Page 76 of Moonlight & Matrimony
“Are you okay, sweetheart? I know the last 24 hours have been… a lot.” He sighs and scrubs a hand over his beard before continuing. “I understand if you’d rather stay in. I can go back and tell them you aren’t up for it.”
“No, that’s okay. I want to see them and I think it would be good to get my mind off of things for a little while.”
Luca nods and holds out a hand to help me stand. “I’ll wait for you on the porch,” he says.
“Joey!” Griff wraps me in a bear hug, lifting and spinning me in a circle. I haven’t heard that nickname in ages, and a pang of guilt washes over me for having avoided them for years. Griff and Jax both work on the ranch, and they keep pretty busy. Over the years, we’ve waved at each other from a distance, saying the occasional hello here and there. But nothing was ever the same after I moved in with Austin. I wish I could blame him entirely for my isolation, but the truth is, in those early days, it was my own doing. I knew if I let them in, they would try to talk me out of staying with him, and I couldn’t see the forest for the trees.
Evelyn has helped me come to terms with my role in my withdrawal from their family and the subsequent isolation caused by Austin’s abuse, and she’s been encouraging me to try to reconnect, but I wasn’t ready. Standing here now, awash with regret, I wish I had reached out sooner.
“Put me down, you big oaf!” I pound on his chest with my ineffectual fists, and he chuckles. As he sets me back on my feet, his demeanor changes to something more stoic. “We missed you, Ivy Jo.”
Griff’s bulky frame towers over me, and if I had to guess, I’d say he’s at least 6’4”. His dark wavy hair is pulled up in a knot, deep blue eyes contrasted against his tan skin, and his angular jaw is covered in a layer of dark scruff. He’s definitely what you’d call a big boy, in a black henley and a pair of dark wash jeans, tattoos peeking out beneath his rolled up sleeves.
Tears threaten to spill as Griff passes me over to Jax, who pulls off his signature black cowboy hat to wrap his arm around my shoulders, cupping the back of my head. His hug is laced with an undertone of concern. I have no idea how much they know about my life with Austin or the subsequent fallout once I left, but I suspect they know enough to want to commit crimes on my behalf. “You good?” Jax asks with a dangerous edge to his voice, pulling back to study my reaction.
“I’m good,” I nod, keeping my expression apathetic. Jax is a good three inches shorter than his brother, with closely cropped light brown hair and kind green eyes that look just like his mom’s. Ever the cowboy, he’s dressed in a pair of worn wranglers and boots, with a navy plaid button down straining against his muscled torso. Not exactly the lanky teenager who used to chase me around the yard with the water hose. The years have been kind to the Hayes brothers.
I glance over at Luca, noticing the strain in his features. “Griff, Jax — this is my husband, Luca.”
Griffin is the first to reach out for a handshake. “Thanks for taking care of our little sister,” he says, emphasizing our lack of a romantic connection for Luca’s benefit, no doubt. Luca’s expression changes to acceptance as he shakes Griffin’s hand, then offers the same to Jaxon.
“Uncle Griff!” Rylin comes barrelling around the corner of the chicken coop, a fluffy white silkie chicken hot on her heels. She leaps into his arms and he catches her.
“How’s my best girl?” he asks.
“Did you meetmyLuca?” she asks, and my heart soars at the claim.
“I did! Are you ready for dinner?”
Rylin contemplates for a moment, tapping her finger against her chin. “Did you make hotdogs?” she asks, preparing to negotiate depending on the answer.
“Sure did! You didn’t think we’d forget, did you?” Rylin squeals and hugs him tightly around the neck. “You’re the bestest!”
I may have kept my distance from the Hayes brothers over the years, but I know they’ve had a big hand in taking care of my girl when Evelyn has her at the ranch. They love her like one of their own, and it’s just another reason I’m grateful for this family.
Luca
I’m not too proud to admit that I’m a jealous motherfucker, and damn, did I want to pull Ivy into my arms the minute Griff and Jax passed her around like a condiment. Logically, I know theydon’t see her that way, but it still grates. I keep reminding myself she’s not mine to claim. So why the fuck does she feel like she is?
“How did you end up in Oak Ridge, of all places?” Jax asks as he passes the potato salad to his dad. We’re all seated around a large farmhouse table on the back patio, the smell of barbecue filling the air. Rylin is tucked in between me and Ivy on a long bench seat, hot dog in hand.
“Have you met Paige?” I ask around a bite of the most delicious pulled pork I’ve ever tasted.
“Cade’s girl?” Jax asks.
I nod. “She’s my sister. After she moved here, and I saw how much she loved this town, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I got a job working for Barlow Construction, moved down a few months back, and that’s when I met Ivy.”
“And what exactly are your intentions with our Joey girl?” Griff asks.
“I think it’s a little late for the ‘if you hurt her, we’ll kill you’ speech, Griff,” Ivy points out. “Luca’s already locked it down.” Russell and Evelyn share a knowing smirk as Ivy holds up her left hand with the antique ring circling her finger, all but branding her asmine.
“Never too late,” Jax says. “Just know we have a backhoe and I won’t hesitate to dig a hole out in the pasture if you give me a reason.”
“Or there’s always the pigs,” Griffin adds.
“Noted,” I chuckle. “I have no intention of hurting her.” Keeping my tone decisive, I add, “I only want to keep her safe.” They nod in understanding, and the conversation drifts into more Rylin friendly territory.
After dinner, the brothers make Ivy promise to ride out to the pasture with them this week, and we drive back to our guest cabin with a very sleepy kid in tow.
