Page 104 of A Perfect Match
I’m unable to keep myself away from Kru any longer, brothers be damned.I leap into his arms, wrapping my legs around him as I shriek with laughter.
“I can’t believe this,” I gush, wrapping my arms around him.“I feel like I’m dreaming.I never thought a sight like this would even be possible.”
Kru’s arms squeeze around my waist.The solid heat of him against me is so welcome and reassuring I could burst into tears.
“We all love you, Piper.”
Tears are in my eyes as I pull back to look at him.“Even Grayson?”
We both burst into laughter.I love this man.I love how he shows up for his loved ones.I love his vision and his journey and his heart.I press my lips to his in a deep, hungry kiss.
When we break apart, I look into his soulful brown eyes and say, “I love you too, Kru.”
“Um, excuse me, we’re all still here,” Griffin whines.
I wriggle in Kru’s arms, letting out another peal of laughter.“This is the best day of my life!”
Once I’m out of Kru’s arms, I walk over to my brothers.This still feels like a dream—all four of them under the roof of the place I was afraid to even mention to them weeks ago.
“Thank you guys,” I say softly.“This means a lot to me.”
Asher ruffles my hair the way he used to when I was little.“Anything for you, Pipe Cleaner.”
“Literally anything,” Dane adds.“Up to and including remodeling a barn you just started renting.”
“And backing down on the helpful life guidance,” Jett adds.
“And, I guess, not punching your boyfriend anymore,” Griffin rounds out.
The tears are back, streaming down my face through the laughter.It feels so right…and so wild.My brothers crowd around me in an awkward, hot group hug.
“Ok, I’m sweating in here!”I exclaim after a few moments.
“No, Pipe Cleaner, we’re not done hugging,” Jett goads.
“Heat exhaustion, happening now!”I warn.
They crowd me a little tighter until I burst into giggles.Then they finally break apart, and I can breathe again.
The next few hours pass in a blur of sawdust, laughter, and future planning.My brothers, who I've never seen work together without arguing, function like a well-oiled machine under Grayson's direction.Kru moves between helping with the physical prep work and consulting with me on design decisions as we all get on the same page from day one.
"The electrical will need to be installed completely from scratch," Grayson explains as we stand in what will become the kitchen area."And we'll need to reinforce this section for the commercial appliances.But the bones are solid."
"So how long do you think it will take?Any chance it could be done by next summer?”
"You’ll be up and ready by summer for sure.I mean come on—look at this crew."He grins at my brothers."Might even be spring."
“And I can definitely help out on occasion,” Kru says.“Fill in any gaps in the schedule.”
I dip my chin, seeing my opportunity to finally broach the question I’ve been content to avoid.“Aren’t you going to Columbus tonight?”
He pinches my chin gently, so much tenderness in his gaze that I almost have to look away.“No, Maven.I’m not.I decided I’m going to wait on anything that isn’t in Bayshore.I’ll be right here with you.”
After only a few hours of prep work, the transformation from one-woman show to professional construction project is visible.The space feels bigger, organized, more purposeful.Grayson’s laid the framework and taken the reins.I’m so thankful to have a professional at the helm—and someone who can tell my brothers what to do.Once noon hits, all the men are grumbling about being hungry.
“Lunch is on me,” Kru announces.“I’ll start getting our plates ready.You guys come into the restaurant, okay?”He winks at me before heading out of the barn.
“I’ve gotta head out to my other project soon,” Grayson says, tugging off his work gloves, “but I won’t say no to whatever that man is cooking up.”
