Page 27 of Where the Darkness Goes

“Why do you live here, anyway?” I fish a pickle in danger of falling out of the sub. “With Will, I mean. I didn’t ask earlier in all of my shock.”

After he swipes his mouth with a napkin, he places his sandwich on the paper in his lap and dusts his hands, finishing chewing before he answers. “Well, I don’t know what all he’s told you, but you know after college I ended up staying in Nashville for a few years. But then when I decided to come back home during the pandemic, I was looking for a place to buy, and Will had just started with his new company that was supposed to be permanently work from home.”

I nod, rolling my eyes at thatlittle inconvenience. My brother left his job of three years, a job he liked, for a company that promised him better pay and that it would be fully remote. Once the pandemic restrictions were lifted, they quickly changed their tune, which meant he had to travel to Huntsville during the week to be in an office and do the exact same work he was easily doing from here.

“Anyway,” Garrett goes on, “no one was really selling their houses here during that time, so Will said I should just stay with him until things went back to normal.” He rolls his eyes. “Whatever that is. And then when he started having to go to Huntsville, I guess it was nice having me here to watch things. And this house is too big for just him, so right now, until one of us decides to retire from the ol’ bachelor life, settle down, and have two-point-five kids and a golden retriever named Scout, I guess this is home.”

I take another bite, then reach for one of the lemonades he got us. I know he’s mostly joking, but I remember a time when Garrett had been certain he’d never have kids. There’s no doubt he loves his siblings, but I also understand the frustration with having such a big family at times. I wonder if he’s changed his mind about kids or if that’s still the plan.

“Well, that makes sense.” I pause, my mind looming over what he said. “Speaking of retiring from bachelor life, any updates on that front? For Will, mostly. But, you can tell me about yourself too, if you really want to.”

He smirks. “You trying to ask if I’m single, Tessa Becker?”

“Please. What monster would want to tie you down?”

With a growl, he leans forward and takes a bite of my sandwich without warning, smirking at me.

I blink down at my food and then up at him. “You did not just do that.”

Wiping his mouth, he grins. “Did too. Better watch that smart mouth before I eat something else.”

The air in the room shifts, taking me with it. My face flames with what he’s just said, my ears ringing. “What?”

“Dessert.” He nods toward the bag, then winks. “What’d you think I meant?”

I roll my eyes and return to my sandwich, my body alight with something electric. He’s always been able to do that to me, and I hate it. But only because I love it so much.

“Anyway, what about you? Will said you haven’t dated anyone in a while.”

“You keeping tabs on me?”

He shrugs without comment.

“I date, but not seriously. Guess I was always just waiting for Mark Summers to come sweep me off my feet.”

With a snort, he wads up a napkin and tosses it at me. “You’re such a brat.”

“Am not.” I stick out my tongue. “Hey, I’m thinking about going to visit Mom again tomorrow. I know you have to work or whatever, but would you want to come with me when you get home?”

“I’m happy to.”

“You don’t have to if it’s weird or if you have plans or anything.”

“Nope. I said I’m happy to, Little Bit.”

I take the last bite of my sandwich and crumple the paper, dropping it into the bag before I stand up, step over his legs where they’re propped up on the table, then drop down over him, straddling his lap.

He freezes, his sandwich just in front of his mouth. With a swallow loud enough I can hear it, his Adam’s apple bobs.

“I told you,” I say, leaning in toward him slowly. Without warning, I take a bite off the back of his sandwich. His eyes flick to my mouth, then back up to my eyes with a questioning stare. “To stop calling me Little Bit.” I lick a bit of mayo off my lip, and he drops his sandwich, scooting it away from him until there’s nothing between us.

“Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?”

I bounce on his legs playfully. “Prove I’m not so little anymore.”

His hand goes to my hip, stilling me with a not-so-playful look in his eyes. “You’ll always be little to me, Tessa Claire.”

“I’m practically crushing you, GarrettDaniel.”

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