Page 142 of Their Greatest Strength

A chasm opens in my chest the longer she avoids my eyes and steps outside. Nate lingers, eyeing me funny in the mirror.

“Did you do something wrong?”

“I don’t think so. She was fine earlier.”

Her texts sure made it seem like it, anyway. Maybe I misread her teasing and pissed her off with mine.

“I’m not an expert in women or anything, but it sure seems like you did something wrong.”

“Is your sister the type of woman not to tell you when you’ve done something to upset her, though?”

“Fair point. Maybe she just had a bad day.”

“Yeah, you could be right. Let’s see if we can make it better, then, yeah?”

He all but dives out of the car. I chuckle, following andlocking the doors. Blakely’s left the house door cracked open. Nate slips in first.

“Don’t go in your room yet!” he shouts, quickly kicking his shoes off.

Blakely’s shoes are perfectly tucked on the rack, like always. It’s such a simple thing, but having her stuff out and next to mine is so satisfying. It reiterates that she feels comfortable here.

“Better hurry, then,” she calls from upstairs.

Nate and I haul ass after her. We’ve been planning this surprise since his last football game, and I don’t want to risk everything not going perfectly.

Blakely’s waiting at our bedroom door with her eyes closed and arms hanging limply at her sides. When I reach her, I’m immediately sliding an arm around her waist and kissing her temple.

“Missed you today, baby.”

She keeps her eyes closed but leans into my hold, inhaling deeply. “I missed you too.”

“Did you also miss me?” Nate asks, slipping past us to open the door.

Finally, she shows me those pretty green eyes. “I missed you both.”

Nate puffs his chest and helps himself to our bedroom. I can’t do anything but grin at both his eagerness and comfortableness. Two months ago, he never would have been so confident walking inside my bedroom without explicit permission. Hell, he wouldn’t have even sat on the couch unless I asked him to.

“Come on! I’m dying here. You guys can cuddle and kiss and whatever after,” he groans.

“After what?” Blakely asks, intrigue sparking.

I tap the underside of her chin, and she tips it back on instinct so I can steal a kiss. Only taking one feels like a crime, but I’ll fix that later. Nate will wind up grabbing the surprises off the bed and shoving them at her if we don’t get a move on.

“I’ve got something to ask you,” I whisper, keeping her close. “To ask both of you.”

“Just come here, Lake!”

She tears her eyes from mine, and I release her. Nate’s already bounding in place beside the bed. He waves at the jerseys on the mattress and grins.

“What are those?” she asks, her voice so brittle it cracks.

I stand behind her and hold her hips, propping my chin on her head. “We’re a family, Blakely.”

“There’s one for each of us. And look, they’re all Bateman jerseys. Number one is obviously for you, then two is for Jamie, and three is me. Get it? One, two, three Batemans,” Nate explains excitedly, snagging the jersey with the number three below the Bateman and shoving it over his head. “Put yours on, Lake.”

I gently turn Blakely in my arms, my heart thudding as her face comes into view. The sheen in her eyes threatens to choke me up.

“Just hold on a sec, bud. I’ve got to ask you both something first,” I murmur, moving forward with the plan I didn’t discuss with him first.

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