Page 77 of How I Love You

Everett grunted. “See that he’s there. I want to size him up myself.”

Everett hadn’t met him yet, though the rest of them had had brief interactions with him, given all the time I’d spent by his side for the last few weeks. But considering the size of our brood, it was hard to really get to know someone in social settings likethat, and I didn’t understand how he thought he’d do much better at a concert during a fall festival.

Travis pursed his lips. “We all might be tall and good fighters—since I let y’all into the gym to work on your swings, of course—but that man still has several inches on all of us. Pretty sure that’ll be the first thing you notice, Ev.”

I laughed, shaking my head at the absurdity of it all. Only in Charlotte Oaks would a man be judged not by his character, but by how tall he was compared to the Wilson brothers.

23?/?

tucker

The Harvest Festival was in full swing, a chaotic mix of food stalls, hayrides, and the sound of kids shrieking with laughter. The sun had just started to dip below the horizon, casting an amber glow over everything. It was the kind of small-town charm you saw in movies, and if I wasn’t so on edge, I might’ve taken a moment to appreciate it.

Instead, I was standing with the Wilson brothers—andallof them this time.

I’d been at a couple of those Sunday Suppers since I’d come to town, but so far, I hadn’t gotten the full brotherly experience. There was always someone missing—Adam or Jackson on shift, Everett home with Lany and their sick baby—but now, they were all here, standing with me like some kind of wall of Southern masculinity, arms crossed, watching over the festival. It was like being in the middle of a football team’s defensive line.

And yeah, we got along right away, which was a massive relief. I’d half-expected them to treat me like I was under interrogation, sizing me up to see if I was good enough for Dakota. But after the initial awkwardness, the tension broke, and I found myself cracking jokes with them, the conversation flowing easily.

It might’ve had something to do with the way Colt was so good with people, and the fact that he’d served with Adam back in the day. It turned what could’ve been really uncomfortable into that feeling when a bunch of vets who don’t even know each other wind up at the same bar on the Marine Corps birthday, and suddenly, they’re brothers for life.

That said, the underlying challenge was still there. This wasn’t just about getting along. This was about proving that I wasn’t okay with passing through and then bailing on Dakota regardless of how she felt about it. Whether I left or not, they needed to know that if she cared about me, I better care about her, too, or there’d be a problem.

And while I didn’t know where my head was at in the long term, I knew one thing for sure: Dakota mattered. More than I’d been willing to admit, even to myself.

I glanced around the festival, scanning the crowd out of habit. Families milled about, kids clutching cotton candy and running toward the carnival rides. Dakota was somewhere in the thick of it, probably with Hope, and despite the laid-back atmosphere, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. My gut had been doing backflips since we got here, and that wasn’t a good sign.

“So,” Jackson started, leaning against one of the festival tents, “how’re you likin’ Charlotte Oaks? Big difference from Colorado, huh?”

Before I could answer, a movement caught my eye as if it were drawn to the source without my permission. Dakota weaved through the crowd, her pace a little faster than usual, her face tight.

My chest squeezed immediately, and I went on high alert, already moving toward her.

She spotted me and closed the distance quickly, her hand clutching a crumpled piece of paper. “Tucker,” she said, hervoice low, and when I looked into her eyes, I could see the worry there, the edge of fear she was trying to hold back. “I just found this in my jacket pocket. I have no idea who slipped it in there… or when.”

Already creeped out by someone’s close proximity—someone with their hands anywhere near her—without her permission, I took the note from her, smoothing it out. The words, scrawled in angry, messy letters, sent a chill straight through me.

Get out of Hope’s house, and get Hope out too—or else.

Son of a?—

I balled the paper in my fist, my pulse spiking, adrenaline pumping through my veins. This wasn’t just some idle threat. This was a warning. A clear one, despite the vagueness of theor else.

Adam and Everett had followed me, and when they caught sight of Dakota’s expression, theirs turned deadly.

“What’s goin’ on?” Everett asked, his voice low and menacing.

“I got it,” I said before Dakota could speak. The last thing I wanted was to get them involved.

Adam’s jaw clenched. “You think you’re just gonna handle whatever it is alone if it involves Dakota?”

“Dakota’s right here,” she mumbled under her breath.

“Yeah, I do,” I replied.

Everett’s arms crossed, his eyes narrowing on me. “Not if Dakota’s involved. Not if it’s as dangerous as it seems like it is, judgin’ from the way you look right now.”

Adam stepped forward, looking like he was ready to argue, but before he could, Dakota cut in. “Guys, please. Tucker’s beenworkin’ on this for weeks. He’s got it, and he’s not gonna back down about lettin’ y’all help. Trust me.”

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