Page 39 of Devoted

Chapter 12

Brooks

“Come on, old man! Suddenly you’re about to have a kid and you can’t keep up with us anymore?” Cash is giving shit to Cooper as he huffs and puffs his way up the peak, his sneakers dragging beneath his solid body.

“Fuck you, Cash. You ever heard of pregnancy weight? It’s real, and not just for the woman, alright?”

Cash studies him with disgust as Cooper finally makes it to the top, hunching over to catch his breath while Ethan and I stand there and watch him.

“Don’t use Clara as an excuse.”

He stands tall and then points back down the trail. “Why the fuck aren’t you giving Luke, Kane, and Dean any shit?”

“Because they’re all dads and have been for a while. I expect that from them. But you’re my boy, Cooper. I’m not gonna let you get a dad bod on me. I know Kaydence will be here soon, but fuck man, you’ve gotta keep up your stamina. When Clara gets the green light for sex from the doctor after she gives birth, you’re not gonna be able to rock her world if you’re this out of shape.”

Cooper shoots Cash a death look and then puts his hands on his hips as the rest of the crew comes up behind him. “First of all, there’s nothing wrong with a dad bod, alright? If Clara likes it, then that’s between her and me. And second of all, stop talking about my sex life around a bunch of people!” He waves his hands around at the groups of hikers gathered sporadically around the plateau.

Ethan and I snicker beside each other just as Cash turns and cocks his head to the side. “Let this be a lesson, boys. Once you get married and have kids, you turn into an old man and start to lose your six-pack. Don’t let it happen to you.”

“Uh, aren’t you about to be married?” I question jokingly as our groups gathers in a circle around a few rocks, resting our legs and chugging down some water.

“Damn right. But that won’t be me. You guys are making us men look bad.”

“Cash, shut the fuck up and mind your own business,” Kane interjects as the other guys watch the joking continue. “Looks fade, man. Ultimately, what matters is that you marry a woman who loves you even if your six-pack vanishes.”

Cash starts laughing, throwing everyone off. “I know, fuckers. I’m just giving you shit. And hey, Ethan and Brooks, listen to these guys before you listen to me. I just finally fell in love for the first time, and guess what, I’m marrying her. These guys could probably give you far better advice than I could.”

“Noted,” Ethan agrees and everyone laughs.

“So, after this we’re headed back to Kane’s place, right?” I ask, letting my heart rate return to normal before we start our trek back down the mountain. It’s been years since I’ve hiked this mountain nestled up against Emerson Falls, but the four-mile hike is a surefire way to get in some decent cardio.

Kane nods. “Yup. I’ve got a keg on ice right now and poker tables set up. Olivia is with the girls and Evelyn is with my parents. It’s time for a guy’s night, boys.”

“And there’d better not be any surprise strippers,” Cash stresses, pointing his finger around the group.

Cooper and Luke throw their hands up in the air. “We know, okay? Believe me, the last thing I want to do is watch a woman dance that isn’t my wife,” Cooper replies.

“Same,” Drew, Kane’s colleague, and friend from the high school, adds. Upon talking with the guys on our hike, I learned that Kane and Drew teach at Emerson Falls High School, where they both met their wives, Olivia and Tammy, respectively.

“I’ve never understood the point of strippers at a bachelor party,” Cash states. “When I was single, yes, I expected them because I wasn’t attached to a woman, obviously. It was free entertainment in my eyes. But I wasn’t sure why the guy getting married would feel comfortable watching a woman that isn’t his fiancé take off her clothes.”

“Well, good thing we all agree and respect that,” Cooper says, “because I’m sure Clara would probably kill me if I was watching some other naked woman, especially with her pregnant right now.”

“But what about these guys?” Drew interjects. “You guys are both single, aren’t you?” He juts his thumb in mine and Ethan’s direction.

“Well, actually, I’m seeing someone,” my cousin answers.

“Yeah, uh. Me too.” That grabs everyone’s attention as all of their heads turn towards me.

“Brooks? You’ve been here for a little over a month and you’re already involved with someone? Who is it?” Cooper asks as everyone waits for my answer.

“Well, it wasn’t like I was looking to date. She just kind of took me by surprise.” I run my hand through my hair and try to stop the smile forming on my face, but it’s a lost cause.

“Oh, fuck. I’ve seen that look before. That’s how it always happens, doesn’t it gentleman,” Cash harasses me as the other guys snicker and laugh. “So, who is it?”

“It’s Jess.” Multiple sets of eyebrows pop up.

Cash waves his hand casually through the air, seemingly unimpressed. “Yeah, I already knew that. Piper told me. I just wanted to hear you say it out loud.”

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