Page 73 of Rhett

“I think this calls for a toast.” Dusty pours us beers. “To family.”

“And friends,” Archer adds.

“To the people we love,” Tripp says, making my heart bang against my chest. Does he mean…? Is he saying he loves me? No. Not like that, I don’t think. Just the love between everyone at this table.

I repeat what I said to my brothers. “To new beginnings.”

We clink our glasses together, and I know this night will make it to my list of favorite days.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Tripp

Rhett laughs alot tonight, more than I’ve ever seen him laugh. Even though I never knew it was there before I got close with Rhett, it’s like this veil lifted tonight with the brothers. I don’t know what the future will bring, and I know things aren’t magically fixed, but tonight it feels like they’re all trying to pretend their past doesn’t exist. In this moment, they’re just three brothers, here with their partners, enjoying being a family.

“Hey, do you remember that time Ella asked for makeup?” Morgan says out of the blue.

Everyone’s gazes shoot to East, Archer’s hand on his nape, fingers dancing in his hair.

East clears his throat, then says, “You and Rhett were shit at it.”

“I think we were shit at most things,” Rhett replies, but East shrugs.

“Yeah, but you tried.” A look passes between them, and somehow, I can feel more of the walls between them crumbling. “I don’t give you credit for that one, though,” East adds. “She looked like a clown.”

“I remember you telling me about that,” Dusty says to Morgan.

“Hey, Rhett sucked more than me. I tried first, and it didn’t turn out so well, but then Rhett came in and made it worse.”

“Gee, thanks, brother.” Rhett chuckles.

“Are you saying it’s not true?” Dusty counters.

“No. It was true, but you don’t have to call me on it.” We share more laughs at Rhett’s words. “It was eight-year-old East who did better than both of us.”

East smiles. “She did my makeup afterward. I was better than her too. Maybe I missed my calling,” he says, and there’s more snickering around the table.

“She was good at that, at finding ways to bring us together,” Morgan says.

“East was too. It was both of them really, trying to teach their older brothers to act better.” Rhett’s gaze darts back and forth between Morgan and East.

Archer leans in, rubbing his temple against East’s, and that seems to unlock something inside him. “Yeah, it was also her idea to stick Morgan’s hand in water while he was sleeping to try and get him to pee his pants, and to put shaving cream in Rhett’s palm and tickle his nose with a feather so he rubbed it all over his face. She was always dragging me into mischief.” There’s a nostalgic smirk on his face as he speaks.

“Are you saying you didn’t like it too?” Morgan cocks a brow.

East holds up his hand, making an inch with his index finger and thumb. “Maybe a little…or a lot.” He plays with his napkin. “God, she was fun.”

“So much fun,” Morgan adds.

“She made people feel good.” Rhett turns to me. “Reminds me of Meadow that way.”

“Me too,” East says, and I can’t help the pride I feel in that, in the way my girl brings people together. “This feels good, talking about Ella like this. We should do it more.”

I hold up my glass again. “To Ella.” And for the second time tonight, we clink our glasses, and this time, everyone says, “To Ella.”

*

“Tonight was fun,”I say as we’re driving to my house. “Let’s do it again.”

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