Page 84 of Worth the Wait

“Well, we hate him. He’s hereby banned from this moment on,” Thomas announced, and Matthew walked in from somewhere and wholeheartedly agreed.

“Please tell me we’re talking about Nick Jonas and how he’s dead to us?”

“Wait. What’s going on? Why do we hate Nick? Is it the soulful voice? The haunting lyrics?” She spun to look at me, hoping I’d explain. “His talented little five-foot-something frame?”

“I’ll fill you in later,” I said, trying to buy some time before I told her that the song “Chainsaw” was my personal hell and my brothers came running whenever it was on, scared to death that I was about to either spontaneously combust or burn something right to the ground.

“Banned!” Thomas shouted for emphasis.

“Forget Nick who-is-now-dead-to-us Jonas. Can we talk about that handsome face?” Matthew pointed at my face as he tried to reach for my chin the way Thomas had done, and I swatted his meat paw away, groaning.

“You all can stop now. I cut my hair. Whoop-de-fucking-do. Acting like you’ve never seen a man with a haircut,” I groaned, wishing I’d brought a baseball hat so I could hide underneath it.

“Brother, I haven’t seen half your face in years,” Matthew teased.

Clara beamed from her seat at the table before pushing out of her chair.

“I love it, Uncle Patrick. Mac and Cheese Addi, did you do it?” She spun and spun while she waited for an answer.

Addi dropped to her knees and nodded. “I did a good job, right?”

Clara leaped into her arms. “The best job! Maybe next time, I can help too?”

“You can definitely help,” Addi said.

My heart was so damn full as I watched the interaction. I understood the way Thomas must have felt whenever Brooklyn was with Clara, and she wasn’t even my daughter.

“Wait,” Matthew announced.

I had an inkling of what was about to come. He was always more than a little observant whenever it came to everyone except him.

He reached for Addi’s arm and pulled her left hand up to his face. “What is this?”

“What is what?” She played coy.

“That ring. That’s a damn ring right there,” he added, and everyone rushed to gather around Addi like she was some sort of circus animal.

“Ooh,” Clara started making a loud girlie sound. “You have a ring like Mama does. Except it’s not red. It’s so sparkly.”

“Did you—” Brooklyn started to ask before stopping short. “Are you—” She stopped again, a giant smile on her face.

I put my hands in the air. “She found it, okay? Didn’t see the sense in not asking. It was hers anyway.”

“I’m so excited.” Brooklyn pulled Addi into a hug. “I know we don’t know each other very well yet, but we will. And I’ve always wanted a sister.”

Damn.

“Me too,” Addi said before she started laughing nervously. “I mean, I have one. But I always assumed that I’d have two more. I always hoped that I’d be part of this family someday.”

“I think it’s every woman in Sugar Mountain’s fantasy.” Brooklyn winked before sliding into Thomas’s waiting arms.

“We’re lucky,” Addi said, and, hell, I felt like the lucky one.

“Does this mean I can’t come over anymore?” Clara tugged on my T-shirt.

“Why would you think that? You have a room, sweet girl,” I reminded her.

“If you and Starfish Addi have babies, maybe you’ll have to give one of them my room?” Her little head was obviously spinning, and it hurt my heart.

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