Page 41 of Puck You Not

His old coach waved that away, though we all knew it was true.“Just send me tickets to a game sometime, but right now, you best get on your way before anyone notices these three aren’t where they said they’d be.”

“Consider it done.”Parrish reached his hand for mine.“This is my girlfriend, Avalon.Future fiancée.”He grinned at me then glanced to his sisters.“Girls, get in the SUV.Thatcher and I will get the bags.”He looked over at his old coach.“What about the truck?”

Coach indicated to the lot’s security cameras.“Those damn cameras just haven’t been working, but tomorrow morning, I’ll happen to see this truck here and call the cops.”He raised a brow.“The keys are in it, and they all wrote letters to explain why they’re leaving.Since they’re old enough to do what they want, there’s nothing illegal.I still think you should get out of town before your dad and his cronies try to stop you, though.”

“We’re on our way.”

“What do you need me to do?”I asked.

Parrish hooked his arm around my neck, pulled me to him quickly, and pressed a kiss to my temple.“Just hop in and wait with my sisters.”He started to pull away then paused.“Hey.”

“What?”

“I love you.Thank you for coming with me.”

I stared after him as he sprinted over to the older of the two trucks and grabbed a couple duffel bags.Shaking my head, I did what he’d asked.After retaking my seat, I turned to look back at the girls in the second row.Winslow twisted her fingers in her lap while she looked around nervously.She jumped when the bags dropped into the back.Sutton was grinning and practically vibrating.

“I’m Avalon,” I said, though Parrish had introduced us outside.“You’re Winslow and Sutton, right?”I looked at each girl as I said their names.

“That’s us!”Sutton said.The door next to her opened, and her twin climbed past her, carrying a small wiggly dog.He went to the bench seat in the third row while Parrish said goodbye to his old coach and hugged him.

“You got everything?”I asked Thatcher, who was getting his pet settled on his lap.So…we were getting a dog, too?Okay.This family was getting more complete by the moment.

His grin and excitement matched his twin’s.“Yeah.We didn’t bring much.Just what we could fit in a couple bags.And Speck.”

He pet the dog as he said Speck, so I figured that must be the pup’s name.

“No problem,” I said.“We’ll go shopping once we get to Charleston.”

“I want a haircut when we get there,” Winslow suddenly put in.“Super short.A pixie cut.That’s what they call it, right?”

“Right.”I looked at her gorgeous hair but figured those tresses had stories I didn’t want to know.“We’ll make it happen.Whatever we need to do to get you settled, going to college, whatever.”

“So you and Parrish are going to get married?”Thatcher said right as his brother got behind the wheel and started the car.

“That’s what he says,” I told him as Parrish called, “Yes.”

“He hasn’t asked me yet,” I continued.“So we’ll see.”

“But you live together?”Winslow asked, her eyes lighting with interest and her fear seeming to fade a little as the vehicle started moving.

“Yes.We have a house together.”A mini-mansion of a house that was way bigger than I thought we needed, but with five adults—and a dog, apparently—it would be nice to have space.Parrish could afford it, and when I’d graduated, I’d gotten my small trust, so I could help.

“And we’re living there, too?”

“Yes,” I told her.“It’s a big place.You’ll each have your own rooms, and there’s a nice family room, a gym and a pool.”

“No way.Wow,” Thatcher breathed.

“I don’t suppose you have a book I can read?”Sutton asked suddenly.“Fiction, hopefully.”

“Actually…” I reached down to my feet to grab the three canvas bags stashed there.I handed one to each of Parrish’s siblings.“We brought you each your own tablet and earbuds.The tablets are charged and loaded up with music, a couple movies and a bunch of books.Parrish said you’d know how to use them because of school.”

All of them nodded and very politely thanked us before digging into their bags like it was Christmas.I’d also packed them with snacks for the trip, though we’d definitely get more during the fourteen-plus hour drive home.Thankfully, Parrish had rooms reserved for us about seven hours from here—at the same hotel where he and I had spent last night.

He smiled over at me once his brother and sisters were settled and engrossed in their media.“Youaremarrying me.”

“Think so, do you?”

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