Page 39 of Promised Summer
“Baby, Lily’s gonna get jealous if she finds out how obsessed you were with Gray,” Jones teased and tugged on one of her braids.
Karla giggled and reached out to grab his beard. The wince Jones wore told me she’d used all her muscles to pull. I really had to break her out of the habit of tugging his beard, but Jones just laughed and patted her head.
“Well, I’ll be,” Ryker muttered with a grin. “I never thought I’d see the day where youdidn’tblow your top at someone touching your beard.”
“Well, none of y’all are my baby girl. Isn’t that right?” Jones asked Karla, who laughed with delight and nodded.
“I can be your baby girl, too,” Dan teased and reached for his beard.
“Get your grubby hands away!” Jones cried and swatted him.
Everyone at the table laughed except Clay, who was currently grumbling something with his arms crossed over his chest. He must be pretty possessive of his stepbrother.
“I can’t believe you have to deal with a jerk like him,” Dan said to me, but he was obviously teasing by the smirk he shot to Jones as he settled back into his seat.
Jones literally growled at the man, which had Karla trying to imitate him. She had the entire table laughing again at how adorable she was.
“If he’s a jerk, then he’s the best one I know. He’s my jerk,” I said.
“Yeah?” Jones asked, the hint of a smile crinkling his eyes.
“Absolutely.”
He brought my hand up and kissed the back of it.
All his friends erupted in coos and kissy sounds. It was the most dramatic brunch I’d been to, but it was also a ten out of ten. Would one hundred percent recommend again.
Chapter Fifteen
RYAN
Over the next week, Karla and Imani had playdates almost every day. Karla and I had been over to their house a few times, and Karla really seemed to have opened up to Imani and her family.
She was even speaking a bit more. Some days, she refused to say a word, while on other days, she had entire conversations with her nana and gigi. I didn’t care how much or little she spoke. I wasn’t going to push her. But that didn’t mean it didn’t make me fucking tear up every time my baby girl started a conversation with me.
And through it all, Jones was there to share my excitement and comfort me when I was getting emotional about her. We didn’t spend the night at his place every night, not because we didn’t want to, but he’d had to stay at work late this week.
As co-owner of the construction company, he had to cover for his brother when he and Wren went out oftown. Jordan and Wren’s trip out of town this time was partly due to Wren’s vlog, but also to meet with a potential business client who was looking to build a block of mixed-use properties in the nearby city.
Jones was stoked about the project and had called me the night they finalized the deal. I’d never heard him sound more excited, since this contract would open a lot more doors for their company.
Jones, the business owner, was hot as fuck. But it also meant he was busy. I figured it was better to let the man have some space of his own.
We’d basically barged into his life one day and became permanent fixtures in it by invading his house and taking all his free time. I was far from complaining, but I could see how it might overwhelm someone.
So a little time apart would probably do us some good.
It didn’t stop me from missing him, though. Which made me realize just how seriously fucked I was for feeling so much for the man when there was still so much uncertainty in the air.
Saturday was another emotional day, with Karla willing to speak to her therapist. They mostly talked about Lily, Imani, and her family, but it was progress that I was celebrating.
She made plans to play with Imani’s new dolls afterward but insisted on seeing Lily first. Jones was once again waiting for us on the rocking chair, Lilyby his feet. An intense feeling of coming home welled through me, but I firmly pushed it down.
It was stupid of me to miss the place—and of course Jones and Lily—so much after not seeing them for a few days. But, fuck, if the way Jones lit up and ran to pull us into hugs didn’t have my stomach fluttering with happiness.
“How did it go?” Jones asked discreetly when Karla ran off with Lily.
“Really well, I think. She spoke most of the session,” I told him.
