Page 148 of The One for Me
“Devney sold Jasper and Hazel’s place, and we took a vote for whether we could stay in the house until we decide if we want to build on the land.”
“I didn’t fucking vote.”
Connor laughs. “That’s because you don’t count.”
Declan nods. “You were in Hollywood, it was done in person.”
Jacob groans and flops into his chair. “I hate you assholes.”
“Feeling is mutual.”
Within just a week, she was able to list and sell the property to a new family that was staying in a temporary home while they looked for a place. The father, Luke Allen, was killed overseas on what should have been a routine mission, and his wife, Brenna, moved here so the kids could be near their family.
Luke was a good guy, and I played ball with him on our high school team. When we heard about what happened, we made it a point to try to help them out. Connor helped get Jasper’s place updated a bit while I worked on getting all the animals rehomed, Jacob was able to get the kids some signed stuff that no one asked for, and Declan pulled some strings to get Brenna the house without paying extra fees or whatever.
All I know is that Devney took the money, and now Austin has a college fund set aside.
“Well, if I have to stay on Arrowood land, then I’m staying at Declan’s house.”
“The hell you are.”
“You have four bedrooms!”
He shrugs. “I don’t have enough space for your ego.”
“Oh, please.”
“I have to agree with him,” I tack on. “It’s only gotten more inflated since you signed that movie deal.”
“Listen, the kid who thinks you’re amazing is Brenna Allen’s son,” Connor explains while grabbing a drink.
Jacob rubs his hands in front of the fire. “The kid Ellie told me about? That’s Luke’s son?”
“One in the same,” Dec affirms.
Apparently, Brenna’s youngest son, Sebastian, is a huge fan of Jacob’s. His one wish was to meet him and we’ve all been helping to make sure that happens, only Jacob has a big heart and wants to do more.
“Wow. I didn’t realize. Connor, did you serve with him?”
Connor shakes his head. “I didn’t know he was in the navy. Apparently, he was a fighter pilot and his plane went down during a training mission.”
“Crazy,” I say, feeling the mood dip a bit.
“Yeah, I feel for the kid. I’m hoping to spend some time with him and make this a little easier for him.”
“Nothing like having a fake superhero as your new best friend,” Declan says and raises his glass.
“Instead of an old fart with a hero complex?” Jacob counters.
This is going to get ugly—fast.
But I’m really not one to get in the middle of things, so I lean back, letting the fire warm me as the two of them trade jabs.
Tonight was supposed to be a night where we drank beer, made jokes about the women in our lives, poked fun at Jacob for being the last single brother standing, and generally spent some time bonding. Know whose idea it was? The women in our lives.
They’re under some misguided notion that we need to spend more time as a family unit since the last nine years was a shitshow with varying degrees of a mess.
“How long before Declan punches him?” Connor asks, leaning in.
