, because great things happen when she agrees so easily.
“You’re sunk, brother,” Maverick says, as soon as the ladies are out of earshot.
“Yeah, I think I am.” I don’t think I am. I know that I am. Today has been eye-opening. Maverick said it hit him like a lightning bolt, and it did me as well. I never imagined it would be this way. One minute I’m ready to pick her up to go hang out with my family and the next, she’s holding my heart in her hands.
I guess if I’m being honest, it’s been coming for a while now. All these weeks we’ve been hanging out together, I’ve kept reminding myself that we were pretending. Somewhere along the way, I stopped.
Now, all I have to do is convince the love of my life that we should stay real.
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN
Courtney
My eyes pop open when I feel soft lips against my bare skin. “Morning,” I murmur as Merrick’s arms tighten around me.