Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
“Soon. One day soon.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “Maybe, let’s get through Forrest’s Fourth of July bash, and then we’ll sit down with him. I don’t want everyone to be at odds when I know he’s looking forward to this.”
“Your brother loves any excuse to get us all together.”
“He does,” I agree. “He craves the family we never had. You and the guys are that for him.”
“I hope he can see through the anger to know that I am his family. I’m going to be his brother for real.”
“It might take some time, but he’ll accept this. There is no other option. I’m in this, Rome. It’s you and me, right?”
“Forever.”
We lie out under the stars for another hour before we pack up and head back to town. He’s sitting in the truck next to me, and I miss him already. Two weeks until the Fourth of July, and then we’ll tell my brother.
I’m nervous and pulsing with excitement at the same time. Hiding my love for Roman grows more difficult every day.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Roman
* * *
“Do you know who bought the Morgans' house?” Emerson asks Forrest.
“No. I didn’t even see them have a showing. It must have been while we were gone.”
“I love that house.” Emerson juts out her bottom lip in a pout, and it’s cute as hell. I wish I could kiss her pout away. I should get some kind of award for resisting my girl in that sexy emerald-green bikini she’s wearing that makes her eyes pop.
“I know you do. Hopefully, they’ll be easygoing neighbors.”
“Could they not have waited to sell until I’d secured a job and been working for a while?” Emerson grumbles.
“You want to be my neighbor, kid?” Forrest asks her.
“In that house? Sure.” She shrugs. “You would have just had to make sure you knock before entering and all that.”
“You planning on running around naked?” he teases.
“Wait,” Lachlan, who is in the pool a few feet away, holds his hand in the air. “Can I get an invite to this naked lounging? Will there be other ladies in attendance?”
My shoulders stiffen and I tell myself to relax. I know none of these guys want my girl, but I’ll be damned if their teasing doesn’t raise my protective instincts every damn time. I remind myself they don’t know she’s mine, but they will. Tomorrow, in fact. Today is the Fourth of July. Emerson and I agreed we’re going to sit down with Forrest tomorrow and spill all. The guys will find out soon after.
I admit I’m nervous. Not for me, but for her. He can hate me if he wants to. He’ll never understand how I’d be okay with that until he finds the love of his life. Me and the guys are tight. They are my brothers, but Emerson, she’s… mine.
My everything.
I meant it when I told Emerson that she changed me.
“Stop.” Emerson laughs, and the sound eases the tension inside me. “No invitations, but you know I might be with a man friend or something.”
Monroe spits out her drink. “Man friend? What are you, eighty?” She’s bending over in the chair she’s sitting in, laughing.
“You know what I mean.” Emerson is laughing too.
“Wait. Hold up.” Forrest leans forward. “Are you seeing someone?”
“What if I am?” Emerson asks. She’s still smiling and laughing. I have my sunglasses on, but my eyes are trained on her. If she wants to tell her brother now, I’m game. I don’t think that’s what she’s doing. If I had to guess, I’d say she’s warming him up to tomorrow’s conversation that he doesn’t know is coming.
“I need to meet him. Why isn’t he here? What kind of man won’t come to hang out with his girl’s family?” Forrest grumbles.
“Maybe it’s new?” Maddox says, and I bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing when Forrest glares at him. I shouldn’t be laughing. That glare is soon going to be pointed in my direction.
Forrest loves his sister, that’s not a fault, but he needs to realize she’s her own person.
“It’s not new,” Emerson says. There is an air of confidence in her voice, and that has my chest expanding with love for her. She knows that we’re in this together. Whatever the outcome, it’s always going to be the two of us against whatever situation we’re faced with. She’s confident and secure in the love that we share, and it shines through her like a beacon in the night.
“How long?” Forrest asks.
Emerson shrugs. “A while.”
“Who?” Forrest’s tone is filled with disbelief. He’s stunned that his sister is dating, and he didn’t know about it.
“When I’m ready for you to know, I’ll tell you.” She holds his stare.
“Emerson,” he growls, and I sit up straighter in my seat. I don’t see this getting out of hand, but I won’t let him start yelling at her.