Page 80 of All of Me

Don’t hate the chat. Hate yourself for not standing a chance.

Will:

Owen, just blink twice if you need me to save you from these clowns.

I type a response, my grin widening as I hit send.

Me:

You’re all terrible candidates. I hate to break it to you but Barrett is going to be my Best Man.

Vince:

Respect.

Luke:

Fair.

Hunter:

Honestly, Barrett will probably give a better speech than Vince.

Vince:

I hate you all.

Will:

Congrats again, man. Callie’s a catch.

I set my phone down on the counter, still grinning at the chaos unfolding in the chat. Leave it to the guys to turn my engagement announcement into a ridiculous debate over who’s the best man. The thought of Barrett standing next to me at the altar makes my chest tighten. I can already picture his face when I ask him, his big, lopsided grin, the way he’ll probably tell every single person he meets for the next year that he’s the best man. He’s going to love it, and knowing him, he’ll take it more seriously than these clowns.

This is the life I didn’t know I could have, the one I never let myself hope for after everything fell apart with Sabrina. Back then, I told myself I was fine on my own, that as long as Barrett was happy, I didn’t need anything else. Standing here now with Callie upstairs, Sara giggling on the couch, and Ruby sleeping peacefully in her bouncer, I can’t imagine going back to that.

“Owie, funny?” Sara asks, twisting around on the couch to look at me, her curls bouncing.

I smile at her, my chest warming at the sight. “Just Uncle Vince and Uncle Luke being silly,” I say, ruffling her hair as I walk past.

She grins, turning back to her cartoons without missing a beat. “Uncle Vince is always silly.”

She’s not wrong. Vince’s idea of humor mostly involves needling everyone else until they snap, but somehow, it’s always funny.

A few minutes later, Callie comes down the stairs, her hair damp from her shower and a soft, sleepy smile on her face. She’s got this glow about her. She’s lighter and more at peace than I’ve seen in a while. It makes my chest ache, like my heart’s too full for my ribs to contain.

“What’s got you smiling?” she asks, tilting her head as she steps into the kitchen.

“Just told the guys,” I reply, crossing the room to pull her into my arms. Her body against mine is grounding, like coming home after a long day.

Her brows lift, her green eyes sparking with curiosity. “And?”

“It immediately turned into a debate about who’s going to be the best man. Hunter offered to host the bachelor party at the bar.”

Callie’s laugh is warm and full, her head falling against my chest. “Of course, they did. Did anyone actually say congratulations, or was it just an argument?”

“Oh, there were a few congrats sprinkled in,” I tease, brushing a strand of damp hair away from her face. “Mostly buried under Luke and Vince throwing verbal punches about who knows me better.”

She rolls her eyes, her grin widening. “Sounds about right. You’re lucky they care about you as much as they do, even if they show it in... unique ways.”

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