Page 94 of When We Burn

“No, they miss their big brother,” she says and kisses his shoulder as she walks past him toward the patio. “I’m going out to chat. Come on, Birdie, come sit with the girls.”

“Okay.” Birdie jumps off her stool and follows Millie outside.

“Holden, it’s time you and I had a talk.” My voice is low because I want this to be a private conversation.

“I figured this was coming.” He blows out a breath and crosses his arms over his chest. “I see how you look at my sister. It’s as if she’s the best thing you’ve ever seen in your life.”

I send him a toothy grin. “She is. I’m in love with her, and I don’t plan on ever letting her go. Hell, if I have my way, she’ll be living with us before Christmas.”

Holden’s eyebrows climb into his hairline. “That’s fast, buddy.”

“Not fast enough. Hell, I’d marry her tomorrow if she’d say yes. And that’ll be another conversation we’ll have to have.”

My friend sighs and drags his hand down his face, leaning back against the counter. “I’ve known you all of my life. Your family was always our safe place, Bridge. You’re one of my closest friends, and I know the kind of man you are. If I had a problem with you and my sister together, I would have said something all those weeks ago when you came to me at the ranch. Scratch that,” he says, reconsidering. “I would have beaten the hell out of you.”

“You could have tried.”

Holden rolls his eyes, and I smirk at him. “The point is, Dani’s an adult. She can date who she wants.”

“Yeah, but you’re the only father figure she’s ever had, man. You’re the one who raised her, protected her. Loved her. The respectful thing to do is to have a conversation with you and tell you that I love her, and she’s mine now.”

His eyes darken at that. “Yours?”

“Are you going to stand there and tell me that Millie isn’t yours?” I nod when his brows pull together in a frown. “Exactly. Your sister is mine. I’ll make sure she never wants for anything, and that includes a safe place. I’m her safe place. Have been since she was little.”

“I know. Bridger, what she and the others went through?—”

“I know most of it and what I wasn’t aware of, she’s filling in the holes as bad moments come up. Which, you’ll be happy to hear, aren’t all that often.”

His shoulders drop at that.

“She won’t go near the chickens at the ranch, and she has a panic attack whenever they’re mentioned.”

He takes a swig of his beer and nods. “Yeah. And you know why?”

“I do. Fuck, Holden.” I push my hand through my hair and pace away from him, and then back again. “Fuck.”

“Listen, you’re as much a brother to me as it gets. All of you are my family,” Holden says as he sets his beer aside and crosses his arms over his chest again. “You know I’m not going to tell you to stay away from my girl. We already talked this out.”

I nod, and when he reaches out to shake my hand, I don’t hesitate to take it, and then pull him in for a hug.

“But like I told you before, you hurt her, and it’s over for you. Family or not.”

I grin at him. “I have a daughter, you know. I get it. I won’t ever intentionally hurt her. I just want to love her, man.”

“Are you guys ever going to come out here?” Dani calls to us. “Darby has something to tell all of us, and we need you guys.”

Holden and I grab our beers and join the others on the patio.

I pull Dani out of her seat, take it, and then tug her into my lap, and she happily loops her arms around my shoulders.

“How precious,” Charlie says, batting her eyelashes at us.

“What if I want to sit in your lap?” Birdie asks with a frown, and I do believe this is the first time that my daughter has shown any jealousy when it comes to Dani.

“Oh,you can sit—” Dani starts to get up, but I hold her firm against me and smile at my daughter. We need to set a precedent here.

“Doyou want to sit in my lap, peanut?”

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